There are a couple of Bronco drivers who have complained about a scraping noise or a grinding sound coming from their manual transmission. Unfortunately, this problem is quite common amongst drivers that have a manual transmission than drivers with an automatic transmission.
This is because vehicles with a manual transmission have a gear and clutch synchronizer which wears out over time. Once this happens, it will cause a grinding sound or a scraping noise which will occur when you shift between gears. So, if you are experiencing a scraping noise or grounding sound from your manual transmission, it means your vehicle is in need of transmission fluid.
According to some research, grinding noise occurs when you are shifting gears and is caused by friction between the gears which is a result of different problems like maladjusted binding, low transmission fluid, a worn transmission linkage, or a dragging clutch. The grinding sound or scraping noise could also be caused by worn or damaged shift forks or bearings or broken or bent linkage components.
Want to know more about manual transmission scraping noise or grinding sound? This article has all you need to know, so, keep reading for more information.
Bronco Drivers’ Issues with Manual Transmission Scraping Noise or Grinding Sound
A Bronco forum thread talking about manual transmission scraping noise or grinding sound outlined different issues and stories that Bronco owners have encountered due to this problem. The major issue outlined on the forum thread was written by a Bronco driver with a Bronco that was about a couple of months old. The Bronco was capable of 2000 miles and had 2.3 manual transmissions (Badlands).
He stated that whenever he turned on his Bronco in the morning, he was always greeted with a grinding sound or a scraping noise from the manual transmission. He described it as the kind of noise you hear when something is loose in the engine. When he always puts the clutch in, the grinding noise disappeared but once he took it out back, it would start again.
The grinding noise also seemed to disappear after the Bronco had been driven for some time. But once he turns the engine off and starts it again after some time, the noise starts up again. He took his truck in for repairs because the noise did not seem so normal to him and the service manager told him that the possible problem could be the throw-out bearing.
They also told him that it is possible that the noise could be a result of a break-in which he did not agree with because the clutch of the vehicle was easy to operate, the gear shifted smoothly and the Bronco was driving fine. His dealership reached out to Ford and while waiting for a response, he decided against driving his Bronco because he was hesitant.
Another Bronco driver commented on this thread that he also deals with the same problem – manual transmission scraping noise or grinding sound. He, on the other hand, has a 2.3- liter manual transmission Bronco.
Another complaint on the forum thread came from another Bronco driver who stated that he also dealt with the scraping noise or grinding sound coming out of his transmission. Unfortunately, his was quite bad especially since it started two weeks after he got his Bronco. He took the Bronco to the dealership for a check-up but they did not find a problem. The Bronco driver in question said this was probably because the mechanic sat on the clutch while he stopped at the traffic lights.
He was not only dealing with the grinding sound or scraping noise but also a burning smell from the transmission whenever he leaves the engine idle. Luckily, he did not deal with this problem all the time. He said, when he puts his Bronco in gear, the grinding sound goes away, and when he steps on the clutch while in neutral, the sound goes away. But, whenever the sound is present, it is possible to feel the gear shift knob vibrations.
He took his Bronco to another dealer since the previous one could not help him and the grinding noise got worse after about 3000 kilometers. They told him his transmission needed to be replaced because of a bad throwout bearing (he didn’t really state the specifics). He got his Bronco back after 82 days and still ended up selling it after two days for some reason.
Some Common Reasons Why You Could Be Dealing With A Manual Transmission Grinding Noise
There are different reasons as to why one may be experiencing a grinding sound or scraping noise coming from their manual transmission.
- A worn-out clutch: if your clutch is worn out, it could lead to a grinding noise. After using your Bronco for a while, your clutch can wear out and this leads to the common scraping noise problem. Two major things that can cause your clutch to wear out quickly are excessive use of your Bronco and city driving.
- Another reason why you could be hearing a grinding sound from your transmission might be because you forgot to engage your clutch. Most times, while driving, you may forget to engage the clutch when shifting gears no matter how experienced you are. When this happens, you can expect to hear a grinding sound from the transmission.
- Old gear synchronizers: another reason why you may be experiencing this issue may be due to the fact that you have worn out gear synchronizers. With gear synchronizers, you do not need to double clutch while shifting gears because it enables your gear to match speed. Gear synchronizers have teeth and once they become worn out, it leads to a grinding noise.
Conclusion
A scraping noise or grinding sound coming from the transmission is not a common problem amongst Bronco owners, but after reading through the Bronco forum, we could pinpoint quite a significant number of people on the forum who had something to say about the issue. If you ever find yourself dealing with this issue, you should take your Bronco to the dealer to see what they can do so it does not become worse.
