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2004 Ford F-150 Noise

Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 FORD F-150
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 72,000 MILES
My F-150 has made a noise like a speedometer cable going bad for about six months but still runs fine. It is intermittent and only on acceleration. I didn't think vehicles still have speedometer cables
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010 AT 11:48 PM

16 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,645 POSTS
You are correct, it doesn't have one. Can you tell aprox where the sound is coming from?
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Monday, July 5th, 2010 AT 7:14 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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The noise appears to be coming from the rear of the engine or front of the transmission. Sometimes it is loud enough to be heard over the radio but not often. In another car a very similar noise turned out to be a speedometer cable.
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 AT 12:53 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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The only thing I can think of is if the sound is coming from something loose on the exhaust system. As far as the engine is concerned, there isn't anything that I can think of in that location that would cause that type of noise.
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 AT 4:19 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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  • 8 POSTS
After more listening it may be coming from the front of the engine, it is hard to tell and being intermittent doesn't help. I tried rolling the window down to hear it but could not hear anything reflecting off of the curb. I had a 1977 Oldsmobile that had a similar sound and it turned out to be the speedometer cable.
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Thursday, July 8th, 2010 AT 10:59 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Have you checked the accessories that run from the serp belt, water pump, alt, PS pump?
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Friday, July 9th, 2010 AT 8:41 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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  • 8 POSTS
The noise is getting louder and more constant. How do you check the alt, PS, water pump, etc, when you cannot even see these items while the engine is running much less touch them. There is no noise when the engine is idling.
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Monday, August 2nd, 2010 AT 10:46 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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You need to remove the serp belt, start it for only a few seconds to see if the noise is gone. If it is, start spinning the accessories' pullies to see if any make that sound. NOTE: Only run it for a few seconds to see if the sound is gone. Without the belt, it will overheat.
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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 AT 1:13 AM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
I put the pickup on jack stands, removed the rear wheels and ran the pickup up to speed. The noise seemed to come from the rear area of the truck. The brakes are new and not dragging. The U-joints seemed to be good with no slack. The noise is like a piece of tin rubbing on the drive shaft but that is not happening. It doesn't sound like a rear end gear but I am stumped since it is coming from that area of the vehicle.
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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 AT 9:16 PM
Tiny
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Have you checked the pinion bearing and the axle bearings? If the sound is in the back, there really isn't much more.

Let me know.
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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 AT 10:16 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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  • 8 POSTS
I had the u-joints, pinion bearing, and rear wheel bearings checked out by a mechanic and they all appear to be in good shape. The pickup still runs as good as ever and the noise is still intermittent.
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Friday, August 20th, 2010 AT 9:04 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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The noise is more consistent and louder now and I believe it is coming from the differential. I am taking it back to the Ford house to get it checked out and will let you know what I find.
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Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 AT 11:33 PM
Tiny
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Yes, let me know what you find. I feel it has to be a bearing, but without being there, it is hard to tell.
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Saturday, September 25th, 2010 AT 11:09 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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I took the back cover off of the rear end and inspected the gears and they appear good, replaced the rear end fluid with new synthetic gear oil with recommended weight in owners manual. The noise is still there but at least I feel better about the rear end. I will continue to search for the problem and keep you informed.

The noise definitely has a relation to the engine speed and mostly occurs while accelerating but now I can hear it while slowing down sometimes.
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Sunday, October 10th, 2010 AT 8:45 AM
Tiny
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If the noise is coming from the differential, my guess is the pinion bearing. Is there any up and down play where the u-joint connects?
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Sunday, October 10th, 2010 AT 9:49 PM
Tiny
FORDSSINCE1950
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  • 8 POSTS
There does not seem to be any up or down slack or play in the pinion bearing.
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Monday, October 11th, 2010 AT 12:41 AM
Tiny
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Did you check it with no tension on the driveshaft? In other words, was the vehicle in neutral? If you are sure the noise is from the differential, the only thing left is to take it apart and check the bearings.

Let me know what you find.
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Monday, October 11th, 2010 AT 11:08 AM

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