Ford is on a roll lately. They’re about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang and they’re getting ready to release the 2015 F-150 later this year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently closed its investigation into nearly 360,000 2011-13 F-150s with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, too.
When drivers lay into the EcoBoost, its twin turbos spin and compress air to send into the combustion chamber. In the process of being compacted, the air heats up. The charge air cooler (CAC) brings its temperature down so that when it’s supplied to the engine, the V6 can operate more efficiently. However, Ford found that under humid and rainy conditions, condensation could accumulate in the CAC tubes, pass into the engine and cause up to three cylinders to misfire.
A total of 4,120 unique complaints were sent to the Blue Oval about reduced power or driveability. Not all of them were related to the water ingestion issue.
Drivers can suffer decreased output for a variety of reasons, including faults with the spark plugs, catalytic converter, fuel pump/filter or turbocharger, according to the NHTSA.
Ford released technical service bulletins which instructed dealers to add a deflector shield to the CAC. Their data has shown that the TSBs have been 100 percent effective in resolving grievances related to 2013 F-150s and 95 percent effective for those related to 2011-12 specimens. Ford’s response has proven satisfactory to the NHTSA.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
