Ok I have a 2004 SuperCrew 5.4 with 130,000 on it and for the life of me I can't figure out it's problem. When idiling it idles fine but as soon as you give it throttle it bogs down and shakes real bad, however if you mash down more it'll shoot out of it but when in the throttle it will go from say 3000rpms then drop like 500rpms then shoot back up then go right back down and repeat. It makes a rattling sound when it's shaking and running real rough but when you punch the throttle it stops. It's not the rattling sound like cam phasers, cause it does that at idle already. However I can pull over and shut it off then crank it back up 30 seconds later and sometimes it will run fine and other times it will keep doing it. It's been to the Ford stealeship and the cam phasers were supposedly replaced (I can't because that's too deep for me to do) although it still ticks loudly at idle, and they can't figure out why it runs so bad. They pretty much gave up and told me to drive it till something breaks. It is throwing a camshaft sensor code and multiple misfires (can't remember the exact cylinders). I've changed both sensors and it's neither. Can anybody think of anything this could be or give me somewhere to start cause I honestly have no idea.

 

You can try replacing the Variable Valve Timing (camshaft) Solenoid. It's a fifteen minute job per side.

 

No not yet but that was actually next on my list, it's just hard to find money to throw at stuff when you're a broke college student. But yea I looked around and was going to try that next. Would I need to buy both or can you switch one back and forth to both sides and be able to tell anything?

 

My manual doesn't show the part number for the solenoid. Try calling the dealer parts dept and see if they are the same part number. If they are, you can probably just try swapping the two you have now.

 

Switching the solenoids back and forth won't solve anything for you. If one is bad you're just going to move the misfires and timing codes to the other bank.

If you replace them, replace them both to remove either as a variable for being bad. If that fixes the issue then great, if not then put the old ones back on, take the new ones back and keep digging into the problem.

 

That's what I meant, if the codes and misfires move to the other side, he knows which one is bad and that the solenoid is causing it.

 

Thanks for the help guys, when I get paid this week I'm gonna try the VCT and see what happens