In my 2005 F150 I have been running into an intermittent front end grinding issue while driving which I would associate with the IWE. The last two times when hearing the noise I had flipped the 4x4 switch to see if the wheel ends would engage. Instead of engaging the dash battery light would come on and the 4x4 light would not. Upon slowing the vehicle the battery light would go off and the 4x4 light would go on and engage the 4x4 and the noise would also stop.

This is an odd one and I haven't heard anything about a battery light going on with the IWE issue. Any thought or idea? Thus far I have changed the IWE solenoid on the firewall with no improvement. The alternator is also new and I am wondering if one of the other pulleys are seizing and causing the belt not to spin the alternator? Has anyone had a 4x4 and a battery light on the dash issue?

Thanks in advance.

 

I see lots of views, but does anyone have any idea?

 

I would suggest that you have two problems, not just one. For the battery light issue, I'd get Advance Auto Parts or Auto Zone to check your battery / charging system for free.

As for your 4x4 issues, just use the search function here and you'll find literally hundreds of posts about IWE issues and their solutions. In a nutshell, it sounds like you have either an IWE Solenoid or an actual IWE on the way out the door. BTW, a bad solenoid can take out one or both IWEs. Also, leaking vacuum lines or Check Valves can lead to one or both IWEs not getting adequate vacuum to properly engage / disengage properly - taking out an IWE. Here's the biggie though. If you hear a grinding noise, at least one IWE is getting chewed up every time you hear it. Get the system looked at before a relatively inexpensive part (the Solenoid or vacuum lines) takes out more expensive parts - like IWEs.

Oh, and if you're reasonably mechanically inclined, you can fix just about any part of this system in your driveway,.

 

I have had the electrical system checked multiple times and everything is good.

I am assuming my issue is the IWE or vacuum lines which I will be replacing shortly. IWE solinoid already changed. The 4x4 system works flawlessly besides this intermitant issue. The battery light going on when switching into 4x4 when I hear the grinding noise is odd to me. I am not sure if the system is overloading and showing the battery light or if a specific pulley is locking causing the noise and the belt not to move across the alternator.

 

I kind of doubt the 4x4 system is overloading the electrical system - unless your ESOF motor (the thing that shifts the Transfer Case) is going bad and working too hard. That's the only electrical part of the system other than the Solenoid. Might want to have that looked at. They go bad more often than anybody wants to admit. And, they're easy to replace.

As for replacing the vacuum lines and IWE's, the vacuum lines are cheap and it's probably time to replace them anyway. The IWE's could be bad, but the only way you'll know it to take them out. At that point it's probably well worth it to replace them due to the labor involved. And remember, a perfectly good IWE can be wiped out quite quickly by a bad solenoid or leaking vacuum lines.

 

I agree the whole situation is odd. I almost wonder with the battery light if the noise I am hearing is not the actual IWE, but maybe the pulleys screaming and the belt freezing and not turning the alternator showing a charging error.

At this point I am going to change the lines and the wheel ends as well as the belt and pulleys. The solinoid I already changed and the alternator is new.

I should mention the truck has an easy 225,000 miles on it and all pulleys, belt, and wheel ends are original. Probably should be changed for good measures.

 

Pull the belt and spin all the pulleys by hand, see which ones feel stiff or rough. If you replace all the idlers on general principle, replace the tensioner assembly and get a premium belt such as a Goodyear Gatorback.

 

I have two idlers and the tensioner plus the factory ford belt. The original last me this long I figured stick with what works.

 

Gatorback costs no more than OEM, and has far superior grip.

You can just change the bearings for the idlers - only a couple bucks if the pulley surfaces are in good shape, and easy to do.

If you do replace as assemblies, retain the old pulleys, press new bearings into them and put on a shelf as spares.

MGD

 

Thank all for the advice. It has been about a month now since I changed the pullies, IWE solinoid, and actual wheel actuators. All appeared to function well for a month, however, the other day when driving in 2wd (during a 7 hour road trip) I hear the grinding at around 50 mph. I quickly take my foot off the gas and flip the 4x4 switch. The grinding continued and the 4x4 light does not come on, but the battery light comes on. I then use the brakes to slow down and at around 5 mph I hear each side clunk separate into gear with only the battery light on and the voltage gauge in normal range. I turn the 4x4 off (light still never came on) and drive off and the truck is in 2wd and the battery light goes off 30 seconds later and the truck acting like nothing happened. I know the 4x4 switch works because on the rest of the ride I would switch the 4x4 on and off multiple times with no hesitiation. The issue is some random it almost sounds electrical, however, I understand the 4x4 is vacumn driven. Vacumn is mechanical and I feel like that should be either broken and grinding all the time or not broken right? How is everything good for weeks and then bad and then good for hours and then bad and then good for a month again?

The alternator is new and has been tested after this event and working perfectly.
New IWE Solinoid
New Wheel Acutators

Thanks again and hope someone else is seeing this who knows a solution.

 

The actuation of your IWE's is driven by the solenoid - which switches vacuum. The actuation of your Transfer Case however is driven by an electrical signal which actuates your ESOF motor. That motor in turn drives a shift fork which engages and disengages your TC. Based on what you say is happening, I'm wondering if your ESOF motor is in poor health. They do have a habit of going bad over time.

 

If it were the ESOF motor how would that cause a grinding noise? Wouldn't it simply be engaging the transfer case and front axle while the hubs stayed unlocked due to vacumn causing no noise?

 

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I think you have several problems. The grinding is most likely the IWE's and can be caused by a bad IWE, a bad Solenoid, a vacuum leak or a bad Check Valve. I think the battery light may be related to the ESOF motor drawing too much power when it's trying to shift the Transfer Case.

But, it's very, very difficult to diagnose this kind of thing over the internet. A good (Certified) Ford Technician will be your best friend here.

 

I appreciate your suggestion and the dealership was unable to assist. They said they see no issues and would not be able to assist unless it happened while they were driving it which at this point is impossible as it is so infrequent.

 

my thought is that when you hear this grinding it is one or both iwe's partially engaging. this would by caused by a partial loss of vacuum. if you completly lost vacuum the hubs would just fully engage. you need to go over the system like said maybe a bad check valve. or defective solenoid