I have a 2002 Ford Taurus SES, it has the 3.0 Overhead Valve engine, VIN: U. I have a rubbing/humming noise coming from the front. At first thought it was wheel bearings so I replaced both front wheel bearings, and the passenger side CV Axle because I broke the ABS ring on it. It is making a rubbing/howling noise after you get over 30-35 mph. If your driving down the highway at 70 mph you can really hear it and it sounds like a hum at 70 mph and a rubbing/hum at 30-35 mph. If I’m going down the highway at 70 mph I can put the car in neutral and the humming sound will quiet down, not 100 % but quiets down a lot. The sound persist while hitting the brakes also. Also if I accelerate, even a very slight acceleration, the sound goes completely away. I’m thinking this is an internal transmission problem but I’m not sure. I don’t have any lights on the dash coming on. I checked the transmission fluid and it’s good. Does anyone know what this may be or has this happened to anyone else? It almost sounds like when a wheel bearing is going out but that’s not what it is. Thanks in advance.
If the noise follows wheel rotation its probably a bearing or tire issue. If the noise stop when putting tansmission in neutral it probably due to a transmission issue.
It’s not tires. Tire noise wouldn’t go away when you accelerate. So I’m going with CV joints.
As verification, try rotating the tires front to back and if it is tires, the source of the noise will shift to the rear.
Plus, see if you can figure out which corner the noise is coming from. I’m going to guess it’s the driver’s front - the side where you didn’t change the axle.
jack up one side and let motor spin up that wheel. a noisy bearing will be easy to hear
do the other side next. if both are quiet it might be the rear?
found a pair of struts for $60 good deal
I changed the drivers side C.V. axle yesterday and it is still doing it. The car shifts fine. I jacked up the front end and put the car in drive and it shift through all the gears but didn’t make the noise. It’s making the noise when there is a load on it and it’s in drive, over 30 mph and while slowing down, I’m going to assume transmission is going out and it’s whining when the transmission is slowing itself down with a load on it. I’ve replaced the whole front end on it.