4 Symptoms To Detect A Bad IWE Solenoid: (Must Know)

The whole IWE system is made up of 4 parts where the solenoid plays an important role. 

It controls the vacuum flow when you change drives from 2WD to 4WD or vice versa.

Like any other component of the truck, it can go bad for various reasons. The first thing you have to know is bad IWE solenoid symptoms. Let me help with the signs and symptoms in this article. Let’s get started.  

Signs of A Bad IWE Solenoid 

The most obvious sign of having a bad IWR solenoid problem is having awful grinding and sounds of engine suffering.

It especially occurs in the 2WD model. It starts fine but the situation gets worse as you go along. 

But sounds can occur for lots of different reasons. That is why you have to know the nature of it.

In the next part, I am going to describe all other symptoms that you might experience while running the vehicle.

What Are the Symptoms of a Bad IWE Solenoid?

Let me describe some common symptoms that would tell you how to detect a bad IWE solenoid.

Loud Noise

In 2HI, there is a buzzing sound comes from the front end. It can be from the right side but there is no way to tell with certainty.

Such sound does not occur in 4HI. Also, shifting from D to N while running the truck, you can hear almost inaudible noise which is not a big deal.

But when the IWE solenoid is bad, you will hear a loud and very audible ‘clunk’ while going from 2HI to 4HI. At the same time, the buzzing sound goes away.

There are tons of other reasons to experience this symptom. Nonetheless, the solenoid is the part to blame in most cases. 

Humming or Grinding Sound

Not all but some owners complained that they were getting some kind of humming or grinding noise while running the truck.

It can happen only while driving in the 2WD model. Even replacing the check valve, actuators, or hub may not solve the issue. 

In this situation, you should take the truck to the servicing center and have a full checkup because other parts besides the IWE solenoid can be faulty.

Getting Error Codes

Another most obvious symptom is seeing error codes during system checkups. 

C1979 is the error code for your Ford truck that indicates either the solenoid is faulty, its harness is open or shorted, or the circuit has a poor electrical connection.

No matter what the cause is, you have to inspect the solenoid manually to know how you should troubleshoot the problem. 

Seeing any physical damage will rule out any other steps involved in the problem fixing procedure because replacement is the only solution here. 

Seeing Warning Lights on

According to the experts, seeing either an ABS warning light or an engine light turned on means that the solenoid needs inspection.

ABS means an Anti-lock Brake system. 

Pro Tip: Running a computer check of the whole system, you can get the error codes for shorted IWE solenoid which are C1979 and C1980.

What to Do When You Detect A Bad IWE Solenoid?

As soon as you can confirm that the IWE solenoid is not working properly, you have to replace it. 

Now, the most practiced way to confirm it is by taking the IWE solenoid offline and see whether the problem goes away. 

You can either replace the faulty part by yourself or take the help of your mechanic. 

Is Replacing A Bad IWE Solenoid Typically Expensive?

Replacing a bad IWE solenoid is not expensive at all. The steps for doing it are so simple that anyone can do it. 

The part itself costs from 20 to 40 bucks. Check out this deal from Amazon which won’t be more than 18 dollars. 

But the deal is for a limited time. So, click here to see whether it is still available or not.  

Those who do not have the time to replace the part themselves must add the additional cost of labor to that. 

In total, it should not take more than $170 no matter which state you live in. 

How Often Should You Inspect IWE Solenoid?

Those solenoids are very durable and don’t go bad very often. So, there are no exact timelines for inspecting it. 

While doing regular maintenance work, you can have a look at it. 

Generally speaking, people pay attention to the IWE parts once something goes bad. 

Final Thoughts

I hope that knowing these bad IWE solenoid symptoms will be helpful for keeping your truck healthy and reliable at all times. 

Here is a link that describes how the whole IWE vacuum works and what to do for basic troubleshooting. 

Have a quick look, and you will understand the system better than other owners.

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