Hello from CA - UHAUL dream crusher - thanks

[Laura F.]

I am Laura and I am here because I decided to move from CA to New Mexico and I did the unthinkable! I sold my 96 Jeep XJ with 33s because I wanted to tow my things to my Mother's place in New Mexico. I purchased a 2003 Ford Explorer XLT from a guy who purchased off the auctions. This thing was filthy but I cleaned it and began to fall in love as it has auto transmission and power everything, OH and AC that worked! I may be lower to the ground but I am comfortable now! The Jeep was just rugged!

I spent every penny I had from the Jeep to get tires and register including SMOG and after all said and done I was actually 20.00 short! Yeah it felt good to get my plates! I don't have any children but I knew the previous owner sure did. The 2nd and 3rd row seats had to be cleaned up and scrubbed by me from the kids' spills and messes-sticky and melted whatever and everything possible!

Then I called UHAUL! Nothing can describe my adrenaline shot face and how it must have looked when I got the word about the non-rental policy for FORD EXPLORER owners! Oh yeah! No joke, you can go online and check out the equipment but in order to reserve or get prices you have to put in the vehicle. I own a 2003 Explorer XLT and from rental trailers at 249.00 you get a big fat NO, an apology sort of disclaimer message and then OTHER OPTIONS which take you to trucks starting at 1100.00 to rent but to tow the EXPLORER has to go up off the ground entirely and the 2nd size truck is able to pull that trailer so up up and away goes the price to my moving expenses! I calculate truck and trailer with gas to move now is at 2000.00!

Now my truck makes this noise! I am all out of money and the whole purpose of my move is because I am just a little bit sick needing surgery! So I am here to see my noise and find what I can to fix it as quick as best as possible! I don't want to get rid of my truck, I don't want it to break on the way to new mexico and oh I had no clue UHAUL was this monster that would not offer a discount, a price break on the higher rentals or let me sign a waiver - just something other than 249.00 to 1500.00 equipment rental increase which I do not have now since I bought my lovely Ford Explorer! This is a serious prejudice problem and I don't know if everyone who plans to own one knows it or current owners know this. I would certainly like to know who knew and did not know about this. I am going to be pitching a tent now because Ford and Uhaul have a problem and people like me get caught in the middle!

Now about that noise!?!? I do hope this is going to be very little cost wise! Someone I know said timing chain and I can only hope for a happy ending in this story of mine!

Sincerely,


Laura F.

PS. I have a campaign started about the needing to move and I did not bash uhaul for this needing the money or help to move - I stayed off the negatives and just ask simply for some help. Maybe as Ford Explorer owners can relate to my story, maybe I can there for find a little sympathy here? I am not having luck getting to my mom's quick enough! I will attach that link for those who feel like they can help me change my life!? I have been getting depressed about this move thing! I cannot put up about Uhaul on that site so I just request help with my move and to share this video if possible! I had planned to be at Mom's by Christmas which has come and gone! So Hello and thank you for listening and letting me vent!

Click here to support Drs insist on surgery but I cannot where I live! organized by Laura Franks

 

[Mbrooks420]

This is widely known about and beaten to death here. This policy is well over a decade old.

Make the online reservation for a Mercury Mountainer, and pick the trailer up after hours with the U-haul app. Problem solved.

Is the noise a rattling sound when you first start the truck, or st low RPMs?

 

[Josh P]

The mercury mountaineer is identical and uhaul will rent to that car, some people have been lucky telling uhaul they own a mountaineer. Another option is to rent or borrow a vehicle to get the uhaul then use your vehicle to move. Welcome to the forum.

 

[donalds]

Love if you can post a YouTube vid of the noise

Need some more info please

 

[Laura F.]

okay sorry about the beaten thread with uhaul i was not aware and i just bought this thing! none of my friends knew about it either. So, I basically screwed myself selling my Jeep and I see some of you are not very nice about it at all! I feel like I wish I could erase my whole message now but I can't so sorry!

okay the noise is not so much on startup-I never had a normal start up cause I don't know this vehicle all new and normal sounding... but its almost like a pinging noise it sounds like bad gas pinging sorta from inside vehicle but if you give it throttle and hear it, you can back off and it sounds like its going away, this is when it warms up, (don't hear it from inside cabin till it warms and going full throttle to get on freeway) however, when I am in a drive thru, the building walls sorta enhance noises and i can hear it tattling but its not as loud while in idle with foot on brake pedal so its rattling alot more then i originally expected it to be.

It has gotten worse and I will admit the guy i bought it from said it was tensioner pulley but there is a harmonic balancer wobble too! it was one quick time i heard it when test driving and that is what he told me it was. I saw the wobble on my own.

I am buying the chain tensioners today since they are cheap cause i saw a video on you tube but i still question the harmonic balancer wobble and glazed over tensioner pulley?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I don’t see where anyone was not nice to you...... if you truly want your thread deleted any moderator would do it for you.

Do you mean the timing chain tensioners?

The harmonic balancers wearing out is fairly common. Not all that big of a job.

Pinging is usually due to timing issues, or high compression due to carbon buildup. I’m not sure if a shifted balancer would effect timing, but I don’t think so.

 

[donalds]

okay sorry about the beaten thread with uhaul i was not aware and i just bought this thing! none of my friends knew about it either. So, I basically screwed myself selling my Jeep and I see some of you are not very nice about it at all! I feel like I wish I could erase my whole message now but I can't so sorry!

You can always ask any questions you want to

Now about that noise!?!? I do hope this is going to be very little cost wise! Someone I know said timing chain and I can only hope for a happy ending in this story of mine!

Here is a vid of what the engine sounds like normally

I am buying the chain tensioners today since they are cheap cause i saw a video on you tube but i still question the harmonic balancer wobble and glazed over tensioner pulley?

Only buy the tensioner s from ford sorry the cheap ones are crap
If the harmonic balancer is wobbling its most likely bad change it

If you can please post a vid of the sounds people will be able to help you much faster

 

[Laura F.]

okay that helps a great deal thank you and thank you for being so kind donalds. I think I might just wish to be erased from this entire forum! I am terribly embarrassed that is for certain. I do hope that can be arranged. Thanks have a great rest of the day

 

[donalds]

A bad or wobbly harmonic balancer will cause the belt tensioner to chirp I have been there

 

[donalds]

okay that helps a great deal thank you and thank you for being so kind donalds. I think I might just wish to be erased from this entire forum! I am terribly embarrassed that is for certain. I do hope that can be arranged. Thanks have a great rest of the day

Ok why do you want to be erased
Sometimes when reading someone's response
They unintentionally come off bad
I assure you no one ment anything
We just are blunt in our statements and want to help you
So don't be embarrassed at all
Ask as many questions as you can so you learn more about your problem

 

[Mbrooks420]

I don’t see why you’d be embarrassed... you asked a few questions, and you already got a few answers in less than an hour. That’s pretty great response for a forum.

I’m sympathetic that you sold a vehicle you liked for something you can’t use.

Like I said, easiest solution just pick up the trailer when no one is working, and make the reservation for a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer, and it’ll solve your monetary and logistical moving issues.

If you still want to be removed from the forum @Rick would do it for you, I’m sure.

 

[donalds]

I don’t see why you’d be embarrassed... you asked a few questions, and you already got a few answers in less than an hour. That’s pretty great response for a forum.

You sir are correct

 

[Laura F.]

ok i will stay because i actually need you all. thank you!

 

[Laura F.]

Like I said, easiest solution just pick up the trailer when no one is working, and make the reservation for a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer, and it’ll solve your monetary and logistical moving issue

i am a little bit concerned about their disclaimer stating something about their not renting because of the claims for damages being so many that to actually tow with my explorer i am going to destroy it? shouldn't i use caution or just not tow at all?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d say you biggest concern right now should be the timing chain tensioners, if that’s the noise you are hearing. If it jumps time it’ll likely ruin the motor.

Does your Explorer have the towing package?

 

[Laura F.]

I’d say you biggest concern right now should be the timing chain tensioners, if that’s the noise you are hearing. If it jumps time it’ll likely ruin the motor.

Does your Explorer have the towing package?

just the smaller receiver and plug. i have third row seats so its the luxury limo of explorers. i am curious a to what towing damages? i.e. tranny o/d or other?

i have tensioners on the way. there are two, correct? upper passenger side and upper drivers side? why do they say upper if there are no lowers?

i am going to try to make video of sounds again. first video i ytied was with phone in hand out window and all i got was wind noise.

thanks so much.

 

[donalds]

Make quick vid put the phone on the ground in front of the truck then start it like normal let it idle then rev it a few times so we can hear it
The start and rev will tell us tons

 

[Mbrooks420]

With the small receiver your weight limit is probably fairly low. How big of a trailer are you planning? Does you hitch have a capacity sticker?

The tow package has a transmission cooler, and probably stiffer springs. Not sure if the 3rd gens have different axle ratios or not.

@donalds is there a fair chance it’s just the fronts?

 

[donalds]

With the small receiver your weight limit is probably fairly low. How big of a trailer are you planning? Does you hitch have a capacity sticker?

The tow package has a transmission cooler, and probably stiffer springs. Not sure if the 3rd gens have different axle ratios or not.

@donalds is there a fair chance it’s just the fronts?

The primary to jackshaft tensioner maybe mine sounded like jingle ing keys

But if it's rattling at startup then my guess would be passenger side back tensioner

If it's a chirp chirp when at idle then most likely the serpentine belt tensioner

If it sounds like a loud diesel truck then a bad timing chain tensioner s or broken guide

Would be nice to hear it then I would know

 

[Mbrooks420]

You’d surely know much better than I. There’s a super clean SOHC at the pick n pull here. Might email how much they want for the whole deal.