i have a 1999 ford windstar with 73k miles. torque converter was replaced before I got it. (about ten thousand miles ago)
my van gets a quick grinding noise from the front end that lasts only a second. it only happens when i start the car and then drive about 100 feet. if I shift to park and then back to drive it wont do it. only if the engine has been stopped and restarted (even if warmed up)
the transmission doesnt slip, and shifts fine.
id love some ideas befor the expensive (and only) local mechanic starts digging around
thanks!
Sometimes brakes will make that sound, especially if it has been raining a lot, driving through puddles, etc. The rotors rust overnight, then you get a sort of grinding sound for a while before the rust is wiped away by the pads.
You seem to think it is the transmission. Do you hear this when coasting, or only with the transmission engaged? Parked in idle? When moving, only in D? or other gears too?
its def not brake noise, this is momentary and doesnt return unless the car is turned off, put into gear, then driven a 100 feet or so.
i had never tested the low gears, just took it for a spin, it does it the same in both second and first.
and it wont do it when left to idle either
If I understand correctly, you start the car, idle, hear nothing unusual. Start moving forward in D. Still hear nothing unusual. Then at around 100 feet you start to hear a grinding noise, seems to be coming from the engine compartment area? And that grinding noise continues at whatever speed you are going, unless you stop, shift to park, then back to D, then from then on it never makes this noise no matter what you do?
hmm … well, that is indeed a puzzle.
How is the drivetrain configured on this vehicle? Transverse of long axis mounted engine? Front wheel drive with front CV joints, and the rear wheels just coast along? Or rear wheel drive with rear differential and the front wheels just coast along?
What engine do you have in this Windstar.
We have a 05 Freestar with the 3.9 engine.
I was stumped that at start up there would be a grinding sound for just a few seconds then it would run quietly until you shut the engine off and let it sit for a while.
I would start it and by the time I’d walk to the hood to try to determine where the noise was coming from it would clear up.
Turned out that because it was electronic ignition, there is a shaft that drops into where the distributor would have been to run the oil pump, and then a cover replacing the distributor. This cover has a small bushing to keep the shaft end centered and this gets little lubrication. The bushing wears and because the oil has drained down from this cover it runs dry for a few seconds on start up and if the bushing is worn the shaft has a wobble effect which makes a grinding sound.
I think that I just ordered the new cover with the bushing and have not had a problem since.
I’m not sure if your 99 has this type of ignition, but I thought that I’d throw this out there.
Yosemite
george its front wheel drive, and you got it, noise comes from the front end, seems like the center (at least from the inside ) and thats about all I know!
Does this vehicle have ABS?
If it does, the OP’s description of both the noise and the circumstances when the noise appears are completely consistent with the ABS self-test.
it does. is this an issue that needs repaired? its loud, also the abs light isnt on (no dash lights are lit actually)
No, it doesn’t need to be repaired, as this is simply the electronic ABS self-test that is supposed to take place upon “cold” starts. The loudness of the noise (and where it seems to emanate from) varies from car to car, so on some models it will be louder than on others. In fact, on some models the self-test is so quiet that some people never notice it.
Anyway, the bottom line is that you should be concerned if the ABS system didn’t go through the self-test upon each “cold” start. If it didn’t go through this brief self-test, more than likely the ABS light would be lit up. The fact that it isn’t lit up is further confirmation that nothing is wrong with the ABS.
Although some Owner’s Manuals are more complete than others, most of them do make some mention of this noise in order to quell the fears of owners. Have you read the Owner’s Manual?
OP says once the noise starts, it never stops. It will continue for hundreds of miles of driving presumably. It will only stop if the car is stopped, placed in park, and then continue w/the trip.
Does that sound like an ABS test? I thought the ABS test noise lasted just a short time, then after it was done, silence.
IMO this noise is probably coming from the transmission. OP will probably have o take it to a good tranny shop to get a definitive diagnosis. Hopefully it is something simple, like it needs a routine servicing, or a solenoid is sticking. There’s a chance when the torque converter was replaced the fluid installed was the wrong type or contaminated.
“OP says once the noise starts, it never stops. It will continue for hundreds of miles of driving presumably”
???
George, you must be reading different information than I am reading.
The OP stated:
“a quick grinding noise from the front end that lasts only a second”
…and…
" this is momentary and doesnt return unless the car is turned off, put into gear, then driven a 100 feet or so."
George_SJ writes: "If I understand correctly, you start the car, idle, hear nothing unusual. Start moving forward in D. Still hear nothing unusual. Then at around 100 feet you start to hear a grinding noise, seems to be coming from the engine compartment area? And that grinding noise continues at whatever speed you are going, unless you stop, shift to park, then back to D, then from then on it never makes this noise no matter what you do? "
OP writes: “george … you got it”
VDC is correct that if the noise only occurs for a brief time after starting the engine, it definitely could just be the ABS self- test.
yeah its just a quick noise, lasts just a moment, then goes away until i have shut the engine down, restarted, driven about 100 feet and then itll do it again. wont do it unless engine has been turned off and restarted. only does it one time. doesnt matter which gear (i tried driving in first and second, happened the same)
just to be sure, if there is a transmission issue, will it throw a code if they check it? (no engine lights are on)
It’s hard to say if a problem like that – if it was coming from the tranny – would cause a transmission diagnostic code to be stored or not. It is possible for diagnostic codes to be stored in memory without the dash lights coming on. There are complicated rules for under what conditions a code stored in memory will cause a dash light to turn on.
so what are the odds that this is transmission if it only occurs once and shifts ok otherwise? should i get a flush and filter change either way?
A proper transmission service never hurts. It can only help.
Most of the experts here say a proper service means dropping the pan, inspect for debris in the bottom of the pan, clean the gunk from the bottom of the pan, replace the filter, and refill w/the proper fluid. In some cases this procedure needs to be repeated after driving a few weeks. On some vehicles this requires using a make specific scan tool, so make sure the shop is using the proper procedure as specified in the factory service manual. A proper service is not a flush in other words. With a proper service, the shop may find unexplained metal debris in the bottom of the pan, and that could be an important clue if there is indeed a transmission problem going on here. Best of luck.
thank you for the advice everyone. one last question, any idea what a complete transmission go over should cost? Id just like a ball park- thanks again
I think you should find an independent tranny shop and have them take a look. Stay away from the chain shops like Aamco, Lee Myers, Accurate, etc. etc… All they want to do is sell you a new tranny, even if they know the noise is not coming from the tranny.
Yosemite