I know this is a Lexus forum but I know that most people here knows alot about cars so that's why I'm asking since I didn't get any help on the Ford Forum.
I just got this Mercury minivan 2 months ago and this thing is wonderfull it is better then Lexus in options/features plus these last 3 years Ford has rea;;y been making reoliable cars so these are as realible as Toyota according to car magazines.
But the prtoblem is there was a storm and I had to drive thru flooded streets and that pretty much ruined my van.
Today I started to get a really loud whining noise coming from the bottom of the car it sounds like it's coming from somewhere near the front wheel.
Can someone tell me what that might be I think it's just something I have to lubricate maybe driveshaft or something and what do I need to lubricate it with?
It's really noisy and emberassing because this van has only 3kmiloes on the clock.
Another problem I don't know if it'[s related to this is that the transmission takes to long to warm up.
Usually when I pull out to the driveway it kinda don;t wanna go like I have to press it till 3000 rpm just to make it back out but then it drives okay.
BUt now it's like that at least for the 5 first miles in driving in the mornimgtime.
I talked to the dealer and they said it's common because as the van gets older it takes much more time to warm up but it's only 3k miles old I mean you can'tsay my car is getting old I think it's barely broken in.
Another issue I'm having is the trac control.
This van has advance trac a traction system that is better then Lexus but it failed because water got in to the A.B.S. module.
Dealer found that out after they had the van for 15 days and they changed it and I got a new one.But a day later the light came on again I went on the Ford forum and they told me that the dealer has to recalibrate the A.B.S. module.
But the problem is I voided my warranty because I drove thru flood waters so I want to know if I can do it myself and how.
I don't care if I need a new computer software to do it but it seems like the dealership doesn't have a clue what they are doing either because they kep the car for so long it has been to the dealer twice already and that's anooyting especially for a new car because I bought this van as a reliable Family car because the Lexusus that I have are too old but now I have problems all the time and I have to keep going back to the sc400 everytime again so that's why I wanna fix it myself this time so please help me especially with that annoying noise it has and it only has the noise whem I accelerate.
I'm really pissed of right now I think I have to fix the van sell it and buy something else becasue the way I see this van is alrady messed up.

 

first of all, dont ever compare fords and toyotas/lexuses for reliability. I've worked for a ford dealership in the past and i can guarantee you are way off on that claim.


as for your problem, your very long winded problem, it seems like you got some water somewhere in your belt/fan system. A lot of ford products have this whining sound, its usually from the serpentine belts/pulleys, or fans/fan clutches etc.

much outside of that, i dont think itd be from your driveshaft or tranny or anything to that effect.

good luck

 

With so few miles this is a warranty problem. If your Ford dealer is not taking care of you properly, try another, and another, etc. until your problem is solved. If you still get no resolution, take all of your paperwork, service invoices, etc. to the Ford zone office and don't leave without resolution. Pin these people down and don't let them up. You have a sizable investment in FoMoCo here - beat them over the head with it . . . or return it.

 

man..with that many problems with only 3k miles on the odo, you must be joking when saying it's better than a Lexus Even a Toyota with 20k mile odo have no single problem..

but you should bring your car to a dealership to have it checked, or maybe file a lemon claim?

 

Don't know what to think of this post, you insult Toyota/Lexus, but then complain about problems your Ford has, is this some sort of irony, also what Minivan is this, Ford has none, is this an 06 or 07 that has been in some giant lot

You drove through flood waters, maybe you should call your insurance

Good Luck,

 

Thanks jcat gs 3 I will try to look in that direction to see if tha fixes the problem.
Also for others please I'm not insulting Lexus it's just that I need a van for family and business porpouses because I just bought a small auto parts strore so I need the van to work and for family since my SC400 and Es 300 won't do this job.
I can't do anything like filing for lrmon law or something like that because it's not the cars fault it's because I drove in flood waters and the insurance can't do anything either because they say there is no proof that all that damage is from driving into the flooded waters.
Because on the day I did that the van ran fine things started happening like 3 weeks after or something both this van and the sc400 ran thru flood the sc got water in it and it smelled real bad(carpet).
I know Ford has a rep for making unreliable cars but they changed that since 2005 so if you buy a ford that's been build after 2005 you're ok.
It's an 07 Mercury Monterrey and that's a sister of the Ford Freestar wicth is build by Ford TRUCKS. not the same factory that build the fusion and taurus but the one that build F150.
I know this because at my store you won't even find parts for the Ford Freestar under Ford you have to look into Ford trucks and trucks are more reliable then regular Ford cars.
IT'[s a fully loaded Mercury MOnterrey with all the options it even got rear seat DVD entertainment Auto sliding doors and advance trac system.
That's a trac system so advance it works on all for wheels it can apply the brake like on only one wheel or something like that to stabalize the car if it needs to and does aq lot of things.
But thanks for the info anyway.

 

jcat GS3 is correct about Ford/Mercury minivan belts/pulleys being noisy and making squeaking/groaning noises. My neighbor's Windstar had this exact same problem....I diagnosed it myself.

If it is not in the belts or pulleys, the water could have messed up a front wheel bearing. If so, you will notice a sharpening or intensifying of the noise when the vehicle is turning or putting side stresses on the bearing.

What the dealer told you about the warm-up length, for the most part, is nonsense. It is normal, as temperatures fall this time of year, for engines and transmissions to take longer to warm up, but it is strictly a weather-related matter and has nothing to do with the number of miles on the vehicle or with the mechanics or design of the vehicle itself. In some cases, it could indicate a thermostat that is opening too soon and allowing the anti-freeze to circulate through the radiator too soon.........that can be verified not only by the temperature gauge but how long it takes to get heat out of the heater into the cabin. If it is the thermostat, that is a relatively minor repair that shouldn't cost much.....you may even be able to do it yourself with a new one and some sealant for the gaskets.

That's one of the reasons why gas mileage generally drops with temperature. Cold temperatures mean richer fuel mixtures for longer periods of time during warm-up (more gas, less air), thicker engine/transmission fluids that add drag to the engine, and lower air pressure in the tires as the air contracts from the cold, causing the tire to have more rolling resistance.

 

Thanks Mmarshal I think so to.
I think it'[s the bearings because it happens only when the van is moving and when I turn to the left the sound is louder.
But thanks for your help.
I'll still apreciate it if some of you can explain to me the process of the trac control recalibration because everybody has the same problem on the Ford forum but no solutions they all have the same experience some even had Ford engineers fly in to fix their car the result:light goes of for a day or 2 then comes back on so I need a permanent fix so if somebody couyld help me with that will be great

 

if you own an autoparts store wouldn't you have some sort of mechanic contact that could look at your vehicle?

and as others have said, you can't compare Fords to Toyota products. even if it is post 2005 as you suggest and made in their truck plant vs their car plant.

There's a reason Ford can no longer sell their minivans and yet Toyota and Honda can still effectively sell theirs..

 

I found if you google "ford advance trac" you will come up with several pages of problems that might help.

Also, you have some misinformation on advance trac, it is comperable to VSC seen in many other car brands. But it does not come anywhere close to Lexus' VDIM. VDIM has been said to be the best stability control available and is still unrivaled. It is able to bring all systems together and have them work at the same time, instead of one by one. It also has the capability of increasing steering assist in the correct direction to counter steer into a skid. You can see a video explaining it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phyi213kTAQ