Daryll40 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My wife and I noticed that our 2003 Mountaineer seems to have gotten very loud. It's hard to tell what's going on, if anything....perhaps it's just getting older....it was purchased in September 2002 and now has 68,000 miles on it. The tires are Michelin MS LTX and have about half the tread left (maybe even less). Could it be the worn tires that got louder? I looked for exhaust leaks but could find none on a casual inspection. Any ideas would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 (edited) My wife and I noticed that our 2003 Mountaineer seems to have gotten very loud. It's hard to tell what's going on, if anything....perhaps it's just getting older....it was purchased in September 2002 and now has 68,000 miles on it. The tires are Michelin MS LTX and have about half the tread left (maybe even less). Could it be the worn tires that got louder? I looked for exhaust leaks but could find none on a casual inspection. Any ideas would be appreciated. Hi Daryll40. :D Well, without much information to go on, and guessing over the Internet, here goes: Yes, it could certainly be the tires. The recommended (by tire Manufacturers themselves) lifespan of most tires is approximately 5 years. As tires age, they get harder and more "brittle", due to environmental and use factors. This lifespan is the same whether the tires have 1,000 miles, or 50,000 miles. It could be an exhaust leak/drone. It could be also be engine related. It could be a failed/damaged door or window seal. Do you periodically lubricate the door and window seals with a silicone based spray or gel (everyone should, but most people don't)? If they are the original tires (68,000 miles/+- half tread?) it is certainly possible that the tires have hardened considerably, leading to greatly increased road noise. If they are the originals, you should probably replace them. Go to Tirerack.com, or better yet call them, and look for a tire that fits your criteria, including low road noise. You don't have to buy from them, you can just use their data base. Their prices are excellent though. The best any of us can do is take educated guesses, so if you are not comfortable trying to discover the problem on your own, have a mechanic, or a knowledgeable friend look at it. Good luck! :beerchug: Edited January 22, 2008 by bbf2530 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hi Daryll40. :D Well, without much information to go on, and guessing over the Internet, here goes: Yes, it could certainly be the tires. The recommended (by tire Manufacturers themselves) lifespan of most tires is approximately 5 years. As tires age, they get harder and more "brittle", due to environmental and use factors. This lifespan is the same whether the tires have 1,000 miles, or 50,000 miles. It could be an exhaust leak/drone. It could be also be engine related. It could be a failed/damaged door or window seal. Do you periodically lubricate the door and window seals with a silicone based spray or gel (everyone should, but most people don't)? If they are the original tires (68,000 miles/+- half tread?) it is certainly possible that the tires have hardened considerably, leading to greatly increased road noise. If they are the originals, you should probably replace them. Go to Tirerack.com, or better yet call them, and look for a tire that fits your criteria, including low road noise. You don't have to buy from them, you can just use their data base. Their prices are excellent though. The best any of us can do is take educated guesses, so if you are not comfortable trying to discover the problem on your own, have a mechanic, or a knowledgeable friend look at it. Good luck! :beerchug: The tires are only 25,000 miles/2 years old. I did lubricate the door seals recently (one froze stuck so that prompted me to lubricate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppremc Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 The tires are only 25,000 miles/2 years old. I did lubricate the door seals recently (one froze stuck so that prompted me to lubricate). check front wheel bearings, had one replaced on a 02 explorer with 40 thousand miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 (edited) Agree with poster above me. Front wheel bearings needing lubrication are an issue that seem to happen often with Explorers and Mountaineers around the 3-4 year mark. It becomes very noisy when lube is necessary. Edited January 22, 2008 by Roadrunner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 The tires are only 25,000 miles/2 years old. I did lubricate the door seals recently (one froze stuck so that prompted me to lubricate). Hi Daryll40. :D That is exactly the point. All we can do over the Internet is guess, then have you tell us you already checked this or that. As the other posters above bring up wheel bearings (another good possibility), you need to bring your car to a competent mechanic, take him for a test drive and let him hear the noise you are describing. Or have a friend with good automotive knowledge check out your concerns. Internet diagnosing does not work. Hope it is nothing serious. Good luck! :beerchug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hi Daryll40. :D That is exactly the point. All we can do over the Internet is guess, then have you tell us you already checked this or that. As the other posters above bring up wheel bearings (another good possibility), you need to bring your car to a competent mechanic, take him for a test drive and let him hear the noise you are describing. Or have a friend with good automotive knowledge check out your concerns. Internet diagnosing does not work. Hope it is nothing serious. Good luck! :beerchug: Yeah, I hear ya. I am more and more thinking that it IS the bearings. I did an experiment that ruled out the drivetrain/exhaust. I was able to go on a quiet road at 50MPH and shift into neutral and shut down the engine. I still had the noise after doing that. So it must be some suspension thing and bearings seems to be the best candidate based on the responses here. I probably am due for brake pads (this is Pittsburgh....if you get 25,000 from front brakes you're doing great) and maybe even rotors so I'll schedule to get it all checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordFanForEver Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Yeah, I hear ya. I am more and more thinking that it IS the bearings. I did an experiment that ruled out the drivetrain/exhaust. I was able to go on a quiet road at 50MPH and shift into neutral and shut down the engine. I still had the noise after doing that. So it must be some suspension thing and bearings seems to be the best candidate based on the responses here. I probably am due for brake pads (this is Pittsburgh....if you get 25,000 from front brakes you're doing great) and maybe even rotors so I'll schedule to get it all checked out. 4.0 V6 or 4.6 V8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 4.0 V6 or 4.6 V8? V8 It was bearings. The dealer replaced bearings and rear springs. Not nearly as loud (although not as quiet as when it was new). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 I thought I would give you folks an update. I replaced my Michelin LTX-MS tires (or was it LTS-MX?) that had 20,000 miles on them with Goodyear Fortera HL tires and WOW! what a difference. MUCH quieter. I suspect I should have originally bot the other Michelin tire (the one that comes OEM on new Explorers sometimes) and perhaps the LTX-MS was too "truck-y" and made noise accordingly. Fortera HL is also one of the tires that sometimes comes on new Explorers so I thought I'd try it. Anyway, that pretty much brought the noise level back down to what where it should be. An expensive lesson in Michelin land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Greene Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Michelin Cross Terrain are very quiet. Very car like. Good for Florida, but maybe not so good for you Northern folks with bad weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 Update Jan 2009 The vehicle is louder than ever. It sounds like it's coming from the rear axle. I remember that there was some sort of real axle known problem with Explorers. The good news is that it's been this way for about a year and doesn't seem to be mechanically problematic. I plan to have the dealer look at it soon, as my extended warranty expires in September. Can any of you tell me more about the real axle problem? What does it sound like? What other symptoms would it exhibit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Can any of you tell me more about the real axle problem? What does it sound like? What other symptoms would it exhibit? The only symptom is a whining noise. Mine did it from 40 MPH to 65 MPH. Dealer rebuilt it in less than a day, now it's quiet. Had it done about 35k miles. Anyway, the technician explained it to me, that a couple of parts that are used inside the differential were in spec when produced, but both were at the high tolerance. After time, it had something to do with the way they wear, and they would start moaning. Good news is, there is nothing mechanically wrong with it. The tech told me that it was mechanically sound and the only reason to have it fixed is to get rid of the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 The only symptom is a whining noise. Mine did it from 40 MPH to 65 MPH. Dealer rebuilt it in less than a day, now it's quiet. Had it done about 35k miles. Anyway, the technician explained it to me, that a couple of parts that are used inside the differential were in spec when produced, but both were at the high tolerance. After time, it had something to do with the way they wear, and they would start moaning. Good news is, there is nothing mechanically wrong with it. The tech told me that it was mechanically sound and the only reason to have it fixed is to get rid of the noise. Thanks for that info. Yeah, it's been loud for a year now so it agrees with what the mechanic said (that it would probably be disabled by now if it were going to disable). I'll post after my appt next week. If it can be fixed cheaply or under my extended warranty then great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryll40 Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 It was another wheel bearing. All fixed and sounds better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 It was another wheel bearing. All fixed and sounds better now. Glad to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WixSrtTime Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 It was another wheel bearing. All fixed and sounds better now. I'm going through the same thing on my 2002 Explorer. I did the fronts and it is much quieter. I hear some noise in the rear (especially when the rear is under load) and I am planning on doing the rear wheel bearings when the weather improves. Also, the rear differental has been loud for some time now. I am not planning on anything for that until it breaks. I have 95,000 on it and am planning on driving it until the wheels fall off. It's nice having one thats paid for :hyper: even if I have to do a little work now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hosh Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I'm going through the same thing on my 2002 Explorer. I did the fronts and it is much quieter. I hear some noise in the rear (especially when the rear is under load) and I am planning on doing the rear wheel bearings when the weather improves. Also, the rear differental has been loud for some time now. I am not planning on anything for that until it breaks. I have 95,000 on it and am planning on driving it until the wheels fall off. It's nice having one thats paid for :hyper: even if I have to do a little work now and then.egulatorI started a thread a while back on my 2002 explorer ltd. All wheel bearings have been replaced(2 of them twice). The noise you hear in the rear could be the torque converter(replaced as well). Also had to replace front and rear springs. The passenger window stopped going up, so had to replace regulator etc. Nice ride, but becoming expensive to maintain. I forgot to mention that my heater just stopped working as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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