04 F-150 Mystery Vibration Problem
07-08-2009, 07:43 AM
#21
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CHECK THE EMERGENCY BRAKE !!! one of the above posts mentions this. i went through several attempts at fixing the vibration in my '04 which was exactly as you described in your first post. i checked the back wheel after stopping one day and the rear passenger side wheel was extremely hot. the emergency brake was locking up behind the rotor, all it needed was lube and a good scrubbing, no vibration problems since.
07-09-2009, 10:19 PM
#22
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I had my Ford dealer replace the rear brakes and asked them to check the emergency brake. They said it looked worn on one side so they cleaned it up. I am now convinced this was the problem all along and thank everyone for their replies. I am a little troubled that Ford never considered this while they had my truck for two weeks. Perhaps they should spend some time on this forum to learn from those with real experiences.
Thanks again to all!
Thanks again to all!
08-08-2010, 03:56 PM
#23
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I am experiencing a mystery vibration problem with my 2004 F-150 5.4Liter SuperCab. The somewhat violent vibration is felt in the steering wheel, seat and throughout the entire cab with no consistency. There is no rhyme or reason and this can not be recreated intentionally. It starts at various speeds and lasts for miles. It disappears on its own and sometimes after a stop. Once it starts, it vibrates at any speed upward or downward from the starting point. The vibration feels worse at slower speeds but it is still obvious at highway speeds. The problem remains after shifting in neutral and does not feel any different when I engage/disengage 4WD high.
I explained the symptoms to my local Ford dealer and they recommended balance, rotate and alignment. This did not resolve the problem. Ford kept my truck until they experienced the problem and thinks it may be the ABS module. It is close to $700 to replace and they are not 100% sure this is the problem but they have nothing else to offer. I personally have doubts as I do not feel anything unusual while braking.
My Ford dealer kept the truck well over a week and made no progress. I am hoping someone with experience has some advice because I can't afford to randomly replace parts in hopes of correcting this. I expected Ford to have some troubleshooting and diagnostic tools but apparently not for this.
I was told by a friend to have my drive shaft checked for balance. I suppose it can't hurt but how would it get out of balance and why would't the problem be constant if this was the case? I do believe it may be in the drive train somewhere but not sure how to tell.
The problem is happening more frequently but does not vibrate any worse. It does feel like I am forcing the truck to drive through the vibration which is obviously not a good thing. This truck only has 23K miles but out of warranty due to age.
Any help appreciated.
I explained the symptoms to my local Ford dealer and they recommended balance, rotate and alignment. This did not resolve the problem. Ford kept my truck until they experienced the problem and thinks it may be the ABS module. It is close to $700 to replace and they are not 100% sure this is the problem but they have nothing else to offer. I personally have doubts as I do not feel anything unusual while braking.
My Ford dealer kept the truck well over a week and made no progress. I am hoping someone with experience has some advice because I can't afford to randomly replace parts in hopes of correcting this. I expected Ford to have some troubleshooting and diagnostic tools but apparently not for this.
I was told by a friend to have my drive shaft checked for balance. I suppose it can't hurt but how would it get out of balance and why would't the problem be constant if this was the case? I do believe it may be in the drive train somewhere but not sure how to tell.
The problem is happening more frequently but does not vibrate any worse. It does feel like I am forcing the truck to drive through the vibration which is obviously not a good thing. This truck only has 23K miles but out of warranty due to age.
Any help appreciated.
08-12-2010, 10:44 AM
#24
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I haven't had the problem since the emergency brake was serviced but I will keep the drive shaft in mind if it happens again.
Thanks
08-12-2010, 12:04 PM
#25
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Mine did a similar thing, only when parked on a hill, even only for a hour or so. It went away when I had the 30K tranmission flush. It shook so bad, felt like a tire flat or fallen off. To get it to go away, stop, shut it off, count to 5 and go again. Good luck!
10-13-2010, 09:40 PM
#26
Its not mechanical (tires, shocks, drive shaft, diffirential, tranny, etc.) or it wouldn't just come and go as you have already guessed. What you are likely experiencing is a low grade missfire from a coil that is going bad, but hasn't had a significant enough failure to put out a code. I had this problem at 49K and the stealership offered to take down my tranny for a couple of grand, but I said no thanks rather set the truck on fire first. Yes it is the weirdest misfire you'll ever experience and it feels like your truck is falling appart, I guess its something in the engine design. With time it will get worse and you will get a check engine light. If you want to speed up the process, floor it next time it happens this should cause your CEL to start blinking. If you get this to happen for about three heat up cycles you"ll get the CEL that will direct you to the misfire cylinder and bad COP
10-13-2010, 09:43 PM
#27
This is on the money
10-13-2010, 10:07 PM
#28
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vibration
Throwing money at an intermittent problem is usually a poor decision. If something happens to solve the problem, it is purely luck. But if your luck is like mine, it is usually bad which equates to more money wasted.
In my area, there is one really outstanding independent mechanic who is regarded as a genius when it comes to Ford products. All the other mechanics know about him and are quick to send customers to him when they are stumped. I suggest you talk to local mechanics and the "old heads" at auto parts stores to see if anyone knows of such a mechanic in your area. If yes, look him up. Otherwise, your only other choice is to let the problem get bad enough to break or just fail. Good luck!
In my area, there is one really outstanding independent mechanic who is regarded as a genius when it comes to Ford products. All the other mechanics know about him and are quick to send customers to him when they are stumped. I suggest you talk to local mechanics and the "old heads" at auto parts stores to see if anyone knows of such a mechanic in your area. If yes, look him up. Otherwise, your only other choice is to let the problem get bad enough to break or just fail. Good luck!
02-08-2011, 01:38 AM
#29
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Wow. typed in vibration on here and BAM im not the only one. my truck mystery vibration starts after i drop my wife at work and hit the freeway about half way home (1-Mile). vibrates off the exit then poof gone. tried to get it to vibrate again going 50-70 mph but notta. only does it when it feels like it. im going to change the universal joints on the rear driveline and see what happens, i know from an experience 15 yrs ago had kinda same vibration and that did it. im not saying this will do it but its worth a try. i have 98,000 miles and never had a problem ever except alternater went out. If it fixes it i'll be damn sure to post it. wish me luck.
03-19-2011, 01:13 AM
#30
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ok i have had the same issue..
driving down the road today and all of a sudden vibratation.. but its a different feeling of a vibration that you would get from a wheel. the steering wheel doesnt sway, its like the whole truck is vibrating. i came to a stop. got out, looked around.. jumped back in and drove.. it was gone.
few hours later, was driving home crusing nicely and it came back. and bad! pulled over, enaged my 4x4, then shut it off wondering if it was transfer case, and it was gone again..
but after reading some posts here about the emergency brake cable.. im leaning towards that. i noticed earlier today that the brake seems like it goes further to the floor. gonna rip her apart tommorow and check it out..
ill let you know what i found. good luck!
driving down the road today and all of a sudden vibratation.. but its a different feeling of a vibration that you would get from a wheel. the steering wheel doesnt sway, its like the whole truck is vibrating. i came to a stop. got out, looked around.. jumped back in and drove.. it was gone.
few hours later, was driving home crusing nicely and it came back. and bad! pulled over, enaged my 4x4, then shut it off wondering if it was transfer case, and it was gone again..
but after reading some posts here about the emergency brake cable.. im leaning towards that. i noticed earlier today that the brake seems like it goes further to the floor. gonna rip her apart tommorow and check it out..
ill let you know what i found. good luck!