2011 E350 Engine/Fan Noise

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Jul 30, 2025 | 10:31 AM

5speedjoe

Thread Starter

Trailering

Joined: Jan 2018

Posts: 15

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From: Out in the woods.

2011 E350 Engine/Fan Noise

2011 E350 350k miles, 5.4L engine. While towing our camper (about 5000 lbs) on the highway at about 62 mph (in 90 degree weather, overdrive always turned off), our van made an intermittent louder noise that almost sounds like the engine revving higher when downshifting while going up a hill, but the tachometer didn’t show any change when this happened. This happened on the trip back from Wisconsin, but not on the trip up. It definitely only did this during the day in the hotter temperatures. And if there was any change in the temperature gage during all this, it was very slight.

I wondered if the fan clutch engaging was making this noise, but it never made that noise on the trip up (although it was a bit cooler—upper 80s). We did get the fan clutch replaced this past January (preventative while changing water pump, etc), but I don’t remember ever having this noise in the past.

Any thoughts? If the fan clutch is faulty, could this cause the fan to be noisier than normal?

Jul 30, 2025 | 09:39 PM

BLK79

More Turbo

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 635

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Likely fan clutch, sounds like it's operating as needed/intended. They can for sure roar when engaged.

Jul 31, 2025 | 04:22 AM

manicmechanic007

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Joined: Jul 2020

Posts: 10,542

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From: Near Salt Lake City

Agree
Likely the fan clutch
When they wear out and start losing the oil inside, it will quit roaring and start overheating
Enjoy that roar, it means the fan clutch "is working for you"