2014 Sport Engine Hesitation/Stumble

[Sgt1411]

Today I started up my 10 day old 14 Sport and started to lightly accelerate out of the driveway. Very light throttle on a flat driveway. Temperature here is around 45F or 7C

It had been driven an hour previous no issues.

The engine stumbled,and hesitated like it had no power for a few seconds.

Is this possibly the loose vacuum hose issue others with EcoBoost have reported?

If so where do I look to fix this?

 

[peterk9]

Today I started up my 10 day old 14 Sport and started to lightly accelerate out of the driveway. Very light throttle on a flat driveway. Temperature here is around 45F or 7C

It had been driven an hour previous no issues.

The engine stumbled,and hesitated like it had no power for a few seconds.

Is this possibly the loose vacuum hose issue others with EcoBoost have reported?

If so where do I look to fix this?

That was my first thought. Check out post 10 in http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383970&highlight=turbo+hose
It doesn't exactly tell where it is except the member was under the vehicle.

It's -20 C or -4 F here right now. I'm glad it has warmed up.

Peter

 

[Fish4five]

If it went back to driving normal its not the CAC hose. Most likely its just one of the quirks of the EB motor. Ours will on very few occasions stumble on take off when cold or been sitting. This will clear up in a couple of seconds and have no further issues until the next time. Ours has 13K miles and I think its done this 3 times. No codes thrown or anything just acts like an old carbureted motor for a couple of seconds when its cold. A good mechanic friend of mine who works for ford thinks that its a temperature sensor issue. That when the vehicle sits and the outside air is cold but the engine bay temp is still warm that it confuses the computer for a second as it starts pulling in a lot colder air all of a sudden. To me I haven't worried about it due to the infrequency of this happening and returning to normal.
Now there is the issues that some are having in high humid areas where water condensate is building up in the CAC and causing water ingestion which has led to people blowing up there F150's due to this. I haven't heard of this happening in the EX though.
Now the issue of the CAC hose blowing off has happened to SPORT owners but if yours went back to driving normal then this isn't the issue. When this happens your blowing all your boost into the atmosphere and not into the motor.

 

[Sgt1411]

Thanks Fish4Five,

I was kinda thinking same thing......because it did go back to normal and if the hose was loose or off it wouldn't.

The temperature thing sounds more reasonable, the engine holds a lot of heat, the vehicle sat for couple hours, outside temp was cool.

We have no humidity here, it just rains 25hrs a day, every day!....yes it rains so much here its enough for an extra hour of rain per day.

I use remote start 90% of the time so I might not see it ever again.

 

[tinner]

Thanks Fish4Five,

I was kinda thinking same thing......because it did go back to normal and if the hose was loose or off it wouldn't.

The temperature thing sounds more reasonable, the engine holds a lot of heat, the vehicle sat for couple hours, outside temp was cool.

We have no humidity here, it just rains 25hrs a day, every day!....yes it rains so much here its enough for an extra hour of rain per day.

I use remote start 90% of the time so I might not see it ever again.

Sgt1411

My neighbor had the same issue on his '14 Sport, it was raining all day he parked the Sport for a few hours, went back out ,backed out of a flat driveway and it was stumbling like you mentioned.

He drove to the dealership waited a couple of hours and when they pulled it in to look at, stumbled again.

They replaced one of the oxygen sensors and hasn't had the problem since.

I don't know if this is your issue. The tech told him it was the humidity causing the problem making the sensor give a false reading. It hasn't happened since.

I think you might have some humidity there since its raining 25 hours a day.

tinner

 

[Sgt1411]

Thanks Tinner

I will bring that up to the service writer when it goes in for its first oil change.

 

[Quicksilver]

Mine did it once after 2 weeks of ownership and never again. Maybe the ESport's are teething right about that time ??

 

[broken strut]

Same for me. Happened a couple times in the first month or so. Not a problem now. It was also raining when it happened.

 

[Sgt1411]

It seems like its still surging and stumbling even at highway 50-60MPH steady throttle around 1500-2000RPM.

Running 91 Octane

Tinner if you get a chance could ask your neighbour if he can provide you with a part number to the oxygen sensor he had replaced or a snapshot of the work order. My dealer thinks Im making this up.

 

[plumbago]

If I were you I think I would go to this site and others and read about similar problems with the ecoboost motor. Much of what you describe, seems to fit in: www.gelaw.com/ford/ecoboost.php

 

[Sgt1411]

If I were you I think I would go to this site and others and read about similar problems with the ecoboost motor. Much of what you describe, seems to fit in: www.gelaw.com/ford/ecoboost.php

Thanks

I was aware of this but for the 2014 EcoBoost Ford has put a deflector in front of the Intercooler to reduce efficiency of cooling to the point of condensation.

I haven't had it loose power to the point of limp mode either.

Im thinking bad oxygen sensor like others have reported.

 

[Kpwweb]

If I were you I think I would go to this site and others and read about similar problems with the ecoboost motor. Much of what you describe, seems to fit in: www.gelaw.com/ford/ecoboost.php

Plumb, its always good of you to help others out and lend encouragement.... Helps make the world a better place...

 

[Odrapnew]

Thanks

I was aware of this but for the 2014 EcoBoost Ford has put a deflector in front of the Intercooler to reduce efficiency of cooling to the point of condensation.

I haven't had it loose power to the point of limp mode either.

Im thinking bad oxygen sensor like others have reported.

How soon after you started the Ex did you drive off? The computer should keep the engine in open loop mode for a short period after starting(whether the engine or air is warm or cold). The colder the engine, the longer it'll take to get to closed loop and start reading the O2 sensors. I don't know how long that period of time is though and varies with many factors. Just a thought.

 

[Sgt1411]

How soon after you started the Ex did you drive off? The computer should keep the engine in open loop mode for a short period after starting(whether the engine or air is warm or cold). The colder the engine, the longer it'll take to get to closed loop and start reading the O2 sensors. I don't know how long that period of time is though and varies with many factors. Just a thought.

10 minute remote start cycle, then get in and hit the start button/brake application. Wait 30-40 seconds for passengers to get in the put in DRIVE.

Light throttle to end of driveway

Hesitation and stumble happens.

 

[Kpwweb]

10 minute remote start cycle, then get in and hit the start button/brake application. Wait 30-40 seconds for passengers to get in the put in DRIVE.

Light throttle to end of driveway

Hesitation and stumble happens.

It happens in our 13 Sport intermittently as well... Not sure if engine or trans? Might be trans - maybe not enough fluid pressure built up? I've driven other vehicles (GM) with same trans (since it is a joint venture) and they exhibited the same behavior!

It has lessened when I switched to synthetic ATF at about 5k, but still there once in awhile.

It is exactly as you describe, an old cold carbureted car... I just pedal it for about 30 secs and it goes away..

I bet it is the trans though... Might be interesting if someone purposely overfilled by 1/2 qt-like the old TH's from GM (especially the TH200R4), to see what would happen.... Naturally, I maintain no liability if your trans starts leaking everywhere..!

But my bet is on trans and fluid pickup/fluid pressure...

 

[Sgt1411]

Interesting

Im doing some research through friends in know so I will report back any findings

Im quite interested in the example Tinner had with neighbour.

 

[tinner]

Sgt1411,

My neighbor that had the bad oxygen sensor is doing his annual tour of the golf courses in Phoenix, he won't be home until he runs out of courses which is usually 2-3 weeks.

I called him on his cell and he said he didn't pay attention to which sensor was bad,just glad it was fixed. He did tell me he figured out why his putting was hooking.

Sorry Sgt, no help.

tinner

 

[Sgt1411]

Thanks for trying in any case, I will try and do some research and find out.

 

[Kpwweb]

Thanks for trying in any case, I will try and do some research and find out.

Go drive an Acadia or Traverse... They do the same thing under the same conditions... Ask the sales person to have you drive it off the lot yourself... Then tool around the lot under part throttle and it will do the same thing for about 30 secs.

All the ones I have rented did the same thing as my Ex Sport.... And like the conditions you describe...

What is interesting is after my wife drives it for a week (its her car!), it wont do it... It hooks up and goes! Maybe I'm just to "easy" on it...!

 

[182RG]

Is Ford using air to air intercoolers, or water to air?

If air to air, intercooler condensation and / or icing is common in a lot of vehicles. The "stumble" comes from a charge of moisture/water being sucked through the induction system.