My Axles needed to be replaced!

[Dave Compson]

Ok, here goes my story. I took a couple of days off of work and drove down to san diego for the weekend. On my way down, i get a nice annoying noise from the rear end. I take it into my friendly ford dealer, and he checks out the rear end of the marauder. After a couple of hours, i get the call.

It appears your axles were damaged from faulty bearings. They both need to be replaced. The parts will be here tommrow.

The next morning, the parts dont arrive, and it appears the axles are in Los Angeles waiting. So, another day without the marauder.

Now its my last day in San Diego, and i get the call. My car is finished. They replaced the axles and told me a ford rep came out and inspected the car. The discovery was, (and i am not an expert on rear ends or axles) That the bearings were going out, and begain to score the axles. Over time, this would have caused the axles to fail. The ford rep tells the mechanic the problem is starting to spring up and they discovered it was faulty bearings from the factory. The company that provided them to ford produced a bad batch and they went into use prior to the discovery.

I thought i would pass it on, and let you all know. All appears fine now. I dont have the extended warranty, but i may just get it now. I plan to keep this car for ever and i dont want the rear end to fall apart.

[WolfeBros]

Rah row........early production date too........Thanks for the heads up on this Dave. I will keep a keen lookout for any noise.

[RF Overlord]

Rah row is right...

How many miles on yours, Dave?

And is there any info on the affected build dates?

[Dave Compson]

Mine has a build date of june 2002. I have just above 12000 miles on it now. I am happy with the car, and i dont feel it was fords fault if the bearing manf. provided bad parts. I can understand that, but i dont want to see anybody elses marauder's rear end fail after the warranty expires.

[BODYMAN]

how about us sorry saps with no warranty on there driveline!!!! in my opinion ford should still pay if this is because of faulty parts. and not a supercharger.

[jgc61sr2002]

Dave - Thanks for the heads up. Thats why this site is the best. The sharing of information benefits us all. Good looking out. John:up:

[looking97233]

Does anybody know how the car is assembled? My thought, it that the axle is installed as an assy. If that is so, the build date of the car may not have much bearing on if your car is affected or not. The axle assy. may have been put together in a batch, i.e. our limited slip rear ends may have been put toghter in a batch, then sent over to the assy. line to await install into our cars. Anybody know?

[frdwrnch]

There is a Ford Technical Service Bulletin on this issue and they have released a "Bearing Service Kit" citing "excessive load and inadequate lubrication"as the root cause. That's Fordspeak for they probably don't know. I'll bet there was a hardness issue with a small lot of the axles.

[WolfeBros]

Frdwrnch......you are damn handy to have around. :D
Do you have a number for the TSB so others here can inquire about it when they are in for service? Thanks and a tip of the Marauder hat to you. :D

[SergntMac]

Dave...Please describe (as best you can) the noise, or, problem you detected that caused you to believe something was "back to dealer" wrong.

Also, when you pick up your MM, ask for a copy of your OASIS printout, or, ask for the "CONDITION CODE AND DESC" number, as well as the list of part numbers used in the repair, please? Update us with this when you can? As you can see, we are all lost in wondering the why and how. Thanks.

Listen up y'all...

Let's keep our build dates on hand, and include them along with mileage, when reporting this kind of "failure" stuff. It was never clear why a "B" version rolled out, and there may be some other reasons we didn't think of.

Now, I'm not a "panic/conspiracy" mind set, but the parent company here is FMC too, and there is proof of "always some s**t in the game" when dealing with FMC, ask any 1999 Cobra Mustang owner.

Build dates and VINs can prove to be important to us as we discover, and deal with, MM problems and how they relate to production line runs. Dave's problem, and maybe Mad 3R's too, could be issues we need to track as we rack up the miles on this car, eh? Just my thoughts on this.

Meanwhile, I stopped by my dealer for an oil change this past week, asked the SMs to listen to a "clickety-clackty" sound from under my hood, present from idle to 1000 RPM. He said it was either fuel injectors, or fuel rails, and that sound is "brighter," and heard more clearly on aluminum motors and OHC heads and
I have both. Okay, cool. As long as he heard this noise, and proclaimed it normal, I'm cool with it too.

On the way home though, I hear a drive-line whine building, maybe from the center of the cabin and back. Over a few days, it gets louder, and I almost drove back to the dealer this PM.

Then I remembered it is Easter weekend, and I headed home.

Monday will be soon enough, for the SM to hear this noise.

Any thoughts?

[martyo]

Originally posted by SergntMac

Meanwhile, I stopped by my dealer for an oil change this past week, asked the SMs to listen to a "clickety-clackty" sound from under my hood, present from idle to 1000 RPM. He said it was either fuel injectors, or fuel rails, and that sound is "brighter," and heard more clearly on aluminum motors and OHC heads and
I have both.

My car has a similar noise. When I first heard it I thought "Uh, oh what'd I break???"

My best friend is a mechanic and a guy I can trust. He says that these motors have a tendency to make that kind of noise and not to worry it. This is from a mechanic who worries the details and gets paid to do so. His advice is good enough for me.

My build dates is below, my VIN is 2MEHM75VX3X655727 and is being added to my sig below. K?

[WolfeBros]

Ditto here on the clickety clack noise under the hood.
I also have heard it and attributed it to the injectors and fuel rail.
The injectors actually make the noise and it gets transmitted and probably amplified a bit thru the fuel rail. Others I have talked to say the same thing. Still any top end noise is something to pay attention to. Sarge is right, we have to pay attention to these failures as they occur, learn as much as we can as to the how and why. And use this 411 to our advantage when dealing with the dealerships and SM's. I don't pay much mind to the conspiracy stuff either, but we have a pretty good sample size here of the MM's manufactured to date. If a pattern starts to develop we should be able to recognize it and with the 411 we get from this site, be better equipped to deal with it.

[looking97233]

Ditto me too. tickity, tickity sound. DEaler says fuel injectors.

[chrtra1]

Hey guys, I'm new to the group. I'm a friend of Dave Compson, I'm a tech at the dealership Dave brought his Grand Marquis for service. He asked if I could come here and post the TSB for the axle bearings. It doesn't say a whole lot, but here it is.


Printable View (6 KB)
Article No.
03-5-5 AXLE - REAR AXLE SHAFT AND/OR AXLE BEARING PREMATURE WEAR - VEHICLES PRODUCED BEFORE 1/1/2003 ONLY

Publication Date: February 28, 2003

FORD: 2003 CROWN VICTORIA
LINCOLN: 2003 TOWN CAR
MERCURY: 2003 GRAND MARQUIS


Article 02-25-3 is being republished in its entirety to update the model line coverage.

ISSUE:
Some 2003 Town Car (except Limo and Hearse chassis), Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis vehicles produced before 1/1/2003, may exhibit rear axle shaft and/or axle bearing premature wear. This is caused by excessive load, temperature, and inadequate lubrication.

ACTION:
To service, install Rear Axle Bearing Service Kit, Part Number 3W1Z-4A109-AA. Refer to the instruction sheet included with the service kit.


PART NUMBER PART NAME
3W1Z-4A109-AA Rear Axle Bearing Service Kit


OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
NONE

SUPERSEDES:
02-25-3

WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under The Provisions Of Bumper To Bumper Warranty Coverage

OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME
030505A Install Axle Bearing Service Kit 1.5 Hrs.

DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
4234 42

OASIS CODES:
509000, 510000, 703200, 703300


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership to determine whether the Bulletin applies to your vehicle.

Copyright © 2003 Ford Motor Company

[Dave Compson]

Thanks alot chrtra1, i appreciate the great job. My car runs great now.

Sarge, the only noise i noticed was a little whine comming from the rear end of the car. I was suprised it was the axles. As for the oasis info, i dont have it here. Ill check it out. PM me and ill give you my VIN.

This thread was just meant to give notice to the club. I dont know how many marauders are affected, but its better safe than sorry.

If anybody has any questions, feel free to email me.

[TAF]

Well done Dave...and maybe we'll get your Tech. hooked on this place...he'll hang around...and be helpful again like he was above.

[nomad]

Methinks this could be valuable information for those of us who
have changed gears in our girls and have problems down the road,no?
Must be another reason there is over 800 members here now!
I know I had reservations about buying a brand new model $35,000 car until I researched her here.
When Logan said he needed a few bucks,I jumped with no hesitation.Best money you can spend, no question!
Too bad L-M can't see it!!
They,L-M,should make this site part of there advertising budget fo the MM.[That is IF they had a buget]:alone:
Members relaying info to people most have never met.
Novel idea, huh?

[jgc61sr2002]

chrtra1 - Welcome to the site. Thanks for the valuable information. We we heard of the noise problem we were all concerned. FMC should have a recall on the effected vehicles, but they probably won't. Thanks John :up:

[chrtra1]

I'm highly disappointed, nobody caught my Grand Marquis reference...lol. I was hoping for some sort of reaction from you guys, because I know calling the Marauder a Grand Marquis irritates Dave to no end. :) Oh well, maybe next time.

[chrtra1]

Oh and I almost forgot, I can run OASIS reports from home if you guys really want them. All I need is your VIN.

Example: martyo's car.


OASIS RESULT:
2MEHM75VX3X655727
.
04/19/2003
10:17:40
© Copyright 2002-3 Ford Motor Company. All rights reserved.

VEHICLE INFORMATION
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
2003 GRAND MARQUIS BODY STYLE
4 DR SEDAN LS ENGINE
4.6L EFI DOHC ENGINE CALIBRATION
3FB1MB0A
TRANSMISSION
4R70W 4 SPD AUTO AXLE CODE
56
GENERAL WARRANTY INFORMATION
WARRANTY START DATE
01/31/2003 BUILD DATE
11/04/2002 SALE MILEAGE
00040
WARNING MESSAGES
LESS THAN TWO DEALER APPROVED AWA REPAIR VISITS PAID TO DATE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VERIFY STATE REGISTRATION, VIN MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS WTY
FIELD SERVICE ACTIONS
NO CAMPAIGN MESSAGE(S) FOUND
EXTENDED COVERAGES
NO ESP INFORMATION AVAILABLE
REPAIR HISTORY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

04/07/2003 DEALER: White Plains Lincoln Mercury,
WARRANTY CLAIM NUMBER: 016224 ODOMETER: 001431M
PART NUMBER PART DESCRIPTION QUANTITY
LABOR OP
CONDITION CODE
CONDITION DESC
5427840 PANEL-QTR & SIDE 000 OSL P3 SPRAY PANEL REPAIR (

REFINISG QUARTER PANEL

END OF OASIS REPORT FOR 2MEHM75VX3X655727

[martyo]

chrtra1: How come there is nothing in there about the remote start (a FoMoCo product) that they screwed up?

Also, the car is going back in for oil, the quarter panel that they forgot to fix, and another repair to the STILL faulty remote start, should I say anything about the axle issue? Don't put this in my OASIS, but the gears were done by a non-FoMOCo place, but with FoMoCo parts because the dealer did not want to do it.

[TAF]

Originally posted by chrtra1
I'm highly disappointed, nobody caught my Grand Marquis reference...lol. I was hoping for some sort of reaction from you guys, because I know calling the Marauder a Grand Marquis irritates Dave to no end. :) Oh well, maybe next time.

Unfortunately...we've become immune to the reference. Sad but true.

Looks like we actually have one that gets it, boys. I say we give him Steve Babcock's job!

Thanks for being here!

[martyo]

Originally posted by TAF
Looks like we actually have one that gets it, boys. I say we give him Steve Babcock's job!

I am arranging for a warrant for Babcock's arrest for impersonating an auto exec.

[WolfeBros]

Chrtra1 thanks for being here and involved !
I caught your Grand Marquis reference but as you said......we are pretty immune to it now. At least they are not calling us a Town Car. :D

[jgc61sr2002]

chrtra - I like Wolf caught the reference to Grand Marquis. We are sort of use to that. On many LM dealers web sites they also refer to the MM as a GM. Heads up info that you supplied is great. Keep up the good work. Thanks John

[Dave Compson]

Hahaha Grand Marquis.. Yeah, i hate that. But I just remembered the source. Youre just jealous, but we wont go into that. Anyway, thanks again everybody, and lets keep in touch.

[MMpridenjoy]

This is why this is the best site on the internet as far as I am concerned!!!

[2003_MM_FYRE49]

Funny you should mention the clicking noise under the hood. My Marauder is at the dealer right now for that very reason ( plus a couple of other minor things i.e. package tray rattle). I have 1000 miles on it. The service manager also thought that it may be the injectors. Hopefully they will find a fix for it. To me it sounds like when we were kids and took a clothes pin and a playing card and attached it to our bicycles so it would sound like a motorcycle. So far I like this car and I have absolutly no complaints with Sterling Linc-Merc. they bend over backwards to make sure that I am happy. Even got a loaner while the car is laid up. If anyone from the No. IL area or Eastern IA area wants an outstanding dealer go to Sterling Ford Lincoln Mercury in Sterling, IL. You won't be sorry.

Tim

[gonzo50]

Originally posted by jgc61sr2002
Dave - Thanks for the heads up. Thats why this site is the best. The sharing of information benefits us all. Good looking out. John:up:
Ditto: :up:

[chrtra1]

Originally posted by martyo
chrtra1: How come there is nothing in there about the remote start (a FoMoCo product) that they screwed up?

Also, the car is going back in for oil, the quarter panel that they forgot to fix, and another repair to the STILL faulty remote start, should I say anything about the axle issue? Don't put this in my OASIS, but the gears were done by a non-FoMOCo place, but with FoMoCo parts because the dealer did not want to do it.

How long ago was it in for the remote start? If it was the same day as the quarter panel repair it may not have been entered yet. Sometimes it takes awhile for claims to get processed, White Plains Lincoln Mercury may not have even submitted the claim yet. This is all speculation on my part though, as I have no way of checking what they did.

Also, just to clarify about OASIS. I can't add or change anything on the report, only Ford can do that. The only thing it's really used for is research on the vehicle. I can see what work was performed on the vehicle under warranty, I can check engine calibration codes, and check for any applicable TSB's or special service messages and recalls.

[chrtra1]

Originally posted by Dave Compson
Hahaha Grand Marquis.. Yeah, i hate that. But I just remembered the source. Youre just jealous, but we wont go into that. Anyway, thanks again everybody, and lets keep in touch.

Jealous...LOL....we can talk about jealous after you have a good look at my taillights at LVMS. ;)

[martyo]

Thanks for teh feedback chrtra1!

Next question: How do I (we) know whether we need to worry about the axle problem yet, if at all??

[chrtra1]

As of the 7th of this month your car only had 1400 miles on it, so I wouldn't really worry about it right now. The guys with higher miles might want to look into getting it checked. I wouldn't go out of my way to make an appointment for just that concern though, unless the rear end was making noise. If your going to be in the shop for other work though, it wouldn't hurt to talk to your service advisor (or a tech) about it.

[JamesHecker]

I'm getting a whine from the rear end after it shifts to second at WOT. Sounds enough like a siren to have raised my heart rate a couple of times!

This news is making me quite uneasy as I have a set of 4:10's waiting for me at the dealership. Just waiting for Dennis' driveshaft that I ordered a couple of days ago to put it all together at once.

I printed the TSB info previously posted to show my dealer before I do the gear mods.

[martyo]

Originally posted by chrtra1
If your going to be in the shop for other work though, it wouldn't hurt to talk to your service advisor (or a tech) about it.

I am going in at the end of the month for oil change, remote start and paint issues. I will talk to them then. Thanks for your help. We LOVE having guys like you around!!

[Dave Compson]

Keep it up chris, we'll see.

Thanks for the help anyway, and i am sure the club appreciates the help.

[chrtra1]

You started it....so there :P LOL

[frdwrnch]

James, the whine noise in second gear above 3000 rpm is not the rear end (most likely). My car does this and I think it is the front pump in the transmission. I've seen other members mention this and I don't think it is indicative of a problem.

[JamesHecker]

Originally posted by frdwrnch
James, the whine noise in second gear above 3000 rpm is not the rear end (most likely). My car does this and I think it is the front pump in the transmission. I've seen other members mention this and I don't think it is indicative of a problem.

Thanks for the feedback! Good to kow that it's probably not the rear end!

I love this place!

[mensrea]

I am experiencing a whine at all speeds, especially upon acceleration... any ideas?

[RF Overlord]

Ha-ha-ha

Big joke, Mr. Blower Motor...

:lol:

[mensrea]

Well that's what my Mother wanted to know after borrowing the car for a day......

[RF Overlord]

Hey mensrea:

Can you send me a CD of your car's sounds? I can put it in my stereo, crank it up with the windows open, and people will THINK I've got a blower...man, that'd be sweet...

:rasta: :lol: :D

[Hemlock]

HAVE 21,000 ON MM WITHOUT ANY NOISE SO FAR , WILL BE WATCHING FOR ANY PROBLEMS . THANKS FOR THE ALERT .

[jefferson-mo]

Hey James they have to pull the axles out to do the gears so a good tech will look at them before he puts 'em back. Any damage will be apparent............

[jefferson-mo]

I would like to go Sarge one step further and suggest maybe adding the build date to our sig.......I just added mine:banana2:

[SergntMac]

Just back from the dealer where I got my crank balancer restored.

My whine in the drive train is audible when the car is in forward motion, at any speed up to 30 MPH. Over 30 MPH, the whine is so high pitched, I can't hear it that strongly, but under 30 MPH, I can, and it whines until I get to a dead stop. It whines when I coast in neutral without power to the axels, so, I'd say that anything from the tailshaft back is suspect. Wrench agreed, took a copy of the TSB I printed from here, and ordered my parts. I'll be notified when they get in.

I just noticed in today's top to bottom read, that Dave has all the Stage I mods, and the wrench, SM and Factory Rep either didn't notice, or, didn't care about his mods. Hope this is a sign of a relief from worry about mods.

Chalk up another win for the MM.Net team!

[Dave Compson]

I just think they didnt care about the mods. Dont know if the computer picked up the chip? Dont know how that works, and as far as the 4:10's are concerned... well they wernt there prior to the axle problems.

Ask chrtra1 about that, and also... ask him about what the ford factory rep said to him when my car was comming out of the service bay.

[chrtra1]

There was avery good reason Dave brought his car to me for service on his axles. :D I know all about the mods he has done to it, and I approve. :up: For axle noise issues I don't have to hook a scan tool up to the car, so the chip is not an issue. The other items are nothing to be concerned with as far warranty is concerned. The service manager never looked at the car, the asst. service manager just drooled over it, and started picking out parts he wanted for his '02 Crown Vic.

The factory rep really had nothing to do with the repair of the vehicle. He was there to inspect a different car. He happened to notice the Marauder as I was backing it out of the service bay, and he came over to look at it. He commented to another tech and the asst. service manager that some of these cars were having axle bearing problems. They told him that they were aware of the tsb, and that was what the car was in for. The rep then said that the Marauders are really fast especially if you add a chip and 4.10's, then they run liked a ***** ape.

Since we had Daves rear end apart for an authorized repair, we decide to install the 4.10's at the same time. He was charged friend prices of course. :D

[RF Overlord]

Since we had Daves rear end apart for an authorized repair, we decide to install the 4.10's at the same time.


Gosh darn it all to heck...how come all the mod-friendly dealers are somewhere ELSE? :mad:

[chrtra1]

It's not so much the dealer, as it is finding a friendly tech that's sympathetic to your cause. :D

[frdwrnch]

There are a few of us out there. After all, not really many products at a Linc/Merc dealer that raise the heart rate. Even if I didn't own one, I'd rather work on a Marauder than a Villager van or Town Car. Some techs however, would rather make the quick buck than deal with the higher expectations of an enthusiast, but some of us appreciate the challenge and opprtunity to hone our skills..

[Bigdogjim]

chrtra1: Thanks for your support! Any one that cars that much is more than welcome on this site....Dave is very lucky to have a friend like you...:beer:
Big Dog East guy looking for a sharp L&M dealer.........

[chrtra1]

You guys are aware that you don't HAVE to use a Lincoln-Merc dealer, right? You can take your car to Ford dealer if you prefer them.

[WolfeBros]

Both you guys......frdwrnch and chrtra........bring the insiders insight that we were missing on here. Thanks for hanging with us and taking such good care of the cars. The real enthusiast do appreciate what you do. :bows:

[JamesHecker]

What Wolfe said! It's great to have your input here, and if your also Marauder owners that's even cooler!

[Dave Compson]

Finding a dealer and a mechanic i could trust only took a big road trip. Nobody up here would even think of doing the work. I cant trust them like i trust chrtra1. He's almost family I have known him for a few years.

I know he gives me a hard time about 'everything' but i wouldnt go anywhere else. I feel lucky to have him around.

[studio460]

FYI:

"clickety-clack"

I just cracked 2,500 miles on a trip to Las Vegas. Upon my return to Los Angeles yesterday, I noticed a VERY subtle "clickety-clack" noise also.

"whine"

Upon receipt, my Marauder whined 100% of the time (with no correlation to RPMs)--apparently from the cooling fan. The whine came from the engine compartment, not the rear end. When I took it in to replace the power steering pump (which failed the first day) the whine magically disappeared. They ordered me a new fan assembly anyway (which I haven't yet had installed) and the service writer noted that the "fan never turns off." Should the Marauder's fan be turning on and off normally? My temp gauge is consistently pegged at a nominal temp (after warm-up). Is everyone's fan "on" all the time? This all probably deserves its own thread . . .

[I just now repeated this post in a new thread: "clickety-clack"/"whine"]

[amedd50]

Dave,
Thank you for the heads up about the axles. I had to take my baby in to get the trunk org. put in. I told my service manager about the rear axle problem that you had. He found the service bulletin and he replaced everything inaccordance with the service bulletin. On the paper work he stated that I had complained about a noise coming from my MM rear end (even though I had not). So for those that have an early build MM in you take it in for servicing talk with your service manager about get the rear end fixed. :up:

[Dave Compson]

I am happy we all stick together to learn more about our cars. Glad it worked out for you.

[whd507]

I'm glad I found this old thread, I have a similar bearing noise, and mine was built in 2002.

excellent.