Just thought i would post this here. My truck has 51,450 miles on it and for the last month it has been acting different.It Seemed Lazy, Fuel Mileage was down, Idle was a little rough and just overall seemed like a different truck compared to what it should.

I pulled all 3 Map Sensors today and gave them a good cleaning with CRC MAF cleaner and my truck is back to running like a brand new one. Its got the pep back and fuel mileage is back.

The Map Sensor on the Air Filter lid was still clean and new looking. The 2nd sensor on the intake piping right before the Throttle body and the 3rd sensor on the top of the intake was dirty/oily.

Here is a few pics of locations for anyone interested in doing this. After seeing mine i would recommend cleaning them every 20 or 25k miles.

1st Sensor on Air Filter Lid. I didn't take the sensor off just sprayed it with the lid off.





2nd sensor with 2 Torx Bit Screws




3rd Sensor with 1 8 MM bolt on driver side of truck

 

At 55k miles i am noticing the same issue.

rough idle: really notice it when off throttle and rolling to a stop
fuel mileage: down to 14, was in the high 16's
low RPM power: i know we have some turbo lag, but this seems to have lost some of that low end grunt or lugging power i was used to.

i am due for an oil change and was going to let the dealer check it out while there, if they don't find anything I will have to give this a go.

 

I would suggest disconnecting the battery while doing this. That way the PCM will relearn everything with the clean sensors. I was thinking about doing this soon, with almost 98k on the clock it's due.

 

If you are still running the original plugs then i would bet that may be your problem. Most recommend changing plugs every 40k and some even change ever 20k. These engines are hard on plugs.

 

Very good idea Joe.

 

Good idea, crusher fx4; I'm glad you'll be mentioning this to your dealer. Come back and tell us how the appointment goes. I'll be here if you need any assistance after getting your truck diagnosed.

Crystal

 

i changed them at the 40k mark. Motorcraft SP534 plugs gaped at .030 (I know some say go down to .028)


Will do, I have a pretty good dealer in the area.

 

That's what I like to hear, crusher fx4; I'll keep my eyes peeled for your updates.

Crystal

 

Hello Everyone, this is my first post, please bare with me. I recently bought my first EB upgrading from an 05 5.4L. I purchased a 2011 XLT 6.5' bed with 3.73's and 46K miles. It's a terrific truck and I love just about everything about it. However, a few things started happening this passed month, one of them the rougher idle (almost solely when in gear and on the brake) and another one the loud HPFP. I've been doing a lot of reading on both and this is the first thread i've come across suggesting cleaning these sensors. My questions then are this:

I bought it from a dealer, should I assume they didn't do any 40K maintenance and do the plugs/oil/map sensor cleaning myself?

I hate hate hate the noise of the HPFP, is there a way to quiet it down (someone mentioned marvel mystery oil in the gas) ?

Lastly, if my truck idles nice when in park, but vibrates when stopped in gear, is this potentially another issue all together?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Sadly Crystal, the dealers in my area have been far less than impressive so far....

 

Muttdog, welcome to the forum and to the world of EcoBoost.

Personally, I'd stay away from Marvel Mystery Oil. I think it's akin to snake oil and is not correcting the actual issue.

I'd also assume there was no 40K maintenance done and I'd have a look at the sensors and plugs. In Park, there is no resistance to engine rotation since the torque converter is disconnected from the engine. I think the added resistance when in gear and stopped is reducing your RPMs enough for problems in the plugs and sensors to have an effect.

I don't have any advice on the noise. My engine is wonderfully quiet, but I've only got 21K miles on it. I'm still learning things about my truck though, and suspect others will have better advice.

- Jack

 

Make sure the foam cover is securely on the HPFP. It's on the drivers side valve cover about cylinder 5 & 6. If it's loose more noise will be heard.

 

Thank you JackandJanet and Wookie. I had planned on starting with the plugs and going from there. On that note, I've read in numerous places so many different gaps to go with, most between .28 and .30. If I start with plugs and the MAP sensor cleaning stated in this thread, would it also be good to install a catch can to kind of "start fresh" ? This whole boosted v6 world is far different than the good ol OHC 5.4 that I used to have.

In regards to the HPFP, if the cover is on and on securely, are there any other options? I start to hear it as the truck warms up, and when it is warm, I can hear it in the cab no matter where I am. Sometimes, even over the radio.

 

Check out Labnerd's posts on oil quality. Make sure your engine has the proper weight oil in it (which is heavier than what the other Ford truck engines use). Mine had the lighter oil put in at the first oil change by accident, and the engine was noticeably noisier. (I had that oil replaced as soon as I found the mistake.)

I think with the proper quality oil and appropriate oil change intervals, catch cans are not needed. But, that's just my opinion.

I don't hear my HPFP at all, and I've got good hearing. I have no idea what they cost, but possibly yours needs to be replaced?

Personally, I'd use the Ford recommended plug gap, which I think is .30.

- Jack

 

On a factory tuned truck I wouldn't go smaller than .030", there's no reason to. Are you sure it's the HPFP your hearing? All of the EB trucks I've heard have a faint hollow ticking at idle which is the HPFP. I've never heard it inside of the truck and at more than idle engine speeds. There might be an exhaust leak that you're hearing.

 

Oops! I was off only by a factor of 10 - no big deal right? (Serves me right for not looking it up!) Thanks, Wookie!

- Jack