After using 4 wheel drive the past few days my truck is making some horrible noises. Sounds almost like one of my flowmasters is draggin on the ground. I think it is either the tranny or the differential. I am getting service in a day or two but i was wondering if they can neglect warranty due to my aem intake or the flowmasters. Is this enough for ford to make me pay for a fix?

Also has anyone else noticed as i have when you put the truck in 4 wheel drive and turn the wheel all the way in one direction you cannot get a smooth acceleration, the truck bucks. Also it wont idle forward in 4 wheel drive is this also not normal?
Please help. I hope it is nothhing to bad.
Thanks for the input if any.

 

That is normal. 4wd is only to be used in slippery situations otherwise it binds up the transfer case

 

If they can link the problem directly to the modest modifications that you have done, then maybe they can void the warranty. I highly doubt that these have anything to do with the problem. Yes, once the front is locked in, the wheels will want to slip a little while turning = binding. The wheel on the outside will turn faster than the inside one when free, but not in 4X4. Good luck.

 

The wheels on the outside will still turn faster than the wheels on the inside in 4x4. The binding comes from the fact that the front and rears are locked together. The fronts are forced to turn the same speed as the rears because they are solidly linked through the transfer case. Whenever you make a turn, the fronts tires follow a different path than the rears which is not necessarily the same length. This is what causes the binding.

Grim

 

Sometimes my truck runs so smooth that I question if it is actually in 4x4, and I will make a sharp turn and when feel the truck bucking I know that it has engaged 4x4. I feel this effect more when reversing in 4x4.

 

There is no way that an intake and exhaust can cause mechanical problems with your 4WD. So they CANNOT/WILL NOT void your warrenty because of it. If they do say your intake caused it... I'd contact the intake manufacturer and you'd have a lawsuit pending.

 

Is the noise while the 4X is engaged or after you have disengaged? Mine is at the service department right this moment because when I disengage the four wheel drive and drive less than 50 yards it sounds as if the front axle is going to explode, or drop on the pavement. This is with 7700 miles on the truck!
So far my purchase of this FX4 has been a major dissapointment.

 

That's good to know!
Plus dealership's are throwing on aftermarket exhaust system's, suspension, and supercharger's from Roush, and that's all covered under warranty.

 

You haven't been using 4x4 on the dry pavement have you?

 

wondering if they can neglect warranty due to my aem intake or the flowmasters. Is this enough for ford to make me pay for a fix?

NO!

Ford can only void your warranty if the aftermarket part installed in someway has interfered with and caused failure of your stock part in question. If you put a supercharger on and proceed to grenade the engine then yes Ford will probably void your warranty. If your radio fails after you put your exhaust on and they try to void your warranty tell them to look at the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act.

 

This problem has been discussed before, and I believe it is related to a problem with the solenoid that controls the front vaccum locking hubs. The solenoid acts up and causes the front hubs to try to engage or something like that and they will make a loud grinding sound. I believe there is a TSB (technical service bulletin) for this issue and if you mention that they will probably figure it out. Hope that helps! Oh, and the reason your truck will not idle forward when in 4x4 is probably due to the fact that when engaged, the drivetrain has a lot more load on it, pulling the front wheels and the transfer case and the tightness of the system and this increased drag will make it not want to roll forward.

 

Sounds like you may have not read the manual on using your 4 wheel drive. And now may have damaged something while driving/turning on dry pavement. Don't know just a guess?? I'm sure it may have happened to more than they care to admit(including me.... many years ago). And if that was the issue they can deny claim due to operator negligence. Again, don't know just a guess... but it could also be a TSB as described above if others have had similar problems. Hope eveything gets taken care of for you. Good luck.

 

[QUOTE=Matt 05'FX4]This problem has been discussed before, and I believe it is related to a problem with the solenoid that controls the front vaccum locking hubs. The solenoid acts up and causes the front hubs to try to engage or something like that and they will make a loud grinding sound. I believe there is a TSB (technical service bulletin) for this issue and if you mention that they will probably figure it out.

Does ANYONE please have the number on this TSB Matt is referring to? My dealer is in the process of just replacing some sort of clip(s) which they think is going to fix my dis engagement problem. I had another sourse tell me the solenoid needs replacing but the dealer is going the easy way first for some reason. .

Thanks.

 

At the risk of getting flamed, why would it matter whether you're using the 4X4 function on dry pavement or wet pavement? The truck should still function properly on dry pavement, right?

I mean, Ford has produced more than a couple models in recent years that came with all-time AWD (like some Explorers). Presumably, you have no option but to drive in 4X4 mode all the time with that sort of setup.

What are the risks of driving in 4X4 mode on dry pavement? (Not that I even use 4X4 very often, but this kind of comment really concerns me...)

 

Look on page 209 of your owners manual. 4x4 on dry pavement is very bad and will cause drivetrain failure.

I personally don't even use it if its raining outside. Only if I'm on snow, ice, or dirt.

4x4 and AWD are two totally different animals. One is meant for 24/7 operation and the other is meant only in slick enviroments.

in 4x4 both front tires are locked in and spin at the same rate. When you turn the inside tire tries to turn at a different rate than the outside tire. This is fine on slick environments but on dry pavement....it causes binding and can demolish a front axle or your drivetrain.

Do a search on these forums. It's been beat to death and tons of people smarter than I am can explain it better.