Wesley

My 08 Limited had a buzzy vibration that was hard to nail down. I felt it through the throttle but since its an electronic drive by wire, there is no direct link from the throttle to the engine. I presume I felt it because it was the closest to the engine. It turns out that the air intake boot from the air filter box where it connected to the throttlebody was loose. If the vibration is more severe, sort of rhythmic instead of buzzy, it may well be a plug or coil failure. My older F-150 had that issue a couple of times. The vibration frequency and intensity can all direct you to the possible cause. If it feels like someone is bouncing a leg (like someone behind you at a movie theater), I would lean to a tire or wheel defect, especially if it is more noticeable from 40 to 70 mpg. Since you say you feel it while stopped, look elsewhere. If it is more frequent or higher in pitch, remember the engine turns about 3 times the speed of the tires. The water pump cannot cause this problem, nor can the air conditioning compressor, they are too small rotating mass and will not change dynamic balance. If it is the compressor, or even close to it, the AC will not be working. If it is any of the drive belts vibrating, as said above, one of them is a stretchy belt and gets tighter as it heats up. I have seen tensioners go bad but usually I notice slippage instead of vibration. Any driveline mount failure will transmit the vibration to the chassis, and not in itself create a vibration. Is a Service Engine light on? I am leaning towards a plug or coil.

Well, I guess I have to first own up to a mistake. My 08 Edge does indeed use Mercon. I have no idea why I had it in my thick head it didnt. The tech expert at ATRA was a great help. I guess it helped that I used to be a member, but MANY years ago. He said my problem was most likely in two areas: Programming with the adaptive learn; Too much clutch pack clearance. I can see either problem applicable in my case. The issue occurs sporadically, BUT, thinking back, speed was certainly a common factor. If the clutches are worn or there is too much clearance, the oil film doesnt have a chance to wick between the clutch plates when they are disengaged, it simply slings off. The clearance (about .035") is there for a reason. My Edge has 155,000 miles, mostly trouble-free. I'm keeping a cautious eye on shift quality now and checking the fluid color almost daily. Any darkening or bad smell indicates clutch flaking. I changed the oil at around 125,000, just because I felt it was time.

Not sure why Mercon has any effect on the trans unless it is specific to the design. My 08 Edge doesnt use Mercon so I am very wary about doing this TSB. I have a few contacts with the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, so I might run this question through their experts and get their input. This problem cant be that unusual.

An update to my above post: I had the transmission sensors replaced due to the wrench light and no shifting. My above mentioned problem existed prior to the transmission repair, but only occasionally, maybe once or twice a month, never predictable. However, as I rack up the miles (now at 155,000), the problem surfaces almost daily. The problem almost always occurs at slow speed parking lot driving, or while driving slowly in heavy traffic. It is ALWAYS in the 1 to 2 shift, never in other gears. If I am at highway speeds and brake heavily, then accelerate to speed, and if it dropped to 2nd gear, the downshift is harsh, way to harsh to be normal. Increased throttle pressure seems to improve the shift feel while gentle pressure makes it much worse. If anyone wants a comparison, its like driving over a 2X4 at 5 mph or being hit from behind at the same speed. I did a search on this and other forums and I once found a valve-body mod to resolve this problem. For some reason, I cant find it again. The dealer wants big bucks to try and fix but I dont want to create other problems. My engineering mind tells me that a shuttle valve in the trans is either stuck or if it had a spring, the spring is either broken or missing. In my old racing days, again, it feels like it has a manual shift valve body.

My experience with changing the plugs on our '08 Edge was a bit different. I changed the brake booster several years ago and was familiar with removing the intake manifold. A simple 30 minutes later and I had access to the rear plugs. The front plugs came out easily with little effort, even though I soaked them with WD-40 for 10 minutes or so after breaking loose the plugs about 1/8 turn. The rear plugs were a bit more difficult. Even after soaking them, I was cautious for the first couple of turn but they too came out easily. After 150,000 miles, I was a bit surprised at the plug gap versus how well it ran. A .100" gap gauge passed through with no problem, maybe as much as .110"! I chose NGK Iridium plugs from Rockauto. Some anti-sieze on the threads and they were back in no time. 45 minutes later and I was done, for a total of 1 1/2 hours. I picked up an instant 1/2 mpg within the first 30 miles, and I expect to see a bit better after the first tank when I zero the MPG calculator.

I put this on the performance mod thread before I noticed this one. In an interest to get a bit more out of my '08 with almost 150K miles, I ordered a kit online and put it on around mid Nov. Easy install with only a minor amount of trimming. All 3" aluminum tubing with nice radius bends, plus a 3" K&N style filter. Over the next 3 months and plenty of mixed driving showed no MPG improvement, and may have actually decreased a bit. The basic feel wasnt much different, only the sound. One thing I did notice was a flat spot or bog on mid-throttle depression. It almost felt like a disconnect between the throttle and response. Last week I replaced the air intake kit assembly with the original. The bog went away and I immediately picked up 1 mpg, back to 21.7 mixed driving. My engineering mind told me that there was probably an airflow issue around the mass air flow sensor. My opinion of the air intake kit was not to bother. These engines are pretty well optimized as they are, as mentioned in previous posts. I love my Edge and will hate it when I have to replace it, but when I do, it'll most likely be another Edge.

To add my two cents worth on the cold air intake kit. My 2008 Edge Limited with 145,000 miles has been relatively trouble free with the exception of the transmission speed sensor failure and a brake booster way too early in its life. A set of cooling fans this past summer and that rounds out my problems. I have never been a fan of the brakes as they leave my confidence hanging out the window during a hard stop. Performance pads helped quite a bit but the pedal is not as firm as I would like. I might try stainless flex lines. Back to the air intake. I ordered a kit online and put it on around mid Nov. Easy install with only a minor amount of trimming. All 3" aluminum tubing with nice radius bends, plus a 3" K&N style clone filter. Over the next 3 months and plenty of mixed driving showed no MPG improvement, and may have actually decreased a bit. The basic feel wasnt much different, only the sound. One thing I did notice was a flat spot or bog on mid-throttle depression. It almost felt like a disconnect between the throttle and response. Last week I replaced the air intake kit assembly with the original. The bog went away and I immediately picked up 1 mpg, back to 21.7 mixed driving. My engineering mind told me that there was probably an airflow issue around the mass air flow sensor. My opinion of the air intake kit was not to bother. These engines are pretty well optimized as they are, as mentioned in previous posts. I love my Edge and will hate it when I have to replace it, but when I do, it'll most likely be another Edge.

Thats the guess I had too. No harsh shifting since I tightened the duct plus the strange droning vibration is gone too. It felt like a motor mount was gone.

For what its worth, when I changed air filters this past week, I found that the duct hose connecting the air filter to the intake manifold was loose. The Edge has had a hard to pin down vibration felt through the throttle pedal along with the harsh shift. I dont know how it was loose but its been that way for quite a while. Tightening the hose clamp seems to have solved the vibration and as a side benefit it seems like the trans shift problem has gone away too. The mass air flow sensor is tied into everything it seems.

I replaced both strut mounts and struts and solved about half the noise. It was bad, almost to the point where I felt one of the struts had come loose (it didnt). Now, the left suspension makes a knock noise when it depresses, going across streets, and out of driveways. Its not nearly as bad as before but loud enough to be noticed. Since the front struts and mounts were replaced, the Edge drives better and feels a little tighter but the noise is still annoying. If I were to guess, it feels like an older vehicle with a bad stab bar link, or worn lower control bushing, but those are in good shape. The lower ball joints felt in good shape but since they arent under load, it doesnt seem like they could be at fault.

The local dealership didnt acknowledge any TSB when asked. This is the standard answer I get even when I know there are others with previous vehicles we've taken in. When I bring in the TSB number, they say it only applies to certain vehicles and act surprised when I confirm that ours was included (three previous Explorers, one Lincoln Town Car and one Lincoln MKZ). As for if this vehicle is included in a TSB, I havent pursued it and it doesnt happen all the time. My Edge has 120,000 troublefree miles on it and I would be surprised if I get a TSB notice.

Our 2008 Edge Limited has this very hard 1-2 upsift at very light throttle and fits exactly the same conditions as described. If I am pulling from a stop at very slow speeds and low throttle opening, it feels like I was bumped from behind. In my old racing days, I would say the transmission has a manual shift kit installed or if my foot slipped off the clutch pedal. A little more throttle opening cures the harsh shift but is not appropriate for all driving conditions.

I finally got too frustrated and went ahead with the struts and mounting plates. KYB struts and MOOG bearing plates from Rockauto.com and about 4 hours of my time and the problem is gone. Not to mention that it rides better too, not that it was bad to begin with. Now all I have to fix is a hard transmission shift at very low speeds and load, like when driving around a corner from a stoplight. It bangs into second gear instead of a controlled shift. Increasing the load cures the hard shift. Different thread this time.

Update on the in-dash upgrade: I ordered a Pyle PLDNV77U 7-Inch USB/SD Bluetooth Touch Screen Receiver with GPS from Amazon. After a few false starts (there are no instructions or wiring diagrams) I did a wireup when I found that the colors matched the Ford adapter I bought from Walmart. Everything worked, sort of. The AM/FM radio never worked even though I had the adapter harness and the unit would turn off all by itself. The maps Nav setup was not very intuitive, certainly not as easy to use as my Garmin Nuvi 50 or Magellan Maestro and not even close in graphics quality. I'll give it a 5 out of 10. The map function worked but looked about 10 years old in graphics quality. I decided to RMA the unit after it went out for the third time while sitting at a traffic light. The original Sync unit reinstalled in less than 5 minutes and I'm undecided about what to install next, or if I should even do it. As a word of advice, the aftermarket steering wheel touch control adapters are all but worthless, especially when you have to install another LCD screen.

My '08 Edge Limited has been great, but for two basic gripes: 1) The dash instrument cluster is all but impossible to see at night. The bulbs are all on and as bright as they will go. The greenish chrome with red needles dont make a good contrast. 2) The Sync radio is ok, but just. I had an opportunity to drive a '14 Edge SEL this week and loved the LCD dash and the new Sync touch panel Nav setup which included radio etc. I'm not in the market for a new Edge but I dont mind spending a little money to update the drivers area. I am fully aware they are difference components but those two items just stood out as impressive. Does anyone have any suggestions for a dash-radio-nav system replacement or should I just hold out another several years?

I'm not sure about the Fusions but my '08 Edge Limited does the same thing. When I do the second start, it may run rough for a few seconds but it clears up almost immediately. Somehow, I feel it might be fuel pump related, maybe a relay. It has NEVER not started nor has it ever quit running. Since it is all but impossible to replicate, I have never had it in for an inspection.

I'm not terribly impressed with the brakes on my '08 Limited, they dont inspire confidence when braking hard. Several times I almost climbed up the trunk of a vehicle in front of me at a stop. On my other vehicles, normal braking pressure will bring the car to a smooth stop but on my Edge, they feel a bit off. On my old rally car, I would blame brake hose expansion and poor brake pad effectiveness. Teflon SS hoses took care of the soft pedal and ceramic pads fixed the stopping. For the record, the brakes have been thoroughly inspected by a very experienced professional, including the ABS, air in the brakes, etc. A replacement booster didnt change anything (the booster failed). Looking online for brake upgrades I noticed that there are two diameter brake rotors for the Edge. Mine has the smaller ones. Wonder what the larger ones were for and if they interchange?

Our '08 Edge FWD Limited, has a knock in the front suspension. It feels like a stabilizer bushing but they look and and feel ok. It ONLY happens when either the left or right wheel hits a bump or pothole. When I go over a speed bump with BOTH wheels, there is no knock, so the noise is associated with individual wheel movement. I suspected it may be a spring seat but that would make a noise at depression with a wheel movement, left, right, or both wheels. Back to the stabilizer bar bushings. I got under the Edge the other day and tried taking the bolts loose. Tried is the optimum word. No luck. I broke one ratchet wrench and socket (Snapon, if it makes any difference). Interestingly, I cant find these bushings anywhere at any of our local auto parts stores and the Ford dealer says they dont stock them(!). I'm tempted to get a set of 33mm performance bushings and get out my trusty 1/2" breaker and 15mm socket and have at it! Ideas?

Hmm, my 08 Edge booster failed at 63,000 miles. Quick failure, no significant warning. Within 3 days, the pedal went from normal to hard accompanied by a hissing noise. On the good side, it was a three hour job. It looks harder than it is.

We have a 2008 Limited with FWD and just over 100K miles. I can almost guarantee 21.7 on every tank. I drive a lot of highway miles for business and frequently see 24 and occasionally 26 mpg. I fitted a trailer hitch and last summer, at 108 degrees, we pulled a "heavier than I should have" trailer for 500 miles at 70 mph and never got below 18 mpg. I was expecting much less. I wont be doing that again but the performance was confidence inspiring. Tail winds are a bonus, considering it weighs more than 4400 lbs, closer to 5000 when I travel with my equipment. Cruise control and XM radio are my long distance necessities.