Huge Bang/Pop when accelerator pressed, followed by burning smell.

[Blacksheep Josh]

As the title says...

I was idling, then I took my foot off of the brake, pressed the acclerator kinda hard to make the Explorer "jump" forward, when I did that I got a really loud bang/pop sound, followed by about 15 seconds worth of a "burning smell".

All gauges read fine. Oil pressure was up, water temp never moved, battery voltage stayed up and true.

Tires all looked good, suspension is still holding as far as I can tell. Will look again tomorrow morning with more light.

I can't pinpoint where the sound came from, as I was more focused on not blowing up from the pop and burning smell.

Any ideas what may have happened? I opened the hood when I got home and everything seemed fine from the outside looking on, but again, I'll look again tomorrow when I have more light.

 

[sport97]

could the clunking pop sound be the driveshaft u joints maybe?, but i dont know why it would start all the sudden usually they wear out slower. that also doesnt explain the smell. worth a look i suppose

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Just some more information on what maybe have led up to it...

I was going to pick up a friend, and two other friends were riding with me.. They told me beware of the speed bumps, so naturally I sped up.... The last speed bump I was slightly turning, so the backend kinda "jumped" to the side a little bit when it hit the speed bump.

I then turned right normally, then turned left, and then did a hard left uphill into a parking spot to turn around. Then I pulled up, stopped, then when I tapped the accelerator is when the loud pop happened.

I'm wondering if it was just a backfire possibly? Cause I was going from idle to pretty hard on the accelerator? But would that cause the burning smell I had?

 

[Willard]

Backfire?

Edit: you said it before I did. I'm not sure about the burning smell, unless it backfired something into the intake or into the exhaust.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

That's whats so weird... It sounded like metal, but at the same time it happened so quick I'm not sure.

I did have the heat on at the time, and when I turned the heat off it stopped. But when I turned it back on about 20 seconds later it was gone. Ran fine on the way home.

I'm really hoping nothing suspension wise decided to give out...

 

[Willard]

I think you'd know by now if it was suspension related...most likely anyways. I don't see how anything from the suspension would cause a burning smell, either.

Unless you blew a shock, which I've never even heard of. If the fluid inside hit the exhaust it would make some funky smells. Check all the shocks for holes, and see if anything is extra bouncy to be sure. But I highly doubt that is what happened.

I'm still betting on a backfire of some sort, those can be LOUD...

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I'm hoping that's what it was... I really do. I'm going to go over EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb tomorrow before it's driven again. But it does give me an opportunity to catch a ride with a mighty fine girl from class, lol. Blessing in disguise?

My first thought was that "A BALL JOINT FAILED", but then I realized it'd drive way funky or not at all. But the burning smell is what gets me...

This is the first time I've felt completely useless. I dont' know what it was, what caused it, and even if I did I can't fix it cause all my tools are 1.5 hours away and have no way to get them here or the Explorer there.

My baby's sick and I can't help her!!!

 

[Tbars4]

...This is a total shot in the dark but, tomorrow get underneath and check out your wiring harness from your tranny up along the drivers side exhaust...

...I am more concerned about the burning smell...

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Will do Tbars. Never thought of that.

I talked to my Dad (who knows a little bit about cars), he said maybe it was a rod? But the engine wouldn't run normally if it was a rod right?

The tranny shifts from park to drive have been taking longer then usual. The color has started to turn on me, but up until this poitn it was fine. On colder days it'd take a second longer to shirt into drive, but I wasn't worried about it cause a lot of people suffer from that.

But tomorrow when I get home from class, I'm going to inspect everything. It's definitely engine/tranny related as it didn't happen until I pressed the accelerator.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[Willard]

I'm racking my brain on this one for you...I hate it when I can't figure something out. There has to be a logical and simple explanation for this, and obviously nothing too major happened, as you got the truck home seemingly okay.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I appreciate it...

the transmission is just over 3 years old (installed Fall of 2005), so I hope it's not going bad all ready. Transmission has about 53,000 miles on it, so it's due for a transmission flush as well (color is turning a little brown, but not to bad).

But as for the bang, it's just not making any sense.

 

[Willard]

I'm assuming the transmission still works fine for the most part? e.g. all the gears work (including reverse), doesn't feel to be slipping a lot...

 

[LBarr2002]

I'd say it was a backfire. Mine does it every once in a while if I stand on it hard. I've never had any problems related to it.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

But do you get a burning smell?

Yeah, works fine, doesn't slip at all. Shifts strong as HELL when near the upper rpm range when I floor it flat out.

I get some valve rattle to, but that's just the age setting in.

But as for slippage while driving, there isn't any. It's just sluggish going into gear, but it's never failed to do so. I think it's the solenoid I've read about.

 

[fixxxer]

Josh, I've been thinking about this for a little while now, the only thing I've come up with is, if your battery isn't bolted down tightly and you bounced it a little going over those speedbumps then hit the gas a little agressively, you could have caused the battery/cable to short against the hood or the radiator support frame and it arced and/or caused a wire to get pinched and burn the insulation. Sound reasonable?

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Fixxxer (enough X's),

I understand what you're saying, but it doesn't describe the loud bang I heard. Only way to describe it is that it came from somewhere underneath the transmission hump. Whether right below it or in front of it I'm not sure. I'm talking this was loud. Like... dropping a iron pot from chest height on the ground loud. So I don't think it's the battery, cause that'd be some serious banging around. Plus the battery gauge NEVER faultered at all, held steady.

 

[fixxxer]

Well, it was just a thought, I've heard some very loud "pops" come from a 12v wet cell battery getting shorted out
(yes, just the right number of x..'s)

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Yeah, I think tomorrow I'm going to just get up underneath it and inspect everything... It's all I really can do short of tearing down the block and dropping the tranny...

Hopefully it was only a backfire...

 

[JTX]

Did you hit the homeless guy on the corner? Maybe thats what the smell was?

 

[Four0Sport]

sounds like it might even be that a driveshaft was on a bind from how you described the parking job you did and maybe a pinion shaft got pulled or twisted and pinched a seal and slung fluid agaisnt the exhaust? idk.. but deffinetly look over anything that could have 'bound' up while making that turn. driveshafts, axles, hubs, rad arms.. who knows. but yeah.. like tbars (ted, if he doesnt mind me calling him ted) its the smell you should be worried about. did your subwoofer blow? i think this is the 5th thread ive mentioned you and subs in tonight : )