GRINDING NOISE FROM 2013 FIESTA DPS 6 w/ DCT - SOLVED !!

[bluemax229]

I purchased a 2013 Ford Fiesta SE with 1.6 liter a year ago. It had 74k miles, 107k miles now. For the last 25k or so, it has developed a grinding vibration noise when driving. You can begin to hear it strongly around 35 mph, and it just gets louder as you go faster. Hard to have a conversation in the car when at highway speeds. What it does NOT have. . . any kind of slippage, no reverse gear, skip-shifting (like 1st to 3rd). If you couldn't hear the noise, you wouldn't know anything was wrong (except for the mild vibration I feel in the steering wheel).

I have a neighbor that is a service writer at the local Ford dealer. I had him drive it. He recorded a video, then played it for his two best mechanics at the shop. They both said it sounded like the carrier bearing on the passenger side CV axle. I replaced the axle. It changed nothing. If I had to offer a suggestion, I would say it's almost like something metal is rubbing against the teeth on the flywheel?

Any suggestions? I am about to take it into the Ford dealer and get a professional diagnosis, but thought I would try hear first. Thanks!

 

[Handy Andy]

If I had to offer a suggestion, I would say it's almost like something metal is rubbing against the teeth on the flywheel?

That would be a rattle that changes with RPM - when you shift down - that rattle would increase in pitch - that is if the Clutch solenoids or the flywheel are at fault. Noise that follows the engine RPM.

This is different, you need speed to make that noise - so that relates to the Driveline.

This may be more of a pinion to ring gear - because of the 35 mph and above - so that is a transmission issue due to wheel rotation speed, so it may relate to a CV joint, but it may not be at the joint, the driveline yes, the carrier bearing - ruled out when it was swapped out - the only other things would include a free play issue with the transaxle and it's bearings and spyder mesh and the Pinion and Ring gear - the transmission is not acting erratic...

This is a view of the opposite side showing spyder gears in the housing
​

Because of the transaxle and transmission are integrated but can be separated, the issue of a bad transaxle bearing plays IMHO more of a role in this.

Review this page of articles to help guide you.

http://blog.sluggyjunx.com/rebuilding-the-transmission-in-my-2014-ford-fiesta-st/

To elaborate more, this noise might be backlash and freeplay of a gear on gear mesh that may have suffered some damages as sudden impact shear (slippery road, high speed spin then sudden grab of grip on ice and snow) or worn shafts holding the bearings and the gear as a set - making it more of a loose rattle that will get worse over time.

 

[bluemax229]

I thank you very much for your thorough reply, Andy. I will go through it and explore the links. Now I have to decide whether this is a task I would consider doing myself, or whether it requires any reprogramming from a Ford-dedicated computer software tool (that I will not be able to do). I may take the car into the Ford shop just to get a diagnosis, and go from there. I will report my findings here.

 

[bluemax229]

Sorry for the late response, but the problem has been solved. The vibration/grinding noise was all due to the right front wheel bearing! So I decided to replace BOTH wheel bearings, and I decided I would replace both hubs while I was at it. Smooth as glass now. And thank God, no transmission problems.