So...my parents have an 05 f-150 and while driving in snowy weather tonight went to put it in 4x4....only to have a really loud grinding.....i'm of course thinking iwe.....but it only has 12,000 miles on it.....as soon as they stopped it went into 4x4 and worked fine after that.. any thoughts???

 

5 year old vacuum lines maybe? Loose line?

 

5 years shouldn't be old on a line.....and that truck hasn't ever left pavement or even been parked outside....its as clean as they come....which makes me think it couldn't be torn off or something like that....

and i'm confused as to why it would do it while driving and shifting in.......not while starting off if it was a line or the actuator?

 

I am new at the 4x4 Screw. Only had mine about 2 months. Once I had mine to make a grinding sound even in 2 wd. Hasnt done it since. I am not sure why, but if you find out I will be curious to hear. Good Luck

 

Sounds like the speeds weren't matched in the powertrain to egage the hubs. I've had my 06 do that once last winter while trying to shift into 4wd going 30 mph and accelerating. Let off the gas and bang, it engaged 4wd. It was probably a vacuum thing.

 

sounds like mismatched drivetrain speeds, mine did that to me this fall, I was driving through a field in 2wd and hit a hidden muddy spot, so I let of the gas momentarily while switching to 4wd and when I hit the gas, nothing happened at first, then BANG, the front end engaged. I think the rear tires were spinning faster than I thought and the 4wd engaged hard because the front had to catch up to the speed of the rear. Do, your parents ever use the 4wd? it could also be that something is a little sticky from rust etc. due to not being used much. I hate these new 4wd systems because there are alot of things to go wrong with them, especially when they get older. I miss manual t-cases and lockout hubs.

Piratech, it sounds like you might have a vacuum leak or a bad IWE solenoid. This system uses vacuum pressure to keep the hubs unlocked and if there is a loss of pressure, one of the hubs will try to engage thus making a grinding sound. If it does it again swich the truck into 4wd and if the noise goes away that's your problem. Also, the 04-06 trucks didn't have a shield over the iwe solenoid and water running down the hood would fall right on the solenoid and eventually ruin it, thus causing the problem your having.

 

I was also going to say that they might have been going too fast for them to engage and they just made the grinding sound instead.

And Pirate: read this,

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...then-some.html

your condition is a vaccum problem of the IWEs trying to engage when they are not supposed to. But if it only did it once your probably fine. If it does it again, i would look into it.

 

well they don't use 4x4 as much as i do...but they've used it a bunch lately....also they were only going 25

 

Mind did it too recently and its an '06 with only 35,000km on the clock. Just one of those things I guess?

 

It could be a couple things, there could be moisture in the lines not letting the actuators engage as fast as they should, or the solenoid not releasing as quickly as it should and in turn not letting the actuators engage as fast. Could be weak springs in the actuators not letting the actuators engage quickly or powerful enough to engage at higher speeds. Or 25 mph might just be too fast for that particular 4x4 system on that truck to engage correctly. I usually try to slow down alot further than 25 before i engage 4wd, did it this morning.

Unless its not the hubs making the grinding noise, maybe its the switch motor on the transfercase just moving real slow, and doing so from not being used.

i dont know for sure what it could be, but if its going in when you slow down, i dont think there is a real problem, just going too fast.

 

I don't think its going to fast....i regularly shift info 4x4 at speeds of 50-60mph on my 07 with no problems.....


Does anyone have a picture of the new iwe solenoid with the cover? or know the part number?? I got a new one today and it doesn't appear to have a cover on it...

 

 

K.....next question....are there two of the solenoids on our trucks??? and does anyone know the part number for that shield cause it doesn't come with the solenoid...

 

Ryan, you're killing me! lol I didn't come here to work tonight.

Plus, you are killing my lurker status by forcing me to post!

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-solenoid.html

 

Well here's what confuses me....I went and bought a new solenoid today....and the dealer tells me that the new part number is 6lez-9h465-b and that its the new part....which i believe as the date on the ford package is 12-12-09.... only the new solenoid doesn't have the shield (or the old mount for that matter) on it.....