<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --><TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>On long, steep grades, while towing my TT and only after traveling for a while, I've noticed a very loud sound I can only describe as a whine. I'm not sure if it is coming from the motor (6.0 Diesel ) or transmission(only 18,000 on both of em), but usually both gauges show the motor and transmission are at normal temps. However, on one occasion while in the middle of one of these whine sessions I looked down and noticed the engine temp gauge was higher than normal, but not in a dangerous spot.

My 05 Excursion is not overloaded, as it is only my wife (she's little.....I promise), 4 small children, light gear and myself inside. The travel trailer is approx. 5000lbs dry so to be conservative I'd say its about 6000 while loaded up (tanks empty).

Once the hill climb is over the whine goes away, but I'm very worried its a symptom of something that is eventually going to leave us on the side of the road.

For those of you who live in AK, the one hill that always gets the ex whimpering is Southbound on the Seward right before Turnagin.

Any help would be appreciated.
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https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...eavy-load.html
Read this thread. Does this sound familiar? If so, mine still does it. Sounds like a tea kettle when towing up hill. It seems to start and stop with the clutch fan, maybe...
I just have learned to accept it as normal. Hmph...

 

Thanks for the reply. I read through tons of people describing very similar symptoms as mine except one thing. Most everyone describes this sound as a high pitched whine almost like a whistle. Mine is a much lower whine, I have no idea how to explain it other than to so say it sounds like an old transmission being pushed to its limits...........you know that real gutteral scream of a tranny in first gear and floored. I had an 86 F150 with the 300 inline 6 and the 4 speed on the floor and the sound it made when in 1st is the closest thing I can approximate to the sound of the Ex on a long grade. I'm really hoping its a design characteristic of the fan clutch and not the tranny.

 

Just to be safe I would check for coolant residue on the degas bottle. Some people have complained of the Tea Kettle noise and had Bad head gasktes. Just a thought for you guys who have this noise and something for you to check.

Sarge

 

Mine will scream like a 747 taking off when pulling no trailer and completely unloaded. My guess is the clutch in the radiator fan is fried because it will sometimes do this when running 45 mph on an 80 degree day when under no load at all. It goes in the shop tomorrow for 1)terrible surging problem 2)check engine light now on 3) leaking oil 4) loud scream or whistle at times. Not very good for a truck that is just now 2 years old.

I've not even had this truck for a week and I'm already having huge buyer's remorse for going with a Ford diesel! Man, this sux!!

 

Not to hijack the thread I have coolant residue on the degas bottle,I also have the whine. You think it needs to go to dealer. I have a 2006 with 20.000 miles.

John

 

Spec,

Yes you should take it to the dealer and tell them about the noise and coolant loss. At the very least there was a recall on the Degas bottle, coolant was too high in the bottle and they will remark it/replace it. I am not sure what year that it covers but you may very well have a head gasket issue. Make sure that you take it to a dealer that has a compitant tech. If the heads are warped and they replace just the gaskets you will have the same problem. Also if you can convince the tech to install ARP studs do it.

Sarge

 

I've got the same problem towing my 13K-5er. I have read all the threads on this I can find and while it does not appear anyone has an answer at this time. My experience is the whine(which sounds to me like the transmission is slipping) is a fan kicking into a higher rotation to cool the engine/transmission. It may or may not happen on a grade going uphill or just after the hill beginning a descent. I have also experienced it starting from a stop light, though not often.

I do not believe this should leave you stranded by the side of the road. I have experienced a louder more piercing sound once and if I let off the throttle it goes away. I think that might be a more serious issue, but again I have not found that any of the more experienced fte users have an answer and they have been seeking it for over a year now as well. It seems that even the new 6.4L engine is doing the same thing. So, Ford may still have to come up with a solution to both of these issues.

Safe travels!

 

Dealer will have my truck this week. I already spoke with them.
I will post the end results.

 

WOW, I just got back from Alaska and was on that road within the last two weeks and that hill is just that, a hill!! If your fan is coming on with that itty-bitty incline, you need to see a dealer soon, there's something wrong!

We spent 3 nights in a rental house in Girdwood and I must say you have some beautiful country up there. Good luck with the truck!

 

I had that problem noise and after a few trips to the dealer, they replaced the belt and tensioner and the noise went away. the noise came back once after about 15,000 miles and I put some belt dressing on the belt and the noise has been gone since.

 

I just wanted to drop in and say that my truck is having similar issues. I posted about a week ago. My whine is the much louder and lower whine. I'm taking mine into the shop this week so will let you guys know as I find something out that will hopefully help all of us.

 

K I am back from the shop. As my mechanic puts it "the radiator fan on the 6.0 is very large, very efficient, but also very loud..." Now that it is summer time, expect to hear it at either lower speeds because the engine is hotter, or when pulling...again because your engine is hotter. The 7.3 has a smaller fan, and the 6.4 fan has been redesigned and is more quiet.

 

OK, I know the lower toned "whine" you are referring to now. Yes, that is just the cooling fan engauging. The first time I heard that "roar" was when I once was driving a brand new fire engine to deliver it to its fire station. When that fan engauged, it scared the poop out of me. (figure of speech of course)

That is completely normal. Just be happy that you have such a large fan so you don't overheat when towing. That's what these trucks were designed for, towing and hauling heavy loads.

Now if I can just get rid of that high pitched whine that I get when pulling a heavy load up a long grade. It sounds like rrrrick may have that one figured out. I'll try the belt dressing on my serpentine belt. That just might be it!
Thanks rrrrick.

 

Truck back from dealer. They programed the PCM per a TSB so they say. This TSB addressed the degas bottle puking. I just don't buy this but time will tell. And the whine they could not here, so I still have the whine.

john