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What's this sound?

RickM

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March 1, 2005
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Year, Model & Trim Level
'02 Explorer 4.6 XLT 4x4
Hi all,

I asked this question before and in an attempt to address and was told the sound was a noisy torque converter. However, a few people told me it wasn't so.

So..... I've recorded the sound and uploaded to FileDen. This noise started with my '02 not long after new...maybe a year or so.....it would come in and out....now it's pretty constant. It comes from where I think the Flywheel is located and kind of sounds like a pulsing / rushing (water) sound. It comes in and out. I placed my laptop under the Exp but it may be too close to get the distinctive sound. It's a bit loud and sounds more like a raspy rattle.

If anyone can take a listen and give feedback I'd appreciate. I may try again from a bit further...it may be clearer.


http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/8/13/3336574/exp sound.wma
 



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It is hard for me to tell from that clip. If the noise disappears when the transmission shifts into overdrive then it is probably the torque convertor.
 






Eddie, Thanks for the reply. I'll try to get a better sample and check if it happens when going into over drive.

Is there any other way to test the torque converter?
 






Hi all,

I asked this question before and in an attempt to address and was told the sound was a noisy torque converter. However, a few people told me it wasn't so.

So..... I've recorded the sound and uploaded to FileDen. This noise started with my '02 not long after new...maybe a year or so.....it would come in and out....now it's pretty constant. It comes from where I think the Flywheel is located and kind of sounds like a pulsing / rushing (water) sound.
]


I listened to your audio and could hear it well(new PC), but it doesn't sound anything like the bad torque converter my EX had right after I bought it last year, Jan 2001. It was a cold winter here then and on a cold start up, the torque converter whined loudly. It sounded like a whiney power steering noise you could hear right thru the floor boards by the tranny/engine connection. Your sound seems more like something rattling around to me, totally different than what mine sounded like. BTW, the flywheel and torque converter are located underneath the Bell Housing of the tranny, where it bolts up to the engine. On older vehicles, they had a removable cover plate on the bottom of the bell hosuing so you could visually inspect the flywheel and torque converter area, but not anymore. Good luck with the diagnosis.
 






I will take a pic of where the sound is loudest. I sounds like something making contact with the flywheel in an on and off, almost pulsing, manner.

As mentioned, I will rerecord from a bit further away so the sound is more distinct.

Thanks
 






Isolate converter noise The 5R55N/W/S units have a TCC piston that floats
through the cover. In Figure 10 you can see the load springs
and the mating tooth patterns. Frequently and even with new
converters, excess interference and lack of spring load results
in a rattle, prevalent in neutral. This rattle is very difficult to
isolate and can be related to the flex plate, the inspection
cover, the camshaft sensor, the line control valve (review
above) or the converter piston.
These units require a flex plate alignment tool and during that
process the OEM paint/balance marks should be positioned
next to each other. Most converter rebuilders can supply the
tool and rebuild your converter with an updated piston
(Sonnax p/n FD-DA-17PB), to eliminate a TCC rattle.
To isolate the noise prior to removal, use the line control
valve test and alternate that test with a TCC command test.
This TCC command can be performed with a shift box or by
grounding the TCC solenoid pin 14. Verify you’re on the
correct wire or you have just added time to your repairs!
 






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