2018 Sport inconsistent acceleration/boost

[BotskyDan]

Hi all,

New here and far from a car expert but have been digging around a ton through the posts and haven't seen this issue. I'd love all your input/guidance please!

I have a new 2018 Sport that just crossed 2,000 miles. All stock everything. Overall I love it but unless I'm crazy (and I don't own any monitoring equipment and haven't had it tuned/checked) it feels very inconsistent to drive at times.

About half the time it feels like a beast and light on the throttle gives massive acceleration. But sometimes it seems like the boost just isn't there, like less responsive unless you REALLY mash the gas, and even then just a slower build through the gears vs the instant acceleration it sometimes has. I haven't gone as far as trying to find places to measure 0-60 times, but it seems like night and difference on these occasions. I'm not as sure about this, but on these occasions it seems like the idle in forward and reverse has a little less oomph too but I'm not as certain.

I've tried to eliminate as many variables as possible from my initial "testing" - here are some variables I'm controlling for the best I can along with some possible hypotheses on what is going on - any thoughts much appreciated!

• I always run 91 octane gas from the same station so I know it isn't gas - unless for some reason the vehicle interprets it different sometimes for some reason.

• I know turbos generally function better in cooler weather - I have definitely ruled out the scenario of "it is sluggish in hot weather, performs better in cool weather." I have NOTnoticed any pattern based on temperature or humidity.

• Of course I let the vehicle totally warm up to temperature before taking note of any differences in performance.

• The "break-in" period....from what I read, it should take up to 1,000 miles and then should be set. I'm at twice that. Is it plausible that the vehicle could still be "adapting" to how I'm driving so on some occasions it is running different "rules" behind the scenes to feel out my driving style? If so how long could this last?

• Any recommendations on what to do next? I would bring it to the dealer to do some checking but I HATE getting the "I took it for a test drive and it seemed just fine to me!" I've gotten from dealers in the past on intermittent issues. Should I get a device to plug in and do some testing myself? etc?

Appreciate all the help everyone!

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
It shouldn't have to do with the grade of gas you are using. Acceleration should be consistent no matter the octane. At this stage, there should no longer be any adaptive learning going on. I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say " it seems like the idle in forward and reverse has a little less oomph too but I'm not as certain." The only time the engine is at idle is in Park or Neutral. Are you talking about the RPM's when you are in "D" and "R" with the foot on the brake?

Peter

 

[BotskyDan]

Welcome to the Forum.
It shouldn't have to do with the grade of gas you are using. Acceleration should be consistent no matter the octane. At this stage, there should no longer be any adaptive learning going on. I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say " it seems like the idle in forward and reverse has a little less oomph too but I'm not as certain." The only time the engine is at idle is in Park or Neutral. Are you talking about the RPM's when you are in "D" and "R" with the foot on the brake?

Peter

Thanks for the welcome! By it seems like the idle in forward and reverse has a little less oomph too but I'm not as certain." I mean - when I put it in gear, the degree to which it moves/builds speed with foot off the brake. Specifically, for example, when I reverse out of my driveway - with foot off the brake does it instantly get up to 3-4 MPH OR does it crawl at less than 1 MPH. Again, no definitive data on this, just observational while I've been hoping for it to improve.

 

[BotskyDan]

***UPDATE*** Conditions were not ideal last night, but I took it out to try to get some data on this. It had rained a couple hours prior so asphalt was slightly damp, and it was about 76 and humid. I'd say the vehicle felt like it was running on the "pretty good" side of the spectrum vs. more on the sluggish side. After a few attempts I could get down to about 7.2 seconds 0-60 but couldn't crack 7. Disappointing as it seems like some of you are getting the advertised 5.7 seconds but again perhaps that is the conditions. I didn't feel any slippage at all on the asphalt but perhaps the humidity was a hindrance. So I'll try during additional conditions when I get a chance. Aside from weather - anything that seems like it could be an indicator why I'm not getting the full performance. Thanks!

 

[Brad C]

Subscribed...my 2015 Sport is doing the exact same thing. My dealer was less than helpful in their diagnosis.

 

[dentalpain]

For 0-60: put in sand mode. using one foot ONLY, brake then move to gas. (I turn back to normal after a few seconds). This is how I can get the most consistent 0-60 times.

Regarding sluggish performance, then other times feeling a rush of boost and awesome performance. I notice the same thing, 93oct with a unleashed tune, MDesigns intake and magnaflow mufflers. Even using S on the gear selector and trying to keep the RPMs higher...still results in less than ideal results. Fortunately, it is my wifes car and she doesnt car or even explore the upper limits. Really I think its just the sluggish 6sp and mapping that always seeks economy.

You can reset the trans learning by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, then driving more aggressive during the first 100 miles (estimated). They may have removed the "learning" in newer MYs.

 

[peterk9]

***UPDATE*** Conditions were not ideal last night, but I took it out to try to get some data on this. It had rained a couple hours prior so asphalt was slightly damp, and it was about 76 and humid. I'd say the vehicle felt like it was running on the "pretty good" side of the spectrum vs. more on the sluggish side. After a few attempts I could get down to about 7.2 seconds 0-60 but couldn't crack 7. Disappointing as it seems like some of you are getting the advertised 5.7 seconds but again perhaps that is the conditions. I didn't feel any slippage at all on the asphalt but perhaps the humidity was a hindrance. So I'll try during additional conditions when I get a chance. Aside from weather - anything that seems like it could be an indicator why I'm not getting the full performance. Thanks!

Usually an engine will perform better on rainy or humid days as the air contains more oxygen. I've noticed at times when there have been extended periods of rain that my mileage with previous non turbo engines improved slightly. A turbo charged engine, according to the linked article, will lose some performance in warmer/hot temperatures. Turbos and temperature – summer weather and turbocharger performance

Peter

 

[Brad C]

Mine will exhibit this behavior whether hot, cold, humid, dry, etc. Goose it a couple of times and it clears up. Very difficult to duplicate. Makes no difference if just started from cold, after running for awhile, etc. That and the dealer wants to charge me $100 to tell me they cannot duplicate.

 

[peterk9]

I wonder if it could be caused by a dirty or defective throttle body?

Peter

 

[Brad C]

Who knows? Bob Chapman Ford in Marysville, Ohio is of zero help. Only want to charge me $100 to see if they can duplicate.

I have run multiple tanks of fuel system cleaner through it without any difference. I'm due for a new car soon and will probably jump ship because of this dealer.

 

[peterk9]

Who knows? Bob Chapman Ford in Marysville, Ohio is of zero help. Only want to charge me $100 to see if they can duplicate.

I have run multiple tanks of fuel system cleaner through it without any difference. I'm due for a new car soon and will probably jump ship because of this dealer.

Not sure what the going hourly rate is at that dealership but it is quite common for dealers to charge for trying to diagnose an issue. A lot depends on the dealership and the relationship you have with them. I had a wheel balance issue right from the factory but didn't find out until 6 months after delivery because I had my Winter wheels put on at delivery time. When the OEM ones were later installed they caused a vibration. The dealer balanced them and did not charge me. The ride was much better but still not 100% but I didn't complain. I had the Winters put on again this past Winter and when I returned in April to have the OEM wheels put back on I mentioned to the service advisor that I'd like to have the balance done again due to a very slight vibration. The senior advisor overheard my conversation and said that he would personally like to be there when the current balance was checked. A while later he asked me to take a test drive with him. The ride was smooth and no vibration at all. I asked him if the did a complete rebalance on all wheels and he said no. When he checked, 3 of the 4 wheels were our ever so slightly that they just corrected them. Again, no charge. I have found that having a good relationship with the dealer and their staff is very important.

Peter

 

[Brad C]

Not sure what the going hourly rate is at that dealership but it is quite common for dealers to charge for trying to diagnose an issue.

Peter

Under warranty?

 

[peterk9]

Under warranty?

I can only guess that since the issue is unknown, they can't jump to the conclusion that it will be a warranty repair. If it turned out to be such, then in most cases the diagnostics would be covered.

 

[BotskyDan]

Thanks for this tip of disconnecting the battery. I did that last night to retrain it. I had a panic for about 10 minutes because the touchscreen doesn't boot up right away with the rest of the vehicle but finally that came online. I'll circle back with how it drives after a few days.

 

[BotskyDan]

I can only guess that since the issue is unknown, they can't jump to the conclusion that it will be a warranty repair. If it turned out to be such, then in most cases the diagnostics would be covered.

It's funny - I called my local dealer last night just to try to talk to a tech who might be knowledgeable about the vehicle, and the manager I got connected with was absolutely clueless. His biggest piece of advice was to make sure I'm not "accidentally bumping the button to turn off the sport mode or econ mode" (which do not even exist on the vehicle).

 

[peterk9]

It's funny - I called my local dealer last night just to try to talk to a tech who might be knowledgeable about the vehicle, and the manager I got connected with was absolutely clueless......

That's why he is the manager. It all part of the Peter Principal. Peter principle - Wikipedia

 

[Forddealz]

It's funny - I called my local dealer last night just to try to talk to a tech who might be knowledgeable about the vehicle, and the manager I got connected with was absolutely clueless. His biggest piece of advice was to make sure I'm not "accidentally bumping the button to turn off the sport mode or econ mode" (which do not even exist on the vehicle).

Its even more comical when you go for a regular oil change and you talk to them in person. Three dealerships and non would assist with disabling the Honk Sound if you leave the key in your car. They pretended that there is no such a thing. Other said that it is normal and it is for your own protection. I told them that there is a tool that connects to the OBD and you can program it to disable it. No help, its not like I am asking them to change the millage on the odometer.

I think that PeterK9 is just lucky to have a good dealership around him that actually cares for their customers and wants to help them. I don't know about the individual dealership ratings and customer satisfaction but I suspect that there are many worse dealerships then good ones. People are paying over 50K for a Ford product but the customer service is below average. My best friend who still owns a BMW warned be of this Ford customer service 10 years ago but I still own a Ford.

 

[peterk9]

.......I think that PeterK9 is just lucky to have a good dealership around him that actually cares for their customers and wants to help them........

FYI, the dealership is in a small town and has been around for 69 years. It was a family owned business until a few years ago when it was bought by a larger dealership from the city (Ottawa) but there was no change in the personnel or name.

Peter

 

[BotskyDan]

Thanks everyone - I love the dialogue here. The discussion makes me feel better about my purchase and keeps me motivated to get working to get to the bottom of it.

For anybody still following, the vehicle had been running decent but it still indeed felt like it was "learning" in the first ~50-75 miles since I disconnected the battery to let the transmission relearn. Especially the first few times with a heavy throttle it was hesitant to get up into 5th and 6th gear and sluggish up there when it was. So I took it out last night and drove it extremely aggressively to (hopefully) help it learn to stay in the "aggressive mode". I crossed 100 miles before getting home.

Could be a fluke or could be legit, but this morning it seemed to feel more on the aggressive side for sure vs. the sluggish side, though part of my original problem is that it has come and gone before seemingly randomly so this could be random - but I hope I 'learned' it well.

Couple thoughts I'd love people to weigh in on:

• The car was delivered to me from about 350 miles away - so perhaps it was "trained" to be driven like a wimp before I received it so I was fighting that?
• Given the "boost" seems to come and go, I wonder if it could have fuel map issues, where for some reason it isn't picking consistently? I'm NOT an expert just throwing it out there.
• I ordered a OBD diagnoser off Amazon I'll receive tomorrow. I want to check to see if there are any codes and I think talking to the dealer without any specific codes would be a waste of my time.
• I'm considering getting the Livernois tuner for $600 in hopes that would bring some consistency to the vehicle (more power a bonus). Any opinion on if using their tunes might help get consistent output from it?

Thanks all!

 

[peterk9]

As far as the term 'relearn' goes, see page 233 re Adaptive Learning for the steering system and page 293 regarding the idle and fuel trim strategy. The Manuals for the pre 2016 models actually had a part about the Automatic Transmission Adaptive Learning but that is no longer mentioned in the post 2015 Manuals.

Peter