Life Inside a Ford Factory: Squeaks & Rattles
Yesterday we described some of the inner workings of Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, which builds the Taurus and its siblings. At the end of the tour we got to see Ford’s Squeak/Rattle Test — yes, it’s really called that — which sends the cars along a final test track before they’re shipped off to dealers.
As the test’s name suggests, the track is anything but smooth. It simulates six different road surfaces, from highway expansion joints to narrow European alleyways, with a progression of cobblestones, steel cables, angle irons and more.
Test-track driver John Couwenhoven took us for a ride in a Taurus that had just rolled off the line. The drivers listen for undue squeaks and rattles in the interior, and as such are the last major line of defense against any defects. We didn’t hear any strange noises in our car, which passed the test, but it seemed like any problems would have to be pretty glaring to stick out — or the drivers would have to be uncommonly attentive. The route itself — close to 1,000 feet, Couwenhoven estimated — and 15-mph maximum speed aren’t exactly flogging conditions for any car. Still, the road surfaces were very rough, and the torsion portion (a raised hill with uneven surfaces) would put any chassis to the test, even at low speeds.
Of course, this wasn’t a full test of the Taurus’ noise levels. Presumably that happened much earlier in the design and production process at Ford’s Michigan proving grounds. This route was something of a final sendoff for each car’s 12-hour assembly process — and it seems fitting to know that by the time they arrive at dealerships, these cars have already taken their first lumps on the road.
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Glad that he is so focused on noise while a bluetooth device is stuck in his ear. Better hope your car isn't tested when he is on the phone. Perhaps if he just had the radio on it would make every car perfect.
What's with the 15mph limit? Sounds like this test is more for show than anything else. Either way I'm not surprised, after all it is Ford.
No wonder why my dad's Ford Escape Hybrid makes all kinds of noises, squeak, rattle, you name it. Went to dealership billions of times, but been told cannot diagnose, even when I went there to reproduce the noises, they claim they fixed it but noise is still there. This test is worthless but waste of money and time.
I have a 2005 Ford 500 that had a creak coming out of the center console that drove my wife crazy. After having the car to our local Ford dealer 5x, they failed to fix it. Once we chalked a line behind the front tire to prove that they didn't even move the car. Thankfully my son-in-law bought the shop manual, and he and I together dismantled the center console to discover three missing screws. My Ford dealer wouldn't even give me the screws for free, instead choosing to charge me $1.18 for each one. Four hours and three screws later the creak is gone. Needless to say my family will never again purchase a Ford product and I think the Squeak/Rattle Test is pure hogwash.
Cliff,
It sucks about the creak, I too have a 500, but mine has been creak and rattle free- even with 20" wheels. Maybe you should just go to a different dealer. I bought mine at a high volume dealer, Joe Meyers in Houston, and they suck! I take my car to Helfman or Freeway ford- both smaller and better.
Either way, I haven't with my five hundred, but have with other cars, my Jetta, Maxima, and Focus, taken them in for sounds and the service people NEVER hear them
It's quite obvious what's going on here.
Factory workers take a test drive to either cool down or warm up. We were told the other day that the factory can get pretty hot in the summer and pretty cold in the winter.
Ford obviously doesn't do this with the Focus. My ZX3 is a freakin' rattle trap. I'm sure is would disintegrate on cobblestone!
Ok, you guys have no idea what your talking about. John Couwenhoven is my dad, first off, that is not him driving in the picture. He does not own a blue tooth head set, he wouldn't be caught dead in a million years with one. Second off, he is the only one who does it on his shift, it is not ment as a "cool down" period for workers. Also, those workers work their ass's off! Not all fords are made at that plant either. And if one car slides by with something wrong unnoticed to him, I dare you to tell me you are perfect on the job everyday. I thought so...