After posting here, reading tons of other posts, and talking to the Ford techs down at the local dealerships, I have pretty much ascertained that my truck is doing everything the same as it has (and should be) for the past 27k, it's just doing so with a slightly increased roughness at idle. I don't think I'm talking about some of the more serious idle issues people have here. Just to give you an idea, I must have sat with 5 different people in my truck and asked them if they thought my idle was rough and they looked at me like I was cuckoo for cocoa puffs. But the point is "I" notice the difference. Anyway, I plan to do the following and would like comments:

1) Change my gas station (according to some posts this makes a difference). I always and will continue to us 87 octane, but I ALWAYS go to Amoco right next to my house (saw some post where someone said never go to Amoco - why not?), so I'll switch maybe to Chevron or Mobil 1. And I'll give the new gas a week to see any changes.

2) Run maybe a fuel injector cleaner if that doesn't work. Maybe someone can recommend one that they are sure is safe (maybe Chevron Tech-whatever).

3) Have the 30k service coming up...Maybe the fuel filter will make a difference...Should I have spark plugs changed? Fuel injectors cleaned???

4) Go back to the Ford dealership with a shotgun, a rifle, and 4-wheel drive (which would be my F-150) and tell them no one is going home until Mr. Customer is happy with his idle.

Any other ideas welcome....

 

Personally i like #4 but i think you need to change the plugs first this may make you a calm-er person and you may even pull #4 from the lineup. lol... keep the faith man...

 

cpadpl,

I AM PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONES THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT HAS THE ROUGH IDLE PROBLEM BAD. SO I WILL LET YOU KNOW NOW THE ROUGHNESS WILL ONLY GET WORSE. AS ANY IGNITION OR FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM WILL ON ANY CAR. YOU ARE PROBABLY GETTING THE SAME ANSWER FROM THE TECHS AS MANY OF US ARE GETTING "IT'S A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ENGINE" IF IT WERE A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE ENGINE THEN ALL 5.4S WOULD HAVE THE "CHARACTERISTIC". AND BY JUST READING THE ROUGH IDLE POSTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT NOT ALL 5.4S DONT HAVE THE "CHARACTERISTIC" AS THEY SAY IT DOES. I HAVE PERSONALLY DRIVEN IN F150'S, F250'S, EXPEDITION'S AND LINCOLN NAVIGATORS BOTH NEW AND USED. ALL WITH THE 5.4 ENGINE AND ""NONE"" OF THE OTHER TRUCKS THAT I HAVE DRIVEN HAVE THE "CHARACTERISTIC" THAT FORD SAYS IS NORMAL.
I HAVE TRIED CHANGING GASOLINE BRANDS AND DIFFERENT GRADES. I HAVE RUN MY TRUCK AS EMPTY AS I COULD (as per the tech that worked on my truck) TO THE POINT THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD RUN OUT OF GAS. AND STILL THE PROBLEM IS THERE.
I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF INJECTOR CLEANERS. WITH NO CHANGE.
I HAVE CHANGED OUT THE FUEL FILTER TWO TIMES ALREADY WITH NO CHANGE IN HOW THE TRUCK RAN.
IF I WERE YOU I WOUL CONTACT THE FORD DISPUTE RESOLUTION BOARD AND FILE FOR A HEARING TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET YOUR TRUCK REPLACED. I AM CURRENTLY GOING THRU THE PROCESS AND SHOULD RESOLUTION OF MY PROBLEM SOON. I HAVE OTHER PROBLEM ALSO WITH MY TRUCK BUT THE ROUGH IDLE IS THE MAJOR.

 

36racin

Thanks for the response. What I talked to the Ford techs about was the computer functioning of the MAP and what they explained to me makes absolute sense as I have researched it further. What I discovered is my truck has been doing everything it had been doing in the past, just a tiny bit rougher, which made me notice it occasionally dipped in the RPM idle after freeway driving when stopped at a red light (my RPM does move when this happens). I thought I might have a malfunction or "bog and surge" (but I didn't have any surge and my bog was only moving down 100rpms from 700-800). But upon reflection, my truck has always done that (i.e. the MAP is sensing new load/vacuum after heavy load driving) and it was the new rougher idle that made me notice it for the first time.

As far as DRB and getting a new truck, I have 27K miles on my truck, the problem just started, it's not noticeable to anyone but my neurotic self, and every car I ever owned once in awhile had this sort of problem...I guess what I'm saying is just because it starts running with the SLIGHTEST of rough idles, I'm not going to go running to Ford demanding a buy back. I do go to a rather crappy gas station, just because it's convenient...Fuel injectors do get clogged....Platinum spark plugs do go bad even though they are supposed to last forever...etc....etc If I have exhausted my 30k checkup and the problem gets worse then maybe I'll move more in your direction...

Sounds like you have some stressful problems with Ford, hope they get better...I hope I don't join you...

 

cpadpl,
Yes I still have my hands full. Hopefully soon it will all be over. Our problems seem alittle different. Your truck has the surging idle (rpm dips). My rpms have never dipped. Engine just stumbles almost like there is a dead cylinder. Sometimes worse than others and it's not constantly doing it. Cooler weather does affect it worse.
My idle problem started around the 4 to 5 thousand mile range. Others with the same problems have started at different time as well. Some from day one/zero miles to ones starting around 26 thousand miles. Many parts have been changed between all the people I have talked to and still Ford hasn't been able to repair the problem. Hopefully Ford will come up with a fix for the problem and make many unsatisfied customers satisfied again. Good luck with your truck. I'll keep you posted.

 

36racin

No one here is going to believe this, but I switched gas today (came in with mostly empty tank and filled er up) and rough idle is COMPLETELY gone. Hindsight 20-20, I noticed this idle problem start about three weeks ago. Three weeks ago I also altered my work schedule, which caused my "cycle" for refills to change from two gas stations I frequent, to solely one old Amoco that was right on my way home (place is probably 30 years old or more). My idle didn't "surge" per se, it would idle at 600-700. Sometimes after freeway driving and coming to a complete stop, it would dip to the 600-700 (normal idle for me), then dip down about 100 rpms to 500 for 1 sec, then right back up to 600-700. It was especially during this dip to 500 I noticed a roughness, but could also slightly feel a roughness around the normal 600-700 idle. That prompted me to ask the Ford techs and here "why that slight dip to 500 after freeway driving", and the response I received from both was that's normal MAP functioning. I was thinking "rough idle isn't normal MAP functioning."

Anyway, went to a brand new CITGO today. Almost immediately I noticed the difference. Now I idle SMACK DAB at 700 rpm and it purrs like a kitten, no fluttering like before. Also took er on the freeway about 60 miles, came to a complete stop (not on the freeway, but after I took an exit), and had that dip in the rpms, but it went from 700 to 600, and then back to 700 and it was so smooth I would never notice it unless I was looking at the RPM gauge......

Problem solved...Now I just have to worry about what the hell I put in my truck from that Amoco....guess I need to think about changing that fuel filter too....

Does anyone believe this story? I swear it's the truth....

 

cpadpl,
Something as simple as changing gasoline brands or other simple things have helped other people with the rough idle. I am glad you got yours fixed so easily. Others of us aren't so fortunate as you were and we have trucks that haven't been fixed yet not matter what they have done to them. I believe all trucks are fixable but they aren't spending the time to try to fix them. They rely on the computers too much these days. One tech told me if the computer says nothing is wrong then they can't work on it. Even if it has and obvious problem. Anyway keep the rest of us in your mind and maybe we can get our trucks repaired soon.

 

36racin,

I wasn't trying to rub your face in my success, if that's the way I came across. What I'm so shocked at is something as simple as where I get my gas affects my idle? Good God....I wish someone could explain why, as I'm not that up on refining techniques of gas, etc...

Anyway, yes, I can understand how frustrating it is when someone tells you you are imagining things when you are not, or tells you that's the way it is supposed to be when you know it's not....I find it extraordinarily arrogant when a mechanic (although knowledgeable in the model and make) dismisses the auto owner's suggestions based on 10-15 minutes of observing (or not observing) something...I spend every day in my damn truck and if I go to the dealership and tell them it is doing XYZ and they can't get it to do XYZ, they need to defer to me and go back to the drawing board about finding a solution.

 

cpadpl,
No offense taken. I wish all of us could get as quick a fix as you did. If you have looked at my topic rough idle/ engine miss in this engine section you will see that others have fixed their trucks as easy or easier than you did. There are many different things that can and have helped others. I wish I were one of them. On day someone will come up with something that will work and make alot of people happy. Until then we fight on. Keep us updated on your truck, let us know if anything changes. I try to keep my rough idle topic kinda close to the top of the pages. Good luck.