So, I have a '05 MPV with the lovely Ford Duratec V6 3.0 liter. It's a minivan, and I've almost always got the kids with me, so I drive it really gently, but the few times I've romped on it, like to the floor, it clatters like mad at higher rpms. I bought it new, and it had almost zero miles on it, but my question is--- Do they all do that? I'm running 87 octane, but would a better grade of gas help?

 

it is kind of a noisey engine, the older 2.5 ones are worse though. its like a zing! zing! thru the gears.



so it would be normal if it made lots of mechanical noises (timing chains etc) but if its knocking, or clattering that doesnt seem right.



if it makes you feel any better, they have been running these engines since 01, and its really rare we have to even touch em, even for a valve cover gasket

 

Yeah, during routine operation its reasonably quiet, but I think at WOT its knocking. I'm going to put some premium in it and see if its any different. Also, I drive it very easy, and with the 10% ethanol, I'm getting just 20 mpg.

 

DIE ETHANOL! It is normal for ford motors to be louder at WOT. The timing chain tends to slap around unless the guides are brand new. If it is really loud i would get that looked at. Hey don't worry about that 20 MPG. My ford explorer sport after they uped the ethanol i got 14 MPG and it only has the 4.0 SOHC. Before they uped the ethanol i got 22!

 

The '05 MPV loaner I had today didn't do it. Once I got mine back, I romped it again pulling away from the toll plaza, and it seemed a tad louder, but didn't do the hard knocking bit. I'm thinking (hoping?) it was/is a fuel issue. Both engines have right around 10k on them.

 

wow you put 10k on it already?

 

Already? I will have had it a year in October. It's pretty much the family hauler. My wife's A6 just sees commuter duty now.



And yeah, the MPV at WOT and high revs sounds like a drunk wino falling down a loooooong flight of stairs with three garbage bags full of scavenged aluminum cans.

 

Well, I put a few gallons of 93 in it, and then proceeded to mash it to the floor from a stop and hold it there through two redline upshifts. It was definitely knocking on the regular. It sounded fine with the premium, though not near as smooth as the rotary.



Does the ECU advance the timing map based on driving habits? I usually drive this thing like a little old lady. Fuel mileage is dissapointing. The wife's A6 would leave it for dead, and it gets 23 mpg easy.