5.4 Vibration at idle
04-01-2014, 11:11 PM
#1
5.4 Vibration at Idle and Drive at specific rpm.
I have a 2006 lariat 5.4 with 175000km on it. So I used to just have a vibration at 4000 rpm while driving that would feel like I hit a rumble strip on the highway, was otherwise silent and smooth at all other rpm ranges. I took it to the dealer for a diagnosis and they seem to think its the transmission or the torque converter (I beg to differ), tranny is a rebuilt with about 6000k on it since it was put in (I got the truck used from a dealership in October 2013 with 171000km).
Anyhow...when I picked the truck up from the dealer (and ever since) it idles very rough at 1000-1200 rpm when ever I start it but then smooths right out when it drops below 1000. When revving the engine in Park the vibrations happens at 1000-1200 rpm and again at 4000, it can mostly be felt if you let off the throttle and it idles back down...smooths right out again under 1000. Testing it by manually feeling the transmission and engine separately while revving it at 1200 we noticed you could definitely feel it more on the engine. We shifted from D to R while holding the brakes and checked for movement, the transmission showed little no no movement, the engine of course showed movement...but was it more than normal...No idea. You can also feel the vibration when coasting in Drive and it hits around 1200rpm...usualy in town coasting downhill at about 40-50k.
The only thing other than having the ford dealer diagnose the vibration before the vibration at idle started was I did an oil change a couple days before. Filter and Oil, as far as I know it fully drained, I used 6.4 Liters total of 5-20, dipstick reads around 2/3-3/4. Tranny fluid looks ok also. Its been about 2 or 3 weeks since I had it in the shop, I told them it idles rough since I got it back...
I still drive it like normal and haul my quad around.
Any ideas on how I should proceed? I would really appreciate any help or advice.
I'm leaning towards motor...maybe torque converter. But don't think its the tranny. Did I add too much oil when I did my oil change? Did a dozen on my 97 5.4 2-valve when I owned it and never fudged it.
Anyhow...when I picked the truck up from the dealer (and ever since) it idles very rough at 1000-1200 rpm when ever I start it but then smooths right out when it drops below 1000. When revving the engine in Park the vibrations happens at 1000-1200 rpm and again at 4000, it can mostly be felt if you let off the throttle and it idles back down...smooths right out again under 1000. Testing it by manually feeling the transmission and engine separately while revving it at 1200 we noticed you could definitely feel it more on the engine. We shifted from D to R while holding the brakes and checked for movement, the transmission showed little no no movement, the engine of course showed movement...but was it more than normal...No idea. You can also feel the vibration when coasting in Drive and it hits around 1200rpm...usualy in town coasting downhill at about 40-50k.
The only thing other than having the ford dealer diagnose the vibration before the vibration at idle started was I did an oil change a couple days before. Filter and Oil, as far as I know it fully drained, I used 6.4 Liters total of 5-20, dipstick reads around 2/3-3/4. Tranny fluid looks ok also. Its been about 2 or 3 weeks since I had it in the shop, I told them it idles rough since I got it back...
I still drive it like normal and haul my quad around.
Any ideas on how I should proceed? I would really appreciate any help or advice.
I'm leaning towards motor...maybe torque converter. But don't think its the tranny. Did I add too much oil when I did my oil change? Did a dozen on my 97 5.4 2-valve when I owned it and never fudged it.
Last edited by scar420; 04-01-2014 at 11:31 PM.
04-01-2014, 11:30 PM
#2
I dont think its the transmission... have you pulled codes with a code reader? That sounds more like a vacuum leak or a bad mas air flow sensor. Mine used to do that when I had a combination of both. You did good by asking here.
04-01-2014, 11:42 PM
#3
thanks for the reply.
Will i still get codes even if the CEL isn't being tripped? I do have a usb odb-2 and software I could hook up and see what it does.
I actually still have some sensor clean spray kicking around, I'll try cleaning the sensor tomorrow.
For the vacuum leak are you referring to the box that's under the battery for 4wd? Ford did replace one of my IWE's shortly after I got the truck but it didn't solve anything as far as the vibration at 4k in Drive.
I suspect that the new vibration at idle and the initial vibration at 4000rpm in Drive are somehow directly related, I never actually tested it in Park or N at 4000 to see if it did it until it started doing it at idle when I got it back from Ford.
Just looked up the vacuum leak, that's something I 'll have to look into. Someone mentions a whistling noise possibly being present, which is funny because my truck does actually whistle when accelerating...just thought it was the shape of the intake and was normal.
Will i still get codes even if the CEL isn't being tripped? I do have a usb odb-2 and software I could hook up and see what it does.
I actually still have some sensor clean spray kicking around, I'll try cleaning the sensor tomorrow.
For the vacuum leak are you referring to the box that's under the battery for 4wd? Ford did replace one of my IWE's shortly after I got the truck but it didn't solve anything as far as the vibration at 4k in Drive.
I suspect that the new vibration at idle and the initial vibration at 4000rpm in Drive are somehow directly related, I never actually tested it in Park or N at 4000 to see if it did it until it started doing it at idle when I got it back from Ford.
Just looked up the vacuum leak, that's something I 'll have to look into. Someone mentions a whistling noise possibly being present, which is funny because my truck does actually whistle when accelerating...just thought it was the shape of the intake and was normal.
Last edited by scar420; 04-02-2014 at 01:04 AM.
04-02-2014, 05:23 AM
#4
thanks for the reply.
Will i still get codes even if the CEL isn't being tripped? I do have a usb odb-2 and software I could hook up and see what it does.
I actually still have some sensor clean spray kicking around, I'll try cleaning the sensor tomorrow.
For the vacuum leak are you referring to the box that's under the battery for 4wd? Ford did replace one of my IWE's shortly after I got the truck but it didn't solve anything as far as the vibration at 4k in Drive.
I suspect that the new vibration at idle and the initial vibration at 4000rpm in Drive are somehow directly related, I never actually tested it in Park or N at 4000 to see if it did it until it started doing it at idle when I got it back from Ford.
Just looked up the vacuum leak, that's something I 'll have to look into. Someone mentions a whistling noise possibly being present, which is funny because my truck does actually whistle when accelerating...just thought it was the shape of the intake and was normal.
Will i still get codes even if the CEL isn't being tripped? I do have a usb odb-2 and software I could hook up and see what it does.
I actually still have some sensor clean spray kicking around, I'll try cleaning the sensor tomorrow.
For the vacuum leak are you referring to the box that's under the battery for 4wd? Ford did replace one of my IWE's shortly after I got the truck but it didn't solve anything as far as the vibration at 4k in Drive.
I suspect that the new vibration at idle and the initial vibration at 4000rpm in Drive are somehow directly related, I never actually tested it in Park or N at 4000 to see if it did it until it started doing it at idle when I got it back from Ford.
Just looked up the vacuum leak, that's something I 'll have to look into. Someone mentions a whistling noise possibly being present, which is funny because my truck does actually whistle when accelerating...just thought it was the shape of the intake and was normal.
So find the vacuum leak, just take a spray bottle filled with water (or some use a can of carb cleaner) and spray every hose and fitting you can see under your truck. When you find the leak, the truck idle will almost immediately change.
11-01-2014, 11:10 AM
#5
Finally got it fixed it in June. It turned out to be the transmission and the torque converter.
I was headed up to my claim and put it in 4 low for the last section of road and it started screeching so i stopped and was able to get out of 4 low but not change gears. I didn't know it was the cable that broke but I was stuck in drive and I had no power to go forward now that I was out of 4 low so I shut the truck off but was unable to restart it. Hiked out 4km to a nearby mine and used a cell booster to get a call out to a tow truck.
The stater shaft was sheared off and the entire front part of the transmission was full of metal shavings, torque converter was bad, as a result of the vibration it took out my rear main. The dealer covered it all, swapped out the transmission and put in a new torque converter. They also replaced a spark plug, rear main, patched my front tire and detailed my truck.
Runs better now.
I was headed up to my claim and put it in 4 low for the last section of road and it started screeching so i stopped and was able to get out of 4 low but not change gears. I didn't know it was the cable that broke but I was stuck in drive and I had no power to go forward now that I was out of 4 low so I shut the truck off but was unable to restart it. Hiked out 4km to a nearby mine and used a cell booster to get a call out to a tow truck.
The stater shaft was sheared off and the entire front part of the transmission was full of metal shavings, torque converter was bad, as a result of the vibration it took out my rear main. The dealer covered it all, swapped out the transmission and put in a new torque converter. They also replaced a spark plug, rear main, patched my front tire and detailed my truck.
Runs better now.
