Yesterday after about a 2hr drive as soon as I got off on the interstate exit and started to slow down my Explorer made this horrible sound that almost sounded like a power drill or the engine over reving. Then it did it every time I would slow down for anything after that. At fisrt I thought it may have been the transmission so I took straight to a tranny shop, and by the time they got around to looking at it (several hours later) they said they could not find anything wrong with it and could not reproduce the noise. So I started driving home and about an hour into the drive it started doing it again. It only makes the noise when you take your foot off the gas. As soon as you touch the gas pedal it immediately stops. Has anyone ever had a similar problem? Someone told me it may be the bearings in the tension pulley, does this make sense ? I'm completley confused and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

My story goes like this !

1997 Exploder 4x4 with auto trans and 4.0 six. 75k miles

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For about 30 days I noticed a quite popping sound coming from my engine area when taking my foot off the gas at 50 to 40 mph. I thought it was a backfire or something in carb or Mass Air Flow system. This was not the case. After going to 3 shops where one said it was popping form the clogged fuel filter which we replaced and did nothing. Then fingers pointed to the sound coming from the catalytic converters. After a shop drove and inspected and got out a stethoscope to listen for leaks the gave up and said the DEALER word. After another week or so I took it to the F- - - dealer.

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Here we go !

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So I told them my popping story and noted that there had been a few of times in the last few months my trans gears ground in LOW ! Since I was paying the big bucks I’ll have the pros take a look at the trans. So they took in for tune up and trans check.

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So I get the call and guess what … I need a new trans for a low price of $2,600.00.

I declined and went get the car to take it elsewhere.

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Here is the grand finale !

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When I get the truck the report says that the trans may be breaking up inside.

And as I drive off into the sunset the trans starts sputter shifting and a high speed loud metal noise comes from the trans area when I take my foot of the pedal ! They really broke my car good ! and want me to pay for it ! I was also told that they ran it hard in second gear to find the problem and boy there sure did they blew my trans I guess. The car is now not driveable.

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If anyone out there knows what this problem really is and how to fix it please post your thoughts.

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Thanks

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Crap that doesn't sound good. But so far I have noticed zero problems with shifting or anything like that. Just the high speed metal noise when I take my foot off the gas. I'm really hoping it's the tension pulley. I'm going to try changing it tomorrow.

 

Well, I changed the tension pulley this morning. Didn't help at all, although by listening to it spin in my hand the bearings on it were bad too. Turned out to be a tranny problem afterall. Put some lucas tranny stuff in it which quieted it down and took it and traded on an avalanche z66.

 

Well, that's how bad the Explorer tranny is, folks. A guy trades for an Avalanche......Plastic or non-plastic model?

Good luck with it.

 

My ford explorer started makeing the same noise coming of the freeway from about a two hour trip! Only thing is i cant afford to buy any new or used car lol so if someone could please tell me what the problem is? Or what i need to get or do to fix it? Any info would b greatly apreciated.

 

A noise? That's all you got?? Start by narrowing down the possibilities. Is it vehicle speed sensitive, engine speed sensitive, in gear? In reverse, in neutral, at idle, turning, straight, braking....endless possibilities. I only visit every 3 days so I will be back.

 

I have a 1997 Explorer, 5 speed 4WD with 112,000 miles. I bought the vehicle a few weeks ago, as it was a clean 1 owner vehicle that was being traded in. From the get go, it always had a little trouble getting into first gear from neutral. The clutch was also a bit hard. I figured the car would need a gear oil change or something soon. I put about 200-300 miles on the car.

The car started making a loud grind every time I'd let off the throttle while in gear, which would go away once I got back into the throttle.

I sent the car into a reputable mechanic and he replaced the clutch, slave cylinder, resurfaced the flywheel, and did the pilot bearing. I had him check the trans for debris and change the gear oil

I got my Explorer back and my clutch feel and action are great, and the car goes right into all gears, but the grinding remains. I picked up the car after hours and it goes back in for diagnosis tomorrow. I'm hoping that maybe I'll get away cheaply for the repair.

Opinions?

I'll post findings when I get them.

 

Anybody thought about universal joints or rear axle?

 

It makes the drilling griding noise extremely loud slowing down. My storys the exact same as the other person it started coming off the freeway from about a two hour trip. My dad fixes all our cars himself as we cant afford to take them in. Hes done everything up to engine rebuilds. We purchased the explorer for $2,000 used from someones property. It drained my dads only 4o1k he lost tht job when the big three went down hill his shop got stuck with a big project from GM and they had to lay the employees off. The explorers our best vehicle its been good but i wont go near this thing now tht noise was frightening. I dont kno a thing about cars i cant drive cause im leagely blind i joined this page cause i was desperate to help my family both my parents are in their 50s and they never heard such a noise and we have owned some of the most pathetic vehicles ive ever been in. But so far this 96 explorer is the newest and best vehicle we have ever owned lol the neutral and parking went out around the same time but was fixed with a trany maintence kit but not the hidioderous noise my moms on her way to a trany place right now to get a diagnosis only. But we still have to fix it our selves and as far as i know we dont kno how yet. Thanks alot for listening

 

Tht was parking and reverse sorry i mispoke