I’ve got an update on my truck. After taking it to two different dealers two different times, the problem is not fixed just yet but the symptoms I explained in my first post are better/quieter.

The first 2 times I took it in the dealer said “normal characteristics of the truck”, which I did not agree with and I told them. The 3rd time I took it in was to a different dealer and they kept my truck all day long. The transmission mechanic rode with me and drove it himself with me in the truck and he heard the noise several times. We got back to the dealership and he told the service guy “his truck definitely has a noise and it is not normal, but I have no idea where to even start looking for what’s causing it”. He submitted a hotline ticket to ford explaining what my truck was doing and told me when they hear back they would let me know. 4 days later I still hadn’t heard anything from that dealer so I called them. They said “bring it in and we want to look at the front differential”. I told them this definitely isn’t a differential issue, but I’d bring it in. They put chassis muffs on it after keeping it all day and called saying they found the noise. I was excited but that quickly went away. Got to the dealership and they said my transmission skid plate wasn’t mounted right from the factory and at certain RPM’s it had a vibration noise. Said they took it off, placed some bushing and rebolted it on and drove the truck for 30 minutes and the noise is gone. Well, I got in my truck and didn’t even get out of the damn parking lot and the noise was OBVIOUSLY still there that I had been hearing.

Took the truck to another dealer a few days later, the one I bought the truck at which is 1.5 hrs away. Told them what was going on with my truck and how no one can seem to fix it. Mechanic rode with me for a bit and heard the noise several times. It baffles him, but he didn’t give up. Got back to the shop and he got on the hotline forum and found a few other trucks that mechanics had put a ticket in for that we’re having the same issues as mine. This is where the TSB-18-2354 comes into play...which my truck had had this update done twice to no avail. The mechanic recommended trying 93 octane fuel to see if the nose went away or helped because he thought the noise sounded a lot like spark knock/premature detonation. When he said that I actually thought he was blowing me off. Well, I needed gas when I left so I put half a tank of 93 in and let me tell you, it’s helped. The noise is still there but it isn’t as loud nor as consistent as it was before. I called the mechanic back to tell him and he said he was going to add an addendum to hit own hotline ticket to Ford engineers to let them know what 93 octane did. He said since ford has released a TSB on this already, they know there is a problem and he hopes that another TSB update to correct the spark knock issue will be sent out before long. I told him I’m not running 93 every time I fill up, I shouldn’t have to. He agreed and said he feels that ford will find a fix for this fairly soon and they will keep me updated

sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give detail as to my recent experience with trying to get the truck fixed. Like I said, it isn’t completely fixed but the noise is MUCH better after running 93 versus 87. It’s a waiting game on ford now to send out a TSB update/fix

we discussed those things. I don’t have any CEL or codes stored, he plugged in and checked. Even checked to see if there was a newer TSB. And I get gas at all sorts of different gas stations and it’s been doing this since around 2,000 miles or so and now I’m at 9,000. But yea, him and I believe now that the noise is pre-ignition knock at low RPM’s. He said pretty much it sounds like the timing is slightly off which he expects ford to send out a new TSB to fix this.

Im not saying this is the exact cause, all I’m saying is changing to 93 octane changed the loudness and consistency of what I was experiencing, fairly quick also I hadn’t drove but maybe 10 miles and noticed the difference. All day today I’ve been in my truck and the noise is still noticeably quieter and less consistent

I dont feel anything at all in the peddle or anywhere with the truck. My 2008 F-150 I had would lug and I could feel it in the peddle, it had the 5.4 that was known for that issue and misfires

the mechanic did hook up the iPad looking thing to my USB and he didn’t say anything about any misfire codes. And I’ve never once had a CEL and I told him this baffles me. These new trucks have so much electronic bull**** on them that you’d think what I’m hearing and others are hearing, it would throw a dang code or something...but it isn’t. It’s annoying as hell knowing I’ve got a $45,000 truck that has a dang rattle/chatter at low RPM’s during shift changes only. I did drive two different 2018 models with the 5.0 as well and both of them had the same noise, although the noise was nowhere near as loud as mine or as consistent

I’ve been running 93 on every fill up since my last post. Noise WAS less consistent and quieter....but it didn’t last. The noise is now back as loud as before and just as consistent. I’ve told the mechanic as well and he still hasn’t heard back from Ford. This is annoying and ridiculous in my opinion. I paid this much for a brand new truck and no one can seem to fix it or figure it out. I love the truck, but hate this dang noise. Sooo, back to 87 on fill ups now, no use in wasting the money on each fill for 93 and no change in the noise