On a recent road trip to Indiana and Kentucky, my 2014 Mustang GT has developed a few items of concern:

1. There is a mechanical whine noise starting at 59 MPH and goes away at approximately 66 MPH. It is more pronounce on ascending grades and the noise can be modulated using the throttle. However, it sounds like a big rig truck inside the cabin. I noted it happens while in six gear and not fifth at the same speed.
2. The is a difficulty in shifting between first and second. Additionally, the same thing happens going from fifth and sixth. I realize there is a learning curve, but the results are a blown shift about 33% of the time. Annoying!
3. After climbing some steep grades, there was the smell of something burning (possibly the clutch). I didn't note any slippage, but the smell was akin to hot tar. Definitely not something you want in a new car.

Has anyone else experienced these concerns and what was the cause/outcome?

 

Hey my friend,


I've had several 2014 mustang GTs. Most of them had the noise at or around 66 MPH. Mine was excessive ring/pinion back lash both times. There's a lot of this going around. The ring/pinion parts have been on backlog for a while now. Not saying that's what your issue is but I consider it likely. Get a dealer to test the backlash.


Never owned the MT82 so I don't know much about it. Stayed away from it like the plague. If you knew something about the 6r80 ( the mustang 6 speed auto ), you'd know why I like that auto trans.


The burning smell is most likely normal. I've owned 5.0s since they came out in 2010. All of them have a burning smell when you get on it or push the car. It goes way after about 15k miles usually. I didn't think anything of it because it always happened after I got on it so I assumed it was just needing break in. Well, I was right.

 

I am concerned about a dealership service technician attempting to adjust the rear end gears. From what I read, it is a job for an experienced professional. However, the first step to isolate the location of the whine. It could be transmission, drive shaft, or rear end. I have an Automatic in my 2006 GT, but I wanted to be able to select my gears. The Power Train Control Module "thinks" to long and selects other than optimal gearing. I did get a performance tune that helped a great deal, but it is just way more fun to be able to control how the car performs. I hope this situation can be resolved with more mileage and/or a change in transmission fluid.
As far as the burning tar smell, I do hope you are right!

 

Yep! A differential rebuild isn't a cake walk. And you're right, could be other causes for the noise.


That's the thing I like about the 2013+ 6r80. SELECT SHIFT I use the select shift from time to time and I love it. The torque converter locks up in 2nd gear in select shift mode, that's a really cool thing.


There are a lot of people talking about the burning smell on the mustang and other cars. Pretty common.



Good luck my Mustang brother!

 

Depends on the smell but if it's kinda like rotten eggs it's probably the catalytic converters breaking in, no big deal.

 

No rotten egg smell. It was more like very hot or burning tar. The good news is there was no smoke visible. Maybe the clutch wearing in? I wonder if it is a self adjusting clutch?

 

The clutch doesn't have any smells unless it's slipping/defective. If you're driving it right, the clutch only has slip for a very very short amount of time. Not enough time to create any smell.


It's something else.

 

I've seen it go both ways on the same car.


One 2012 mustang GT I bought sat on the lot for over a year. When I romped on it, the rotten egg smell happened. After I changed the oil, it still had the smell after I romped on it, but it was more of a smell like the burning tar.


The smell has something to do with some part of the exhaust or engine breaking in.

 

I just got back from a Ford dealership in North Kansas City. The service advisor call a technician for a ride along. He verified that the car was making a mechanical whine between 59 MPH to 67 MPH. That he says could be part of the break in process and was very concerned I follow his advice about returning the car to him if the noise get louder, hasher, or changes tone. As far as the smell, his opinion was that may have been a small amount of clutch slippage due to the severity of the grade and the gear selected. He stated the engine can pull hard enough to heat the plates through a very small slips. He asked if it happens on lesser grades or with standing starts or launches. The clutch easily pull through the hand brake and even pulled through peddle breaking without verifying my concern. Must have been the steep grades of Kentucky.


The one thing I do know it is not the exhaust system or engine. If you smelled it you would agree.

 

The humming noise is not part of break in and it will get louder IF it's the rear differential. It likely is. Classic dealer punt.


Clutches don't slip on grades unless they're defective or unless you're riding it. Extra heat can reveal defect. If not defective then you'd have to be shifting more than 10 times per minute to make it smell. If it's very small slips during grade, it's defective.


Its likely that the tech you spoke with isn't very experienced with the Mustangs and doesn't know how clutches work. Especially if he didn't mention that there is a NORMAL burning smell during break in on these cars. This normal smell is like a burn smell, it's very strong and very normal.


Your dealer punted you. I'm about 98% sure of that. Punting is pretty normal too, dealers don't like warranty work since they don't make a gazillion dollars on it. It might be the experience factor of the tech or a classic punt. It's one of those 2 things or both at play here.

 

The technician who did the ride along seem to care about the issue and went to far as to arrange a comparison drive in two similarly equipped Mustangs (2014 and 2015). He said he often hears some mechanical whine in Mustangs due to the lack of sound dampening (weight reduction measure). He was sure I would find this noise in most Mustangs and wanted me to know it was a characteristic of this vehicle type. Yes, if it get louder he did say return it to him immediately.


Kentucky has some mountains and the road grades can be challenging. I was shifting constantly from sixth to fifth to fourth and vice versa. At times, I had to toggle between fifth and sixth with 75% open throttle. The car coolant temp was 210 F (normal 195 F) and the head temperature was 215 F (normal 208 F). If there was a defect, well this was the place for it to rear its head. I will have the technician have a look.




He did mention there would be smells, strong hot smells, but not like burning tar. That is why he though of a clutch slipping. He asked if I had feathered it, such as hold my position at a stop, and I said no. I explained my clutch usage and he observed my technique. All is well there.


You do have a valid point. However, this dealership has a good reputation for service. I asked questions about the experience levels of the powertrain technicians. On paper they have a good team, each having over 15 years specializing in this area. Further, I did some checking. Their rate for labor was $99.75/hour. Ford pays them $102/hour of warranty work, but has a matrix of how long the service should take and will only pay that amount. So there is no real reason to shoo a warranty customer away, unless they are sketchy to begin with.