2002 Escape 2.0L 4-cyl 5MT. 107,000 miles. Well maintained. No CEL or MIL.

My 2.0L Escape has gotten loud --- one day it was normal, the next day it was loud & has remained the same without getting worse. It sounds like it's coming from the engine bay, but I'm not really sure. The idle seems normal & the car does fine at highway speeds. The mpgs were down on my last tank of fuel (from a normal of 22 down to 16. 19 mpgs is usually the worst, but rare). The exhaust system seems to be in good condition without any broken welds or rust holes or anything --- I inspected it during the day & at night with a flashlight but there is no obvious damage. I smacked it along its length using a rubber mallet, but nothing sounded like it was rattling around or loose or broken or anything. The only guess I have right now is maybe there's a leak at the exhaust manifold & the gasket needs replacing, but that is just a guess. Or maybe the muffler's shot & I should have a mechanic check it.
Anyway, I'm stumped. Thanks for any suggestions.

Note: well maintained means service done or new Motorcraft parts installed as specified or as needed: oil changes. gear oil. coolant, thermostat & housing. air filter & fuel filter. spark plugs, plug wires & ignition coil. PCV & tubing. IAC & gasket. EGR valve & DPFE. valve cover gasket. vac tubing.

 

I guess the question that begs asking is what is meant by "loud"?
Is this a rattle, does it sound like one or two cylinders have an issue, or does it sound like there is a leak in the exhaust pipe?

I would closely examine the flexible pipe just before the catalytic converter if it's just a loud exhaust sound.

 

might be a wheel bearing failing.

 

Thanks. It's not a rattle & I wouldn't say it's a vibration either. It sounds like the engine is louder --- car stopped or car moving.
The best analogy I can think of is the farrt-can-mufflers some guys put on their old honda civics, but it doesn't really sound like that.
I don't recall seeing a flex pipe at the catalytic converter, but I'll double-check that today (edit: nope, no flex pipe).
Any suggestions of how I could check the exhaust manifold for leaks there at the cylinder head? Thanks again. JMK.

 

I'm not familiar with the 2.0L engine, but isn't it a transverse mounted engine? If so, then there has to be a flexible point between the header and exhaust pipe. I found this diagram of a 2001 and the '02 should be very similar...


Another possibility... If there is a catylitic converter incorporated into the header, then it could be that some of the medium inside has failed and the tin-can sound would be the result. My '02 3.0L had a front CAT fail and mine happened to plug a brand new main CAT. I suppose if the failed innards of a failed CAT were large enough chunks, the exhaust could still flow through the pieces. Mine didn't work out that way, but I did dump a bunch of crap out of my main CAT when I opened it up. I was able to remove enough to use the vehicle, and with a hollow front CAT I have a tin-can type sound that wasn't there before. Odd thing is that I have no codes for O2 or failed exhaust. Just passed inspection which includes emissions testing too.

 

I have a memory of a noise problem caused by the valve timing gizmos. It made a noise that was sort of unexpected, not like valve clearance tapping, but different. It could be made to go away by disconnecting a vacuum line, but the noise indicated something failed that affected valve timing, performance and economy(maybe). You might search for VVT problems.
tom

 

Thanks. I'll do some searches in regards to vvt problems. I've been planning on replacing the exhaust manifold gasket & checking the catalytic converter if possible, but I haven't been able to remove the heat shield yet because of a couple of small/stuck fasteners. doh. The top two came out after soaking with LW penetrant for a few days, but the other two that face forward are proving much more difficult. double doh.

No flex pipe.