What Do you Think???
Asked by kwik14 Apr 24, 2015 at 12:00 PM about the 2006 Ford Explorer
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My g/f just bought a 06 explorer 4x4 a week ago. we have been hearing a weird noise
coming from the motor on idle. it idles about 600 which seems to be good, even with
the noise. her dad seems to think its like a tick tock but i seem to think that there is
knocking and a vibration in there. whatever our difference in sounds it doesn't seem
like it does it at all or as much when its at higher rpms, Any guesses as to what it
could be and how to fix it/cost(s)?
18 Answers
What engine is in it and can u tell what part of the motor it is coming from?
it's a 4.0 and it sounds like it is coming more from the left side from what i can tell
YOur 4.0 V6 is a SOHC engine. There are separate cams controlling each side of the engine. One cam is on the front, the other on the rear of the engine. Sounds like the guide on one side is work causing the tick-tock noise or a sound resembling and old time lifter knock. If it is the guide, the one on the front can be changed with the engine in the vehicle. If it is the one on the rear the engine has to be removed from the vehicle to replace it. This is a wear item and a fault with the 4.0 SOHC engine. One went bad on my 2003 a few years back. It was more cost effective to replace the engine with a remanufacturered one since the engine had to come out to replace the offending guide anyway.
and is there a way to tell if it is the front or back?
A stethoscope placed on the engine near the guide will usually amplify the knock/tick. Removing the engine and repairing the back guide was quoted at 1500 bucks. I had a re manufactured engine installed and warranted for 100K for a little over three grand. Suggestion, stay away from engines labeled as rebuilt.
Okay, thank you very much OJ for the information. I will try to update as I can, but as I am on limited funds may take a while.
Well went to two mechanics today, one of which was the dealers that we bought it from and as you said OJ it has to do with the timing but one didn't want to quote a price other then time because they couldn't tell which one it was and the other seemed to think it was the front but they said they couldn't fix it and that it would have to be a dealership that worked on it(not sure why though).
The simplest way I can explain it is certain tools are require to line up everything which has to go back together in a sequence. Tools which have no other use except this particular repair. If you want to educate yourself a little more on the parts and repair procedure google; Ford V6 4.0 cam chain guide repair.
Ok her dad seems like he knows it all . Can you please explain the tensioners to me cuz he thinks there is a spring on the tensioners that is bad. But to fix wouldnt that still require intensive labor and or parts?
On the passenger side of the engine there is a tensioner which is accessible from outside the vehicle fender well near the rear. It is removable from the outside with a 28 MM large socket. Once out the part is about four inches long with the end being spring loaded and assistance given via oil pressure once the engine starts. If just the spring is weak inside the part, the entire part can be replaced with a new one for about 50 bucks. But that part is only one of many parts inside the engine, others being the plastic guides the rear chain rides on, which could be cracked or broken. There are two other such tensioners, one easy to get to, the other not. If you bring the vehicle to an Ford dealership I suspect the charge to diagnosis the problem would be somewhere around a hundred bucks or less. If you begin throwing parts at the repair without knowing the exact problem, you're basically paying for the diagnosis in a hit or miss attempt. You should check out "Ford V6 4.0 timing chain repair" to get an idea of what you're looking at. There are many on Youtube.
hmm.....well,get the call after 3 days in the shop and according to the dealer it was a aftermarket tensioner(s) in/on the engine that they had replaced that already went bad again. whats the chances of a tensioner that had just been replaced going bad? and whats the chances of the other tensioner(s) going bad after one or more just being replaired/replaced?
I find it off Ford would place an aftermarket tensioner in a vehicle they repair. Be that as it may, can I ask what they estimated the repairs to be?
Ford didnt repair it the dealer we bought it from did. And the dealer didn't tell us what the quotes from the two closest Ford dealerships was. They just told us they were talking about it and they would call us back when they decided what to do. And when we were called back they told us they made other arrangements for a mechanic to look at it and fix it.
We just got it back earlier today OJ. The dealer we bought it from paid for it. They said had they known the tensioner(s) would fail they would of saved their money and bought the motorcraft part the first go around. Said the place and them both test drove it to make sure it was fixed. As far as we can tell it is and hasnt made any other noises or anything since then. But if anything else goes wrong with it or anything ill be asking you first!! lol
Thanks Kwik14. Just keep in mind the tensioners and the guides (internal engine) they are associated with are wear items. Lubrication is critical to these items as the guides on most original equipment parts. Make sure oil change intervals are strictly followed, it is critical.
