OK, I've had enough and I'm asking a favor of all of you that would be kind enough to reply. Does your Lightning engine slap or rattle (not a light ticking noise) on startup? The dealer and SVT is telling me this is normal and I don't think it is because so many of you have quiet engines. And mine didn't start this crap until about 1,200 miles on the clock with ZERO mods and 90% highway driving. 10k miles later, it's getting worse.

I entered a carshow yesterday and when I fired it up to go home, you could hear mine rattle while parked on grass and even over the header noise of other cars. This can't be good and is embarrassing to boot. So, do you have the "diesel" noise? Even if it doesn't, please reply because I want to show my dealer how many of you don't have this. Thanks.

Jim


[This message has been edited by gforce (edited 06-04-2001).]

 

Mine does it when it's real cold outside. I had a slight rattle during startup that worsened over time. I took it to the dealer because I thought it was a noisy pulley. Turned out to be the alternator.

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99 Lightning, JL Ram Air, Daiblo Chip(JL Programmed)and 90mm MAF,JL Power Cooler, Level 10 shift kit,PSP Lower pulley, Single Blade T/B, Bassani exhaust, . 12.42 at 109.6..Full trim and stock convertor, MT Street ET's.

 

I'm on my second engine, and the only time I had a rattle is when the first engine let go. I've got my fingers crossed on the current engine!

 

Im on my second engine with 800 miles now.It does not rattle.My first one did for a long time.It got worse and started happenening between shifts and finally let go last month.Its not normal.They told me it was normal too.At 12,000 miles when I showed up with a major,consistant knocking,They finally realized it was not normal Sad to say but the only real way to prove its bad it to blow it up yourself

 

Got '99 with 14500 miles. Mine rattles every morning sounding something like a diesel. It is really noticeable to me because I park the truck between my house and a high privacy fence and it is pretty confined space. So, the noise is probably magnified. Noise seems to go away fairly quickly. No modifications.

This kind of stuff is why I got the extended warranty.

 

LQ,

I've been wondering how your swap turned out. Yesterday I had mine in 2nd in town between lights listening to my new Flows and ran it up to 3k real easy a few times and then let off. On one occasion, it made the "shift rattle" continuously even though it couldn't shift because of 2nd. And it kept doing it till I let off! I think she's gonna blow soon. All those easy highway miles and religious, synthetic oil changes....down the commode. D*mn.

Keep 'em coming guys - If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you don't have it. It's an unmistakable sound at startup - like a bunch of paint can agitators going crazy or Mercedes diesel DEEP down in the engine on the passenger side. Reply anyway, please. A simple yes or no would suffice.

 

When I traded mine in with 21,000 miles, it had not let out one rattle.

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Sandy (Spider) Scott
Skydive69@msn.com
Lake Mary, Florida
99 White Lightning #2091 (Sold) Now Audi TT Quattro Roadster
I Miss The L

 

GFORCE,

You definatly have the trade mark rattle!!You are DOOMED.The sounds of the forged pistons when cold is not nearly that loud.Matter of fact my new motor is not exactly silent but I know the difference btween forged pistons coming to temp and a knocking that last longer and longer.

I still swear by this diagnostic!!!:Take out your truck cold and drive it kind of hard letting off a little btween the 1-2 shift.if it rattles you are DOOMED.Wait til it starts ratling under load!! You will see.!!I did .

Good luck


[This message has been edited by Lightningquick (edited 06-26-2001).]

 

Mine's rattled since day one. I now have 25,000 mi. on the truck.

I took it to the dealer at about 12,000 mi. and they "could not duplicate" the the problem. They must be deaf!

It's pretty typical for the dealers to be in denial. It's a universal deal. I think its part of the Fords training.

Anyway, if that's the way want to play the game, I'll just bring the smoking remains back to them in a box. It seems to be the only way that they can "duplicate the problem".

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Red 00"
Pro-M mass air
Swanson chip
Aluminum driveshaft
Jay Lincoln homemade
traction bars
*******'s bed cover
Wet Okoles
Lightning floor mats
Email: jaylincolncobra@aol.com

"UNLESS YOU'RE THE LEAD DOG, THE VIEW NEVER CHANGES"
http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4292716723

 

My 2000L never ever made any noise at startup...but it did blow a sparkplug out of the cylinder head with no announcment @ 22567 miles. My 2001L has the same knock you and many others have described and I noticed the knock the day I took delivery. The noise completly goes away after a few minutes of warm-up idle.

I've got me fingers crossed the she don't blow anytime sooner or later!

J.

 

LOL LOL LOL BOX>>>>>>>>LOLOLOLOL Thats the funniest thing I heard today!!!!Im sure they will be able to duplicate it then!!!!! Great one Jay,Im falling out of my seat!!!

 

Lightningquick,

It's unfortunatem but I've had to do it this way before. I hac an 84' GT with a rear end noise. My local dealer couldn't hear the very loud whine. I left the dealer, and did a few high rpm clutch dumps until it broke.

I walked back to the dealer, handed the service mgr. the keys and said the car's around the corner, broken. I told him not to slip on the trail of gear lube while they were going over to get ny car.

I think that assume we are all idiots. Most of us enthusiasts are a little smarter that that.



------------------
Red 00"
Pro-M mass air
Swanson chip
Aluminum driveshaft
Jay Lincoln homemade
traction bars
*******'s bed cover
Wet Okoles
Lightning floor mats
Email: jaylincolncobra@aol.com

"UNLESS YOU'RE THE LEAD DOG, THE VIEW NEVER CHANGES"
http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4292716723

 

It's pretty typical for the dealers to be in denial. It's a universal deal. I think its part of the Fords training.


I dont get it. Why do the dealerships turn us away. Its not like they have to pay for it. Isnt Ford backing the warrinty not some private dealership?

 

My 01 engine had a slight knock when new, but only at start up, and at 4500 miles the knock was very loud, and it never went away, even after the engine was completely warmed up. #7 rod bearing. I get my truck back, at the end of next week

 

This rattling sound in some cases is piston slap. On my 99 off road at 25,000 there was a slight rattle at warm up on the 5.4 on cold mornings so i asked them to check it when in for a paint problem,only then the drill was yes we heard it and your new 00 5.4 is on the way.This happened a lot and ford replaced a lot of 5.4s and i suppose there not as eager to replace too many more.With straight pipes its kind of hard to tell what the motor sounds like, maybe i will go back to stock and i will have two trucks with replaced piston slappers.By the way my new 5.4 semmed more peppy and got 1 more mpg than the old.