2011 3.5 ecoboost Fx4 new owner help
 

Hello All, I just picked up a used 2011 3.5 ecoboost FX4 and I am enjoying the truck but have been noticing some things that bother me. I have been a member of forums in the past with previous vehicles and they were always so helpful so Im looking forward to the same experience here.

1. I have noticed the truck has a "shudder" feel to it when it starts up and when idling. Its not violent but enough to bother me, almost feels like the when you kill the engine while driving a stick shift. Is this a known issue and is there a TSB to be aware of? its not an issue when accelerating or while at highway speeds like i have read about on here.
2. I also noticed the truck has a hard shift from 1st to 2nd and also from 2nd to 1st when coming to a stop. Is there a TSB on this?
3. Can having the truck reflashed at the dealership fix either issue? approx cost??

Please let me know what I need to be aware of and have the dealership fix for me under warranty/TSB. Thank you all in advance!

First thing you should do is pull your spark plugs and replace with motorcraft sp-534 plugs gapped at .030, this will help with the idle and other possible issues.


Yes, there is a tsb (reflash)for the transmission, can't remember the exact number off hand. Probably would run you around $100.

With the ecoboost it's a good idea to run full synthetic oil and change around every 5k miles, also to run higher octane fuel from a top tier gas station.
Those are just a few things I would suggest to do right off the bat, especially the plugs.

Agree with the plugs for idle issues..
Instead of paying $100 for the shift I got a tune and the shift problem went away but that coulda just been me.

Same here ^^

Hi KansasCityFx4,

Please shoot me a PM with your VIN and current mileage; I'll see how I can help out.

Chad

Thank you all for the feedback, I will certainly look into the new plugs and the TSB for the Trans. Please let me know what else to look for with these trucks. What is the condensation issue and drilling a drain hole?

The intercoolers on the ecoboost are so effective they will produce condensation After long periods of freeway driving, cruse control then stomping on the gas to pass someone sometimes that condensation plus oil/crap blow by will get sucked into the engine causing a misfire (stumble/stutter) loss of power. The hole allows that crap to blow out on boost which in theory will avoid that.
If you live in a dry climate the issue is not as bad, I do but I still did the hole, when I did I had a few tablespoons of almost pure oil come out.