BREAKING NEWS: Ford – F150 EcoBoost Shudder Fix Confirmed
Jason Lancaster | Oct 26, 2012 | Comments 15
Responding to our story late last week about EcoBoost F150 shudder problems, a source at Ford has told us that a fix has been found and that current EcoBoost F150 owners will be given the opportunity to fix their trucks in early November.
Specifically:
- All new EcoBoost F150s manufactured after Sept. 18th,2012 have received a redesigned CAC (charged air cooler) that addresses the moisture build-up problem.
- Beginning early next month, Ford will issue a TSB that instructs dealers to replace the CAC in any EcoBoost F150 that’s suffering from this problem with the redesigned unit.
The redesigned CAC will not collect condensation in the same way that the current unit does, so this problem should be officially fixed very shortly.
Our source on this news is a Ford employee.
Please see our earlier story for a complete run-down of the F150 EcoBoost shudder problem, what some EcoBoost owners have experienced, etc.
Filed Under: Auto News
Ford may have fix that but they now have this:
http://news.msn.com/us/regulat.....ttle-issue
What comes around goes around.
I honestly hope Ford is scrutinized to the same level as Toyota was.
I honestly hope this is a permanent fix. However, it sounds as though the CAC works really well and I still wonder if the condensed air has a higher than normal amount of moisture. Again, I would go with regular oil analysis to monitor the oil for at least a year or two.
By the way, I may be oil analysis cheerleader, but I’m not in the business of it.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/.....6413868313
Dayve,
Thanks for the Facebook page link. Hopefully an answer will be found for this problem.
-Tim
The PROBLEM
When the OAT and dewpoint span are quite low, HIGH Rh, and the EcoBoost engine is driven with a light load for extended periods then condensate forms inside the outflow end cap of the CAC and then puddles at the bottom of that end cap.
No problem, no foul, UNTIL….
The velocity of the CAC airflow, resulting from WOT or nearby, becomes so great that it washes waves of that water into the intake. Depending on the level of water accummulated the engine may “cough”, choke on the water ingestion, for several seconds. In the meantime the engine ECU detects multiple misfires and often goes into “limp home” mode.
The CAUSE.
Think of why your A/C is equipped with a drain tube. When the air is cooled below its dewpoint airborne moisture will begin to condense out of the airflow. The same effect is true if you have a high-to-low pressure gradient in a volume of airflow.
The Ecoboost design, in order to reduce turbo lag, always has the turboes spun up just enough to produce boost pressure just slightly above atmospheric. As that pressurized air volume flows through the CAC it gets cooled, most likely to OAT. With the throttle partially closed any pressure at the outlet of the CAC above atmospheric will be “bypassed” back into the turbo’s impeller inlet. Now, at the CAC outlet end cap that air volume can expand to atmospheric pressure, filling the (larger) end cap volume and as a result you get condensation.
Except unlike your A/C there is NO drain tube.
Ford’s FIX (FIX…??!!)
Reduce the cooling efficiently of the CAC so as to reduce the probablity(???) of condensate forming. Revise the firmware in recognition of lower torque/HP in higher temperature climates.
The DIY FIX.
Drill a small hole in the very bottom of the CAC outflow end cap. Solder or epoxy a modified(***) brass nozzle/fitting into the hole. Now use an automotive vacuum line hose to connect the nozzle to the intake manifold downstream of the throttle plate.
*** Fill the brass nozzle with solder or epoxy and then using the smallest drill bit you have drill an opening back up through the nozzle.
The engine vacuum in cruise mode will take care of the rest.
DIY FIX REVISION.
With an orifice small enough to not “upset” the DBW idle learned/learning setting any particles getting past the air filter might block the orifice, most especially an “oiled” K&N.
The solution is to move the air flow restricting orifice/nozzle downstream of an inline fuel filter, say one for a lawn traction engine.
Willard, that’s good advice. I did the same thing on my EB F-150, but a little differently. I drilled a 1/16″ hole into the bottom of the tank, but that’s where I stopped. I didn’t connect a hose to the intake manifold like you suggested. Any water that accumulates in my intercooler simply drains out of the hole onto the ground. The hole is not large enough to produce leak-flow high enough for the ECU to notice. There’s very little concern of ingesting dust because the pressure bias between the intercooler and ambient is rarely negative, and when it is the pressure is very low. I know water is draining out of the hole because I can see the residue that’s left behind after it dries.
For those of you that are feeling like you’re stuck with a big problem with no solution, I recommend you try this. You have very little to lose and a whole lot to gain. If anyone has success with this like I think I have (might be too early for me to be certain), please post here for others to read.
Good luck everyone!
I have a 2012 ecoboost built in Jan 2012 and I experience a shudder when
Accelerating past 10kms per hour. The driveshaft has been changed out by ford, driveshaft
Has been shimmed, driveshaft angles have been
Changed, tires were even changed yet nothing could fix this vibration.
Ford is of course telling me I’m stuck with the truck and says “tough luck”.
This is after only three months. Of course I am livid. Regardless do any of you have any
Solutions for this problem either to get rid of the vibration or how to abolish the loan and get my
Down payment back? Stevenwpollardcarpentry@hotmail.com
To say the least, I am pricing out a Toyota Tundra right now and I will switch over ASAP.
There is a very good reason that the F-150 has been the top selling truck for decades.
I’ve tried them all over the years and though it pains me to admit it because I’ve never been a “Ford” guy, the F-150 is a much better truck than the Tundra.
This sounds good but I just took my truck into the dealer for this problem and they told me I needed the earlier fix and the plate was on back order,( no date of arrival ) sounds to me like I need the new CAC, is there anyplace I can find that Ford says this is the fix, a link to the Tundra page probably won’t have much clout with my dealer.
Shaun,
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen where Ford has issued an “official” TSB. That means you and the dealer really can’t do anything until they release it (even though we all know it is the CAC).
-Tim
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Had the ‘fix’ done. new intercooler from edgetown ford in Bobcaygeon ON>
Problem still persists – can’t pass anyone without truck shaking violently and loosing power. Service engine light flashes several times then stays on.
now they say I need new plugs $ 100 to diagnose and 199.00 plus tax for plugs
halfway through lease and out of warranty.
I think that this will probably not fix the problem, as the computer throws different trouble codes but the symptom / problem never changes. Power loss and violent shaking under load.