Humming buzzing vibration sound on a 2023 2.7L ecoboost with about 300km’s

[BUDXR7]

This is a known (at least to the forum) issue with the IWE. I am unsure what the fix is. The 21+ IWE is not vacuum activated, rather electric. It is undoubtedly a cold weather issue. Typical dealer bullshit response. Really hope Ford steps it up here because it seems it’s been an issue since the gen 14 rolled out.

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[Eric]

To add a bit of information of my quest to find a solution, I have a good friend that is a long time Ford Certified mechanic at a dealer within about a hour drive of my home. I sent him my video of the sound, and he said they have been getting several complaints/reports of the same issue. He does not primarily work in driveline/4WD issues but talked with the individual that does and apparently there is a "transfer case module reprogram" that is either already being tested or coming soon. I am making an appointment to take mine in sometime after the holidays, but only when I can confirm that there is an actionable step to be taken.

So it does at least sound like it's on someone's radar somewhere.

Your friend was nice enough to be honest with you. Every single ford person I’ve talked to about this from a bunch of different dealerships look at me like I’m talkin crazy and they never heard of such an inquiry.

I really appreciate your info as it is the best we’ve gotten so far. You’re a good man. Please keep us posted.

 

[sbouffleur]

Your friend was nice enough to be honest with you. Every single ford person I’ve talked to about this from a bunch of different dealerships look at me like I’m talkin crazy and they never heard of such an inquiry.

I really appreciate your info as it is the best we’ve gotten so far. You’re a good man. Please keep us posted.

I wish I could share a specific service bulletin or fix, but at this point he was not able to share anything other than that the driveline guy at his shop is aware and they've had several complaints. WIll definitely update the thread with anything else learned.

 

[sbouffleur]

More follow up - this was a response from the service manager of a nearby dealer. While not a root cause fix, at least it was good to hear they acknowledge the issue locally and are offering a temporary fix

"The noise you are describing sounds like an IWE (Integrated Wheel End) issue. They are very common in F-150's because of the way the 4WD is set up.

Typically, 2020 models and older were easier to diagnose because the 4WD system was controlled by vacuum allowing us to check IWE's, lines and check valves for possible leaks causing the IWE to partially engage into the back end of the wheel bearing, leading to undesirable noise. These vehicles had a technical service bulletin for the concern.
      
2021 and newer F-150's IWE system is controlled electronically, making it more difficult to diagnose without codes present. At this point in time Ford does not have a Service Bulletin to address this concern and we have no idea why the electronic system is having the same issues. We have been able to duplicate the noise the same way you were able to, Switching between 4WD-2WD and driving. We've replaced the IWE's and wheel bearings on the newer models to correct the concern, but we are not entirely sure why the IWE actuators have had difficult engaging/disengaging on the newer models as the issue was supposed to be corrected by switching from vacuum to electric operation.

As far as damaging drivetrain components, the only damage that is done is the IWE gear itself and the backside gear of the wheel bearing. They grind together due to partial engagement. This does not affect the integrity of the wheel bearing, but after an extended period of time, it can affect the ability to lock the affected front wheel end into 4WD when commanded due to those gears being rounded off.

The vehicle being a 2023 with low mileage, I would get it diagnosed, and order parts to correct the concern, We usually don't have the parts in because of availability issues with the wheel bearings and end up ordering them per affected vehicle. Coverage for these components falls under your powertrain warranty (5-Years, 60,000miles) or bumper to bumper (3-Years, 36,000miles). The repair will fix the issue for right now, but there is a possibility that it can return in the future as we have not received any bulletins from Ford regarding the IWE problems with 2021 and up F-150's at this time."

 

[Eric]

More follow up - this was a response from the service manager of a nearby dealer. While not a root cause fix, at least it was good to hear they acknowledge the issue locally and are offering a temporary fix

"The noise you are describing sounds like an IWE (Integrated Wheel End) issue. They are very common in F-150's because of the way the 4WD is set up.

Typically, 2020 models and older were easier to diagnose because the 4WD system was controlled by vacuum allowing us to check IWE's, lines and check valves for possible leaks causing the IWE to partially engage into the back end of the wheel bearing, leading to undesirable noise. These vehicles had a technical service bulletin for the concern.
      
2021 and newer F-150's IWE system is controlled electronically, making it more difficult to diagnose without codes present. At this point in time Ford does not have a Service Bulletin to address this concern and we have no idea why the electronic system is having the same issues. We have been able to duplicate the noise the same way you were able to, Switching between 4WD-2WD and driving. We've replaced the IWE's and wheel bearings on the newer models to correct the concern, but we are not entirely sure why the IWE actuators have had difficult engaging/disengaging on the newer models as the issue was supposed to be corrected by switching from vacuum to electric operation.

As far as damaging drivetrain components, the only damage that is done is the IWE gear itself and the backside gear of the wheel bearing. They grind together due to partial engagement. This does not affect the integrity of the wheel bearing, but after an extended period of time, it can affect the ability to lock the affected front wheel end into 4WD when commanded due to those gears being rounded off.

The vehicle being a 2023 with low mileage, I would get it diagnosed, and order parts to correct the concern, We usually don't have the parts in because of availability issues with the wheel bearings and end up ordering them per affected vehicle. Coverage for these components falls under your powertrain warranty (5-Years, 60,000miles) or bumper to bumper (3-Years, 36,000miles). The repair will fix the issue for right now, but there is a possibility that it can return in the future as we have not received any bulletins from Ford regarding the IWE problems with 2021 and up F-150's at this time."

Thanks a lot. At least we know exactly whats going on. Have you had anything repaired or replaced on your truck yet pertaining to this particular issue?

 

[sbouffleur]

Thanks a lot. At least we know exactly whats going on. Have you had anything repaired or replaced on your truck yet pertaining to this particular issue?

No repairs or work done yet. Since the vehicle is so new and it doesn't seem to be an immediate safety concern, I may just wait for a bit and see if a root cause/service bulletin comes about. Especially if the repair ( replacing the EIWE hub/mechanism ) might not last anyway. To me it certainly seems like it's got an electronic/programming related cause that they will have to figure out.

 

[Eric]

No repairs or work done yet. Since the vehicle is so new and it doesn't seem to be an immediate safety concern, I may just wait for a bit and see if a root cause/service bulletin comes about. Especially if the repair ( replacing the EIWE hub/mechanism ) might not last anyway. To me it certainly seems like it's got an electronic/programming related cause that they will have to figure out.

At least they were fair enough to let us know that any repairs might not be a permanent fix. It’s been happening a lot less the past couple of weeks even with the cold temperature. I’ll probably only encounter it maybe once a week or less nowadays.

 

[sbouffleur]

At least they were fair enough to let us know that any repairs might not be a permanent fix. It’s been happening a lot less the past couple of weeks even with the cold temperature. I’ll probably only encounter it maybe once a week or less nowadays.

Yes, I'm not happy about the issue, especially on a brand new vehicle, but I feel a bit more comfortable now that I know more about it. 32 degress F does seem to be the magic number too - it was unseasonably warm here in the high 30s and 40s for most of the holidays, and I did not hear the noise at all for a couple of weeks. But now that the temps have gone back into the 20's or lower every morning, I get the noise almost every morning at about the same point in my commute. Pressing 4H and then 2H stops it right away for the most part, occasinally I have to do so twice. But now that I know where the noise is coming from and that it's likley not a catastrophic event I can deal with it for a while.

 

[sbouffleur]

I now have an appt to have mine replaced after talking with the same dealer I mentioned in my earlier response. He recommended we just do it now, even if there is a long term fix eventually since it's on Ford's dime.

He said they have done this repair on multple 2021-03's and in almost every case they replace the wheel bearing too as there is at least some noticeable damage to the gears on both the IWE and the back of the Bearing from the grinding.

His theory on why this is happening is that the IWE's are engaged when cold by default, and that the noise being heard is because of partial/incomplete disengagment after the warm-up period. Of the 2021-23's that they have done the repair on, none have come back for a second repair yet.

 

[Eric]

I now have an appt to have mine replaced after talking with the same dealer I mentioned in my earlier response. He recommended we just do it now, even if there is a long term fix eventually since it's on Ford's dime.

He said they have done this repair on multple 2021-03's and in almost every case they replace the wheel bearing too as there is at least some noticeable damage to the gears on both the IWE and the back of the Bearing from the grinding.

His theory on why this is happening is that the IWE's are engaged when cold by default, and that the noise being heard is because of partial/incomplete disengagment after the warm-up period. Of the 2021-23's that they have done the repair on, none have come back for a second repair yet.

Whenever you get the chance please let us know exactly what was done so we can just show it to our dealer and do the same. Thanks again for everything you put into this and sharing it with us. You’re a good man.

 

[sbouffleur]

Follow up/update:

My 2023 went to the 2nd dealer last week and I left it for 2 days. They acknowledged the problem and entered a warranty claim for the issue, but we decided not to replace anything at this time. He did offer that they could replace the IWE's now if I wanted, but that they have done so on 4-5 others and in all but one case the problem came back. I spent about an hour discussing the issue with the service writer, and he made copies of multiple internal ford service/engineer documents discussing this issue and attached them all to the warranty entry for my vehicle. His opinion was that a TSB will be coming as there is significant discussion about the issue within Ford Engineering, and that since my vehicle is very low mileage ( 3k ) we should wait. On a practical note I've been driving in 4WD due to the weather anyway so the issue is non-existent. And he did assure me that if there is any wear at all on the hubs, those will be replaced along with the IWE when they do it. He believes it is a programming issue, probably with the transfer case control module. So while no fix, it appears everything that can be done has been done.

 

[Eric]

Follow up/update:

My 2023 went to the 2nd dealer last week and I left it for 2 days. They acknowledged the problem and entered a warranty claim for the issue, but we decided not to replace anything at this time. He did offer that they could replace the IWE's now if I wanted, but that they have done so on 4-5 others and in all but one case the problem came back. I spent about an hour discussing the issue with the service writer, and he made copies of multiple internal ford service/engineer documents discussing this issue and attached them all to the warranty entry for my vehicle. His opinion was that a TSB will be coming as there is significant discussion about the issue within Ford Engineering, and that since my vehicle is very low mileage ( 3k ) we should wait. On a practical note I've been driving in 4WD due to the weather anyway so the issue is non-existent. And he did assure me that if there is any wear at all on the hubs, those will be replaced along with the IWE when they do it. He believes it is a programming issue, probably with the transfer case control module. So while no fix, it appears everything that can be done has been done.

When you’re not using 4WD how often do you get the noise? I’m always on 2H and it has cut down drastically. I’ll get the noise now maybe once every two or three weeks, and it only lasts for a couple of seconds.

 

[sbouffleur]

When you’re not using 4WD how often do you get the noise? I’m always on 2H and it has cut down drastically. I’ll get the noise now maybe once every two or three weeks, and it only lasts for a couple of seconds.

Depends on the tempurarture it seems - when it's above freezing it rarely happens, but when it's really cold it happens almost every day. I think i'm in agreement with the service guy that it's related to incomplete disengagment of the hub at a pre-determined time/distance. One of the "fixes" that he showed me in the internal system by a ford was to cycle between 4WD and 2WD repeatedly - like 50 times. I guess the thought being that if the hubs aren't fully disengaging, that cycling repeatedly might free up whatever is causing it to "stick"?

 

[sbouffleur]

TSB 24-2189 was just released yesterday, my dealer called me and I have it scheduled to have the work done in a couple of weeks. I have not had any recurrences of the noise since the temps came above freezing. Even though the TSB does not specify replacing the hubs/gears he said they will if there is any significant damage.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
Equipped With 4WD And Electronic Shift-On-The-Fly (ESOF) - Intermittent Grinding/Hum/Rumble Noise From The Front Wheel Area - No DTCs Stored In The TCCM24-2189
25 June 2024
Model:

Ford 2021-2024 F-150

non-Raptor 4WD ESOF transfer case (minor feature code FMLAS)

Markets: North American markets only



Issue: Some 2021-2024 F-150 non-Raptor vehicles equipped with 4WD and ESOF transfer case (minor feature code FMLAS) may exhibit an intermittent grinding/hum/rumble noise from the front wheel area while in 2WD that goes away when the vehicle is put into 4WD. These vehicles will also have no DTC stored in the TCCM. To confirm a vehicle is built with a certain minor feature code, review the build information by double-clicking the VIN in the upper left corner in the PTS. This may be due to incomplete disengagement of the IWE actuator assemblies. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace IWE actuator assemblies.

Action: Follow the Service Procedure to correct the condition on vehicles that meet all of the following criteria:

• 2021-2024 F-150 non-Raptor
• 4WD
• ESOF transfer case (minor feature code FMLAS)
• Has intermittent grinding/hum/rumble noise from the front wheel area while in 2WD that goes away when the vehicle is put into 4WD
• No DTCs stored in the TCCM

NOTE: Some parts for this repair may be different than what is in the parts catalog.

Parts

Service Part Number	Claim Quantity	Package Order Quantity	Number in Package	Description
ML3Z-3C247-H​	2​	2​	1​	IWE Actuator Assembly (2021-2022 F-150 Equipped With Minor Feature Code FMLAS)
ML3Z-3C247-J​	2​	2​	1​	IWE Actuator Assembly (2023-2024 F-150 Equipped With Minor Feature Code FMLAS)
N802827-S100A​	2​	1​	4​	Front Wheel Hub Nut
W520215-S441​	2​	1​	4​	Front Stabilizer Bar Link Upper Nut
W520215-S440​	2​	1​	4​	Tie Rod End Nut
W717969-S440​	2​	1​	4​	Upper Ball Joint Nut
W720613-S439​	4​	1​	4​	Caliper Anchor Plate Bolts
Obtain Locally​	1​	1​	​	Brass Disk Style Wire Brush
PM-4-A​	As Needed​	As Needed​	​	Motorcraft® Metal Brake Parts Cleaner (Compliant With Low Volatile Organic Compound Requirements As Required In Some USA States)
PM-4-B​	As Needed​	As Needed​	​	Motorcraft® Metal Brake Parts Cleaner (Not Compliant With Volatile Organic Compound Requirements)

Claim Quantity refers to the total number of individual pieces required to repair the vehicle.

Package Order Quantity refers to the amount of the service part number package(s) required to repair the vehicle.

Number In Package refers to the number of individual pieces included in a service part number package.

As Needed indicates the part is necessary but amount of the part may vary and/or is not a whole number. Parts can be billed out as non-whole numbers, including less than 1.



Warranty Status: Eligible under provisions of New Vehicle Limited Warranty (NVLW)/Service Part Warranty (SPW)/Service Part New Vehicle (SPNV)/Extended Service Plan (ESP) coverage. Limits/policies/prior approvals are not altered by a TSB. NVLW/SPW/SPNV/ESP coverage limits are determined by the identified causal part and verified using the OASIS part coverage tool.

Labor Times

Description	Operation No.	Time
2021-2024 F-150 4X4: Clean The Splines And Replace Both Front IWE Actuator Assemblies Following The Service Procedure (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations)	242189A​	2.9 Hrs.​

Repair/Claim Coding

Causal Part:	3C247
Condition Code:	42

Service Procedure

1. Put the vehicle into 4WD High (4H).

2. Remove the front halfshaft from the wheel hub on both the sides of the vehicle to gain access to the halfshaft splines (Figure 1). Do not remove the halfshaft from the differential. Refer to the WSM, Section 205-04, Removal and Installation.

Figure 1

3. Using Motorcraft® Metal Brake Parts Cleaner and a clean rag, remove the grease from the front halfshaft splines on both sides of the vehicle.

CAUTION: Do not use any other wire brush material other than brass to perform Step 4 as using other more abrasive materials could mar the splines. Take care to not damage the halfshaft surfaces highlighted in red in Figure 2.

Figure 2

4. Using a brass disk style wire brush attached to a rotary tool, polish each spline face on both sides of the vehicle until a clean and even finish is achieved, about 5-10 seconds, making light passes with the tool. Rock the wire wheel back and forth to polish both faces of the spline valley (Figure 3).

Figure 3

5. Using Motorcraft® Metal Brake Parts Cleaner and a clean rag, clean the halfshafts on both sides of the vehicle and blow dry with compressed air.

6. Install a new IWE actuator assembly on both sides of the vehicle. Reassemble the vehicle. Refer to the WSM, Section 205-04, Removal and Installation.

7. With the new IWE actuator assemblies installed, turn the vehicle to KOER.

8. Put the vehicle in 2WD (2H) then wait 10 seconds.

9. Shift the vehicle to drive (D), then allow the vehicle to idle forward roughly 1 meter (3.28 feet).

10. Put the vehicle into park (P), then 4H. Wait 10 seconds.

11. Shift the vehicle to reverse (R). Allow the vehicle to move backward roughly 1 meter (3.28 feet) then shift to park (P).

12. Repeat Steps 8-11 an additional 5 times to distribute grease onto the halfshaft splines. Repair is complete.


© 2024 Ford Motor Company

All rights reserved.

NOTE: The information in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service. The procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford or Lincoln dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle. Warranty Policy and Extended Service Plan documentation determine Warranty and/or Extended Service Plan coverage unless stated otherwise in the TSB article. The information in this Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was current at the time of printing. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to supersede this information with updates. The most recent information is available through Ford Motor Company's on-line technical resources.

 

[fordtruckman2003]

Hmm I do seem to have a noise so guess I need to shift to 4wd to see if that helps.

I might be crazy but I read this twice. How do we know this will fix the problem and not have it happen again? Going to suck if we have to keep replacing these IWE every so many miles.

This may be due to incomplete disengagement of the IWE actuator assemblies. To correct this condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace IWE actuator assemblies.

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