Just got off the phone with my dealer. Took my truck in today for it's first service at 1200 miles. Told them about a whine I heard under acceleration and at around 3000 RPM. Guess what I get, A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION! F'N WONDERFUL!!!!! Rather than tearing the thing apart they called Ford and told them to ship a new one out, which makes me feel a little better but still, confidence is shaken. Maybe instant karma is getting me for all the rabid Ford fanboy flaming I've done here......

I've told many people here that they can't all be perfect. It sucks when it happens to you though. Feeling pretty good about buying the ESP right now. Anyway, should be back on the road Thursday. I guess if this is the worst thing that happens I'll be ok.

 

Think of it this way...what are the chances that you'll get TWO bad transmissions? Alteast now it will be taken care of...hopefully. Let us know the outcome.

 

I am sorry to hear that but atleast you are getting taken care of by the dealer. I just hope this does not become a problem with the 04's. I am considering getting an extended warranty when mine comes in. Good luck.

 

Man that really sucks.

It would be interesting to find out exactly what went wrong with the tranny. Its probably just one of those things though, they're not all perfect and ***** happens.

At least the dealer and Ford are taking good care of you though. As for the truck, keep enjoying it and dont worry about this one time problem.

Speaking of ***** happens, had a freak accident with my truck last week. It was dark, and poor visibility (snow, road spray). I hit something that was laying in the road, it got chucked up by the tires and it slammed into the transmission. The f'n aluminum case had a chunk taken out of it and is cracked. I just rebuilt this tranny 13,000 miles ago (original tranny wore out at 230,000 miles) and now I am looking at a totally new one.

Im currently fighting with the insurance company on this....just waiting for the adjuster to come out and hopefully back me up. I would much rather pay the $250 comprehensive deductible or even the $500 collision deductible vs. $2000 all over again on this old Chebby.

 

Hey TruBlu describe your whine for me, would you? I know it's hard to describe a sound in words, but please try.

I've been listening to a whine in mine also....sounds very much like a tuning fork, if you've ever heard one of those. Very specific to an RPM range, and getting worse.

Mine is coming up on 12k miles as of about ten minutes ago.

Thanks

 

From what the dealer told me the tranny is a sealed unit. They are not allowed to open them and do any type of work.

 

Well, that's fine with me. The last thing I'd ever want is the local dealership opening up my transmission to work on it. Not criticizing the mechanics. I am one myself (not autos, though) and I know how hard it can be to do good work in certain environments. But still, I do like this idea of transmissions being worked on at depot level by experts, and just swapped out at the local dealership. Heck, just R&R-ing the transmission opens up plenty of opportunities for screwups.

 

Sorry dude I hope everything goes OK I sure hope mine is ok I hate my dealer here closest one around here would be about 40 miles. in wyoming.



very sorry try and think positive!

heads up sheryl

 

Yes I was very relieved to hear that they are going to swap it out rather than try and fix it. I did an engine swap in my Ranger once (twice actually, long story thanks to f'n Kragen auto parts) and bolting the tranny on was the easiest part of the deal. I'm confident that these guys will do a good job. I'm friends with the sales manager so I know a fire will get lit under somebody's *** if necessary.....

It's not a squeak or metal on metal type sound. It's a smooth whine that starts around 2-3K RPM. It's very predicatable and happens at any temp (although the temp doesn't change much in SoCal ) Anytime the truck shifts down under acceleration, I'm going uphill, or on the freeway I can hear it. I was worried it was the tranny because it sounds like it's coming up through the center of the dash (definately not in it). If it was farther forward in the engine compartment, I might have thought it was coming from the intake or something like that. If it wasn't so smooth and obviously from the drivetrain, you might mistake it for wind noise. That's the best description I can give.

Anyway, thanks for the sympathy, I'll let you all know what happens.

 

I'm sure it will all go OK with your truck. Ain't it great to get definite work towards a solution?

Well, my whine is guess is different from yours. The dealer says it is coming from the differential, and I tend to believe that. They said that it is normal for this truck, but I do not believe that. So far my truck runs great, the only symptom so far a 12k miles is the whine. It does appear to be getting worse. When the weather turns warm I'll take it back to them for further disagnosis. Hoping by that time it will be bad enough to get it resolved.

Thanks for the info, and good luck on your repair.

BTW are you able to drive it while you wait for the new tranny?

 

So the whine you're experiencing sounds different than mine. Since the day I brought the truck home, when I start the truck in the morning and shift from park to reverse, I hear a `twisting aluminum can' kind of sound. The truck goes to the shop on Tuesday for it's first oil change so they will look at it then.

I'll keep you all posted.

 

I'd be very curious to hear what your dealers definition of "sealed" is, because this is most definitely not a sealed transmission.

My guess is that since the high torque tranny is new, Ford is having all failures sent back to headquarters for break down and analysis, but saying its "sealed" is misleading at best.

Sealed by a Ford directive would be more correct I think.

Just my .02

 

Hey TruBluScru,
I am glad to know you are getting a new trans also. Believe it or not, I work at Barber Ford where your truck is and I just wanted to give you some info so you can put your thoughts at ease. First off, the reason you are getting a new trans as opposed to fixing your old one is because you are the first one in our dealership with a trans concern with the '04 F150. Therefore, Ford Hotline (Fords technician Technical Advice) has no other alternative than to replace it this early in the game. Secondly, rest assured, we have one of our best trans guys working on your vehicle. And lastly, you should feel blessed you are getting a whole new trans rather than repairing your old one because you wont have to worry about something else going bad internally or having different parts in the trans having newer or older parts which could cause problems later down the road.
I hope you are completely satisfied with the vehicle and the service we have provided....
-SILVER

 

Drove it home today. Ran like a top and no more whine. Went over the Conejo Grade like it was a speedbump.

Barber Ford is the ****!! Seriously people, go buy a truck from these guys. The service department took good care of me and my truck with no hassles. I know I'll be back to pick up my Cobra once my wife sells her crappy Celica and buys an SUV (on the D plan of course )

Thanks Silver!

 

Thats the way it should work.

Glad you are back in business TBS.

You have a good dealer, hang onto them.