I have a 2012 F150 Crewcab 5.0 4X4 with just 27,000 miles on it. We had some snow recently and I did a lot of driving in 4HI. Nothing crazy just driving around town to work and back, maybe went 40 at most on a straight part of the road with hard packed snow for a short time. Nothing that should have caused issues at all. However, after the snow melted and I went back to driving in 2wheel I noticed a loud growling noise from the front end. I also noticed that it would go away if you shifted the truck into 4HI and drove a bit and then shifted it back to 2wheel. I took the truck to the dealer who claimed that it was my tires making the noise. So I waited a week and took it back to the dealer and drove it for the tech who told me that there was no way that they should not have heard the noise the first time. It also made a loud clank noise when shifting into 4X4 which I was told was normal. After forcing the dealer to look more indepth, they found that the electronic component that engages the hus on both sides had failed and that both hubs had been chewed up badly. So, I now have two new 4X4 hubs and all new electronic 4X4 components. Just thought that is was strange that this would happen with having the vehicle less than 2 years and only 27,000 miles on it. Anyway, I wanted to share my story and the findings incase some one is having this issue on their 4X4 as well.

 

I have a 2012 with 32K miles on it....

...and it's funny that you post this because I literally just now experienced very similar symptoms to what you described. There are a few icy patches here and there, so I had her in 4WD hi for the drive to lunch. In my case, however, the grinding noise only exists in 4WD.

Just got off the phone with the dealer making an appointment to drop her off on Monday.

I hope this ain't gonna be yet another one of those "every 30K miles" deals....

 

Both your issues were caused by driving it in 4wd where the traction was good. You should not be driving it routinely in 4wd unless there is little to no traction.

 

Thanks, but no. The OP said he had snow that he was driving in, and I said I had ice. My particular issue was noticed immediately after engaging 4WD up to 30 mph. I can't speak for the OP here, but I know I never use 4WD unless it's necessary. So I definitely don't drive it "routinely" when it isn't necessary.

Besides, I can't imagine the 4WD system is set up to fail/break when it has been used when unnecessary. Heck, rednecks and Millenials use 4WD all the time to launch while racing on totally dry pavement. Looks to me like if the 4WD system was set up to fail while being used in good traction, the latter scenario would be a perfect condition for said failure.

Nah...something just gave out, that's all.

 

This be why:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...highlight=test

Exercise, fellers, exercise.

I do it at least every month ( and whenver it rains - almost 100K and never a hiccup. )

I also don't do no fer-by-fer burnouts 'er launches fer pink slips


MGD

 

Howdy, Bubber!

Yessir, I've done the periodic engaging/disengaging on all of my fer by fer pick-em-ups trucks, and I ain't n'er had no issues nether...until now. :-(

'Course, I don't do it onct a mumf. I exercise me fer by fer with e'ry erl change. Maybe that ain't enuff?

 

Hiya Big D!

Nosir - I reckon wunce'a munff is raht proper, as be wunce @ awwwl change - I haft'er agree wif yall, it's prolly jes' plain ol' bad-luck-broke.

Ah know'd how much yall keer fer th' ol' Meatwagun

Best'er luck wif da ree-payhrs thar, young feller.


MGD

 

Guess im Redneck then, cause if i had 4x4 thats the only thing it would be used for (this is west texas after all).. This little ol v6 wont get any traction when taking off with these new custom tunes.

 

Hell fahr son - wif the kinda low-end grunt yall have now, seein' as the custom tunin' has reduced yer enrichment/open loop/throttle delay, enhanced by yer stump-pullin' first gear ratio, AND the multiplication of yer unlocked TQ 'verter - if'n you do that under gud traction cornditions, be pre-payhr'd ta snap sumpfin' REAL good. REAL fayst.

Them front-drive cornponents be raht wimpy on a wun-fiddy, cumpayhr'd ta the butt-end.

Lawdy - jes' don' do 'er, Coy. Truck deserves better'n a rednekky thang like thet dun to 'er.


MGD

 

So are far as me being in a positon that I should not have been using 4X4, we had 8 inches of snow and in Northwest Arkansas that might as well have been 30 inches as we do not have the road equipment to take care of that kind of snow fall. So, yeah 4X4 was needed, however were there some roads that I could have made it by just driving with the rear locked and been really easy on the skinny peddle sure, but why risk sliding in 2HI when I paid the money for the 4X4? I also did a check before the snow to make sure that the 4X4 was all working, as it has been deer season and rainy so I had used it as needed to get to the old cabin other than that no use for it really. The electronics seemed to fail to fully engage and disengage the hubs and the dealer told me that there was nothing wrong so I continued to drive it and then took it back in where they then discovered that the plastic locking rings on the hibs were broken and the hubs had been chewed up due to me driving it as they told me to. They did replaced the hubs and tested the sytem to find that the hibs were not being fully engaged and disengaged and then replaced a few different electrical components which then got the hubs to fully engage and disengage. At least they did not give me to hard a time the second time, but the first time the service manager asked me if I had ever owned and driven a 4X4 truck before, to which I replied Yes several, have you ever worked on a 4X4 truck before? Anyway, DewserB I would check your Hubs and see if the outside plastic retainer ring is cracked or broken, it should be visible on the back side of the front wheel. The dealer told me that it should be visible when looking at the back end of the hubs. Good luck, and I guess I need to look into this Yoke issue to make sure that I am watching and listening to the rear end of the truck since I am getting close to the 30,000 mile mark.

 

So are far as me being in a positon that I should not have been using 4X4, we had 8 inches of snow and in Northwest Arkansas that might as well have been 30 inches as we do not have the road equipment to take care of that kind of snow fall. So, yeah 4X4 was needed, however were there some roads that I could have made it by just driving with the rear locked and been really easy on the skinny peddle sure, but why risk sliding in 2HI when I paid the money for the 4X4? I also did a check before the snow to make sure that the 4X4 was all working, as it has been deer season and rainy so I had used it as needed to get to the old cabin other than that no use for it really. The electronics seemed to fail to fully engage and disengage the hubs and the dealer told me that there was nothing wrong so I continued to drive it and then took it back in where they then discovered that the plastic locking rings on the hibs were broken and the hubs had been chewed up due to me driving it as they told me to. They did replaced the hubs and tested the sytem to find that the hibs were not being fully engaged and disengaged and then replaced a few different electrical components which then got the hubs to fully engage and disengage. At least they did not give me to hard a time the second time, but the first time the service manager asked me if I had ever owned and driven a 4X4 truck before, to which I replied Yes several, have you ever worked on a 4X4 truck before? Anyway, DewserB I would check your Hubs and see if the outside plastic retainer ring is cracked or broken, it should be visible on the back side of the front wheel. The dealer told me that it should be visible when looking at the back end of the hubs. Good luck, and I guess I need to look into this Yoke issue to make sure that I am watching and listening to the rear end of the truck since I am getting close to the 30,000 mile mark.

 

BlackThunder12,

What you experienced was - unfortunately - fairly normal for the current 4WD engagement system on F-150's The system relies on two IWEs (think of these as a form of automatic locking hubs), one at each wheel hub that lock and unlock the actual wheels to the front half shafts. The IWE's are controlled by vacuum from a solenoid. Oddly enough, applying vacuum actually disengages the IWEs.

The most common problems with this system are the Solenoid that applies vacuum to the IWEs going bad and not fully engaging (or disengaging) the IWEs. This grinds them up in pretty short order. (This was probably the noise you heard.) If the Solenoid fails completely, you just can't lock the IWEs.

Second, the vacuum lines that go from the Solenoid to several Check Valves and then to the IWEs can crack and / or otherwise leak. When this happens, you're right back into the partially engaged or disengaged issue from above.

Finally, the electric motor that engages or disengaged the Transfer Case has a nasty habit of going bad - when you need it most. This ESOF motor is the thing that really needs the most exercise and sometimes just tapping it with a hammer will wake it up. If it doesn't wake up and move though, it doesn't matter if your IWE's are locked or not, you have no power going to the front axle.

Believe it or not, the system isn't terribly bad, but it has several known issues. I can't believe your dealer didn't know about them. Just do a little searching here on IWEs and you'll finds tons of stuff on the issues.

Hope that helps.

Tom

 

Thanks, Tom.

Hey - yall were supposed to issue yer Yearly Advisory (that linky) on this 4x4 system - yall fergit?


MGD

 

Sorry, memory is the second thing to go ...

 

Tom, sounds spot on and according to the paperwork with the parts listed on what they changed. I got new IWE's both sides, new solenoids, and a new electronic locking motor. I kinda thought that maybe they were not really sure what the issue was so they just changed it all. My concern is now we just got another several inches of snow and what caused the issue to start with hopefully was a fluke or I might find myself back in the shop getting it fixed again. Time will tell, everything seemed to work yesterday all be it the frontend felt a little tight, but the wheels were pulling for sure. Thanks for the knowledge and hopefully this helps someone out if they are having the same problem.