I've searched and read post after post about the bad IWE Sloenoid. I thought I had this problem with my '04. I had a grinding sound in 2wd. When I put it in 4wd the noise would go away. It would stay away for a couple days or even weeks and then come back again. The temps have dropped into the single digits over the past week and I could not get the noise to stop. Throwing it into 4x4 made the noise go away but as soon as I went back to 2wd it was there. Something frozen? So, I finally put a new IWE solenoid on. The noise was not as loud but still there. So, I paid the $75diagnostic fee and Ford informed me that my drivers side IWE was losing vacuum and needed replaced. This would fix the problem. Fine, just get it fixed. I picked up the truck tonight at 10:00. The invoice said the IWE was replaced and it was road tested. $300 but everything is OK!!! I didn't make it to the end of the lot and the noise was audible. How was this road tested and not heard? Give me a break. I need some amo to go back to the dealer Monday. What could this be? I have heard people describe the sound as ice in a blender. Mine can best be described as the noise you would hear if you quickly drag something across a zip tie. It's not a grinding but more of a zzzzzzzz sound. (great description, I know) It also sounds like it could be underneath more than in the front end. Any help would be appreciated.

 

I drove the truck at 7:00 this morning (12 degrees outside). It was as loud as ever. Now, at 11:00, the temperature is finally above 30 for the first time in two weeks and the grinding stops. Logical conclusion, something is freezing. My only thought is that they didn't get all of the water out of the vacuum system when the IWE was replaced. This would explain why when Ford drove it after repair, it was perfect. It was in their 70 degree garage for 4 hours allowing everything to thaw. By the time I picked it up last night, it sat at 15 degrees for 8 hours. Refreezing the water and messing up the vacuum and causing the grinding. Is there any other possibility?

 

I had basically the same happen after the dealer installed a new solenoid. They then vacumn tested each hub for vacumn leakage. Both hubs passed Ford's spec. But since my truck had been to the dealership 3 times in a week, they bench tested the drivers side hub and it did leak off vacumn. They replaced the drivers side hub last Friday. So far mo grinding or klunking. We'll see in a couple of days when it gets below zero again.


Scott