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Odd Vibration 2002 Expedition

Greetings all,

I have a very strange "shudder" or vibration during normal acceleration on my 2002 2WD Expedition. It has been a very solid vehicle and now has

70k miles on it. The vibration has been happening for quite a while and I didn't notice it for two reasons. One, it's primarily my wife's car and I only drive it once in a while. Two, the vibration feels EXACTLY like crossing over the lane marker strip or other intential road surface warning pattern. Another way to describe it would be like driving over a cattle guard. It only lasts for a second, and there's no noise.

I thought I had finally nailed this down to being associated only with the shift into overdrive, but last night it happened on the 2-3 shift. The trans seems to work perfectly otherwise. A post on another topic got me thinking that it might be a loose mount or trans to engine bolts that are allowing movement somewhere in the drivetrain. I could also be an internal transmission problem, but it seems that there would be noise in that case.

Any ideas???

Tom

Reply to
tom_murphy
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If was my vehicle, I would have the transmission fluid changed (but not flushed). A 2002 should still have a drain plug on the torque converter, so I would make sure they drained but the main transmission pan and the torque converter. I'd also want to be sure they used the correct fluid. Depending on the engine and drive type (2WD or 4WD) you could have with a 4R70W or a

4R100 transmission. They do not use the same fluid and filling either with the other type of fluid can cause the sort of shuttering you are describing. The transmission dip stick should list the correct fluid.

I suggest you join the Expedition Owners Group mailing list. See

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. Regards,

Ed White

Reply to
C. E. White

Ok this may or may not help and you REALLY won't like my answer. I have a bravada and was doing VERY similiar thing, any thumping noise when you make a turn? I just had shift defferential done in my suv and spoke with at least 4 mechanics who all told me the SAME thing unfortunately and these were their words all SUVS were done with piss poor design and upper and lower ball joints need to be replaced every

30 to 40 thousand miles! My "shudder / Vibration" only lasted a few seconds also and was with increased speed I didn't think my car was even shifting! It was watching the RPMs that I realized it was. Wasn't my tranny at all! Just a thought not sure if you have ever had to replace any of these and the cost is all labor. Good luck.....
Reply to
April

Just reread how you descibed it and YES that is how it felt crossing one of those markers in the road to wake up truckers if fallen alseep. Mine was front left and I felt it under my foot also......with shift defferential upper lower ball joints ( bought those parts myself guy was nice and said I could get them cheaper and I did) and outer tie rods damage was $1240 plus the front end allignment after.

Reply to
April

I have been driving for over 35 years and have owned over 25 cars myself, and been associated with another 15 or so owned by my immeadiate family, and in all that time and all those miles (well over a million miles by myself) I have needed to replace one and only one ball joint (1974 Jensen-Healey becasue of a torn boot). I hate thinking that front end shops are crokked, but I believe many of them sell a lot more suspension parts than are needed. Certainly there are exceptions. Ford has had some trouble with ball joints on Expeditions (there is a TSB) and recent model Toyota Trucks have experienced a horrendous ball joint failure rate (there is a recall for this). But in general suspension parts last a lot longer than front end shops like to claim. I have seen shops set cars up to demonstrate a failure by purposely (or out of ignorance) loading the suspension in an incorrect manner, or by misquoting the manufacturer's specs. So, whenever you are told you need the front end rebuilt, beware!

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Well I would agree with you except my own grandfather a retired mechanic was one of my sources and these suvs most all have recalls on the ball joints and the replacements weren't any better than the originals. Mine for one were already replaced and I was not talking about cars in general. I myself have owned 9 vechiles from a mustang to bronco to dynasty and NEVER had any front end trouble til I bought this suv.and I want to point out the bravada is awd which I am sure makes a difference. I also bought the parts myself AND asked for the old ones as proof (grandpa taught me that one) and the guy was great actually let me watch as he stripped car so I DO KNOW FOR ME IT WAS NEEDED.....

Reply to
April

Anyway, the info about the particular problem with the Expedition is very helpful.

Thanks to all! Tom

Yes, I agree in general. I did have an upper ball joint fail on a '75

3/4 tom Chevy pickup. I had just finished a 60 mile highway run towing my boat and the joint completely let go in the driveway at slow speed! LUCKY! It's funny there was no indication of an unhealthy ball joint, but I suspect there may have been collision damage/weakness.
Reply to
tom_murphy

No such luck for me. I lost a converter clutch. Complete overhaul required.

Bummer...

Reply to
tom_murphy

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