In the first photo - my description of “scraping grinding noise” when going from 1st to 2nd was maybe not the best way to describe what I was hearing. More like a loud ticking similar to the idling noise in the videos I posted earlier but it also almost sounded like paper stuck in a fan blade combined with like a loose exhaust bolt that was vibrating with a metallic sound that sounded ONLY when accelerating from 1st to 2nd gear and then was dead quiet after shifting into 2nd, which concerned me because the famous “coyote tick” which is considered normal on these engines is only supposed to be at idle, or at 1700 rpms or less and I was hearing it when driving as well under light and heavy acceleration well above 1700 rpms.
I talked to the tech that drove the car and he claims he heard the noise I mentioned from 1st-2nd gear, however when I picked it up today and drove the car home (of course) it was no longer making that sound when accelerating. So i’m wondering if the tech even heard the noise I was originally concerned about when he test drove it since now it seems to have disappeared or at least quieted down a lot. Not necessarily complaining but the noise I heard definitely wasn’t normal because I’d never heard it before, and mechanical noises caused by issues don’t just disappear all by themselves…
Like I said earlier the idle / under 1700 rpm tick is normal, and the noise can mimic a bad cam phaser, lifter, exhaust leak or something similar. The fact that I had that weird noise when accelerating was the main reason I brought it in, (I was not as concerned about the idling noise), and now it seems to be gone.
What’s also surprising is that tsb 52334 says the coyote tick can be isolated near the bell housing (or also the area with the flex plate) which would make diagnosing a bad flex plate (if that actually was indeed the issue) at least on this car could prove to be very difficult since apparently a very common tapping/ticking noise they consider perfectly normal can be coming from that exact same area.
The first document’s “abnormal engine noise” wording is confusing. (I’m ignoring that “hear” is spelled two different ways.) Does the tech still think that is the current diagnosis? i.e. there really is an abnormal engine noise present, made worse by aftermarket headers? Or is the current thinking that there’s nothing wrong at all, the engine noise is entirely normal for that particular engine? Are you thinking some work was done that they aren’t telling you about?
They did not charge me anything not even a diagnostic fee because they told me “they couldn’t find anything wrong” besides just saying what I was hearing was normal. Which was nice of them, but I don’t believe they did any work otherwise they definitely would have charged me.
I believe “diagnose abnormal engine noise” was just the category for the diagnostic or something based on what I initially told them. I spoke to the tech and he told me he thinks everything’s fine and that they’ve torn apart these motors and replaced cams, phasers, lifters and pretty much the whole valve train and they’d still tick which coincides with what I knew already. It just seems weird to me that the problem/original concern about accelerating noise (not idling noise) seemed to just go away on its own but I suppose i’ll just be glad it’s gone now.
If it comes back I’ll be sure to record a video and maybe take it elsewhere for a 2nd opinion.
The reason I ask is b/c many years ago a dealership shop repaired some incorrect wiring they had done on my car as part of a repair. The wiring mistake burned up a relay. Somebody also replaced the damaged relay with a new one. But the service manager denied the relay had been replaced.
I see what you mean that the “diagnose abnormal engine noise” comment was intended to describe what you wanted them to do, not the actual diagnosis. I read that comment as the tech saying they had diagnosed an abnormal engine noise … lol …
It says in the report that the problem is exacerbated by aftermarket headers. Congratulations, you’ve now been shown why cars don’t come from the factory with tube headers. That ticking is completely normal and typical of headers, and is very rare and unusual with factory exhaust manifolds. Even if your buddy has a car with headers that doesn’t make this noise, even if your last car with headers didn’t have this noise, even if your next car doesn’t have this noise, this noise is typical of tube headers.
So the noise came back and I recorded a video. Here is the link to the noise it makes when accelerating. I started recording the video when car was at a complete stop. You can hear the noise in the first couple seconds of the video, when the car accelerates from 1st gear then it seems to stop when the car shifts into 2nd gear. The noise is gone for the rest of the gears shifting and accelerating from 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 as you can hear from the clip. You may have to turn volume up a bit and replay the first 3 seconds of the video a few times to hear it well:
A few important things to note:
-Checked carefully under the car and nothing is scraping and no debris are stuck anywhere or dragging
-The noise is hard to replicate sometimes. It seems to happen when car is fully warmed up and not when cold. This may be why the noise seemed to disappear after leaving Ford dealership, because the engine was still cold.
-It ONLY happens when accelerating from a completely dead stop. If the car is already moving even a tiny bit and then accelerated it won’t make the noise
-Only happens when accelerating from a dead stop in 1st gear, once it shifts into 2nd it goes away. (Don’t think it has anything to do with the transmission since the noise is coming from the front left of the car)
-Car does NOT run, drive or shift poorly in any way shape or form besides the noise. The trans fluid and filter have been serviced multiple times within a short time frame.
-I have had headers and x pipe on the car for 5 months now and have only just started hearing this noise maybe 1 week ago.
-No exhaust leaks according to both an exhaust shop and Ford dealership. To me this sounds like a headers are clanking together or a bolt is loose but again 2 shops have told me the exhaust is fine.
-Does not make the noise when car is revved in park or neutral at any rpm or any revving speed (revving up slowly or fast)
Maybe somethings wrong with the motor mounts where the torque of it in gear twists the motor and trans since it does not make that noise when it revs in park or neutral? I would also think this eliminates the problem being with the engine?
I do not. Roll racing once in a while pretty much never drag racing. I don’t have slicks/radials yet. Mostly just a daily driver during the spring and summer with some spirited driving now and then but nothing crazy
Just a thought, do you have those bolt on caliper covers?
My friend had them on a mustang that he bought, and they would get loose and make a scraping sound and sometimes a ticking or rattle that he could hear at low speeds. if I am remembering correctly the sound would kind of get drowned out the faster he went.
You just made me think of stick on wheel weights being double stacked and hitting the caliper(s)… just something to make a scraping noise once the vehicle is moving, either one or neither one could be an issue…
