Zero Acceleration (Sometimes) When Cold?
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 11
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From: Bellingham, WA
Zero Acceleration (Sometimes) When Cold?
So, I have a fairly new to me 2005 FX4, and now that winter is rolling in I'm occasionally getting the following issue. (I apologize in advance for the less-than-scientific terminology.)
I start the engine in the morning and start driving right away, but gently since it's got a Triton with 150k miles on it, so I'm paranoid. Less than a minute after leaving my driveway I turn onto the interstate on-ramp, which goes slightly uphill. l step on the gas pedal (I don't floor it - just step on it with a purpose) to get her up to 60+mph, and the engine revs accordingly, sounding like a pissed off hairdryer, but the truck is barely moving forward, which is kind of embarrassing with cars lined up behind me trying to get up to speed. Again, all the while the truck sounds like somebody is sticking a 300hp leaf blower into the engine but there's no actual gas (pure speculation on my part). I let off the gas and even turn off O/D. After given it some gas again, the truck recovers a bit and accelerates but is still super loud in a fan-on-steroids kind of way with not much punch at all. And then, just like that, near the top of the on ramp, the hairdryer noise disappears, and all that's left is the beautiful sound you would expect of a V8 rumbling along at interstate speed. No further issues, acceleration is great, life is good.
The truck has a brand-new fuel pump driver module (the old one was corroded because aluminum on steel), and I haven't had any issues all year until it started getting cold out. After it's warmed up a bit there are no issues at all. No codes either. As long as I drive again within a couple of hours everything is good. But once I leave the office the same thing happens.
Why the horrendous hairdryer noise and low power when the truck is cold?
Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
I start the engine in the morning and start driving right away, but gently since it's got a Triton with 150k miles on it, so I'm paranoid. Less than a minute after leaving my driveway I turn onto the interstate on-ramp, which goes slightly uphill. l step on the gas pedal (I don't floor it - just step on it with a purpose) to get her up to 60+mph, and the engine revs accordingly, sounding like a pissed off hairdryer, but the truck is barely moving forward, which is kind of embarrassing with cars lined up behind me trying to get up to speed. Again, all the while the truck sounds like somebody is sticking a 300hp leaf blower into the engine but there's no actual gas (pure speculation on my part). I let off the gas and even turn off O/D. After given it some gas again, the truck recovers a bit and accelerates but is still super loud in a fan-on-steroids kind of way with not much punch at all. And then, just like that, near the top of the on ramp, the hairdryer noise disappears, and all that's left is the beautiful sound you would expect of a V8 rumbling along at interstate speed. No further issues, acceleration is great, life is good.
The truck has a brand-new fuel pump driver module (the old one was corroded because aluminum on steel), and I haven't had any issues all year until it started getting cold out. After it's warmed up a bit there are no issues at all. No codes either. As long as I drive again within a couple of hours everything is good. But once I leave the office the same thing happens.
Why the horrendous hairdryer noise and low power when the truck is cold?
Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7,716
Likes: 2,196
So, I have a fairly new to me 2005 FX4, and now that winter is rolling in I'm occasionally getting the following issue. (I apologize in advance for the less-than-scientific terminology.)
I start the engine in the morning and start driving right away, but gently since it's got a Triton with 150k miles on it, so I'm paranoid. Less than a minute after leaving my driveway I turn onto the interstate on-ramp, which goes slightly uphill. l step on the gas pedal (I don't floor it - just step on it with a purpose) to get her up to 60+mph, and the engine revs accordingly, sounding like a pissed off hairdryer, but the truck is barely moving forward, which is kind of embarrassing with cars lined up behind me trying to get up to speed. Again, all the while the truck sounds like somebody is sticking a 300hp leaf blower into the engine but there's no actual gas (pure speculation on my part). I let off the gas and even turn off O/D. After given it some gas again, the truck recovers a bit and accelerates but is still super loud in a fan-on-steroids kind of way with not much punch at all. And then, just like that, near the top of the on ramp, the hairdryer noise disappears, and all that's left is the beautiful sound you would expect of a V8 rumbling along at interstate speed. No further issues, acceleration is great, life is good.
The truck has a brand-new fuel pump driver module (the old one was corroded because aluminum on steel), and I haven't had any issues all year until it started getting cold out. After it's warmed up a bit there are no issues at all. No codes either. As long as I drive again within a couple of hours everything is good. But once I leave the office the same thing happens.
Why the horrendous hairdryer noise and low power when the truck is cold?
Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
I start the engine in the morning and start driving right away, but gently since it's got a Triton with 150k miles on it, so I'm paranoid. Less than a minute after leaving my driveway I turn onto the interstate on-ramp, which goes slightly uphill. l step on the gas pedal (I don't floor it - just step on it with a purpose) to get her up to 60+mph, and the engine revs accordingly, sounding like a pissed off hairdryer, but the truck is barely moving forward, which is kind of embarrassing with cars lined up behind me trying to get up to speed. Again, all the while the truck sounds like somebody is sticking a 300hp leaf blower into the engine but there's no actual gas (pure speculation on my part). I let off the gas and even turn off O/D. After given it some gas again, the truck recovers a bit and accelerates but is still super loud in a fan-on-steroids kind of way with not much punch at all. And then, just like that, near the top of the on ramp, the hairdryer noise disappears, and all that's left is the beautiful sound you would expect of a V8 rumbling along at interstate speed. No further issues, acceleration is great, life is good.
The truck has a brand-new fuel pump driver module (the old one was corroded because aluminum on steel), and I haven't had any issues all year until it started getting cold out. After it's warmed up a bit there are no issues at all. No codes either. As long as I drive again within a couple of hours everything is good. But once I leave the office the same thing happens.
Why the horrendous hairdryer noise and low power when the truck is cold?
Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 4,294
Likes: 1,389
From: Near Salt Lake City
Your first problem is trying to go 60 within a minute of cold startup
Cold weather drive away is an issue for most vehicles
It simply needs to warm up some
Worry little about the fan clutch roar
That sob can roar all it wants (if it roars too hard tor too long it'll wear itself out and roar no more)
Better carry a spare FP driver module, the aftermarket ones fail regularly
Sounds like your truck has no actual problem, you just need to warm it up
If you read the owners manual for a BMW for instance, they say to warm the car up by driving it and not sitting
But they want 2 or 3 miles of driving at low speed
I absolutely could not jump on the freeway with my favorite 633 CSI coupe
It would go, and do freeway speed, but man was it pissed about it
Your truck feels the same way about it
Cold weather drive away is an issue for most vehicles
It simply needs to warm up some
Worry little about the fan clutch roar
That sob can roar all it wants (if it roars too hard tor too long it'll wear itself out and roar no more)
Better carry a spare FP driver module, the aftermarket ones fail regularly
Sounds like your truck has no actual problem, you just need to warm it up
If you read the owners manual for a BMW for instance, they say to warm the car up by driving it and not sitting
But they want 2 or 3 miles of driving at low speed
I absolutely could not jump on the freeway with my favorite 633 CSI coupe
It would go, and do freeway speed, but man was it pissed about it
Your truck feels the same way about it