Pontisteve
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- August 30, 2008
- Messages
- 510
- Reaction score
- 11
- City, State
- Florida
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 03 Eddie Bauer 4WD V8
BrooklynBay,
I have an 03 EB Explorer 4.6 4wd. The thing has made a strange noise since I bought it at 80k until now at 115k. Never gets better or worse. It sounds like it has a loose catalytic converter heat shield. It's that rattly metal noise. But I've checked every heat shield, used a rubber mallet on every converter to check for chunks in a converter, and even pulled off the exh manifold heat shields.
The noise is not there at very high throttle positions, but is there at lighter throttle, during acceleration. The noise goes away every time the trans shifts (presumably because the load of the motor is reduced as torque management pulls timing during the shifts). The noise cannot be pinpointed, and I'm very experienced with working on cars. After 2 years of trying to figure this out, and listening to it carefully all the time, I've come to the conclusion its possibly coming out of the tranny or converter. Does this symptom match anything you've experienced on Explorers?
It's a somewhat common Explorer problem, that I do know. And Ive heard the timing chains (4.6 2v) can make that noise if the chain eats thru the nylon in the guide. Problem what that good theory is no aluminum specs in the oil, and hasn't gotten worse in 30k. I'm really thinking it could be converter/trans noise, but have never heard such a noise out of a functioning tranny. Any thoughts?
I have an 03 EB Explorer 4.6 4wd. The thing has made a strange noise since I bought it at 80k until now at 115k. Never gets better or worse. It sounds like it has a loose catalytic converter heat shield. It's that rattly metal noise. But I've checked every heat shield, used a rubber mallet on every converter to check for chunks in a converter, and even pulled off the exh manifold heat shields.
The noise is not there at very high throttle positions, but is there at lighter throttle, during acceleration. The noise goes away every time the trans shifts (presumably because the load of the motor is reduced as torque management pulls timing during the shifts). The noise cannot be pinpointed, and I'm very experienced with working on cars. After 2 years of trying to figure this out, and listening to it carefully all the time, I've come to the conclusion its possibly coming out of the tranny or converter. Does this symptom match anything you've experienced on Explorers?
It's a somewhat common Explorer problem, that I do know. And Ive heard the timing chains (4.6 2v) can make that noise if the chain eats thru the nylon in the guide. Problem what that good theory is no aluminum specs in the oil, and hasn't gotten worse in 30k. I'm really thinking it could be converter/trans noise, but have never heard such a noise out of a functioning tranny. Any thoughts?