Jeffrey Cook

Hey Mike

I got 25 ounces of condensate out. My check engine light stayed on and only read misfire codes. Once it was drained, no more misfire and plugs were only 5K miles old.

1/16 hole and no stuttering in cold wet weather anymore.

Idle is smooth. Reset engine light using an inexpensive code tool. Light stayed off.

2011 Ecoboost with 82K miles.

Happy with the fix.

papa tiger

U can most likely mount your license plate in front of it, it won't hurt a thing unless U live in the Desert or tow a lot, then just pull it. Mine mounts the license plate in front with removable attachments and the vanes are closed most of the time. U will get a code if the License plate needs to be removed most likely a too rich mixture code ?

Andrew Lear

Tried new plugs, boots, coils and then drilled the small hole in the intercooler. After I drilled the hole a small amount of condensate dripped out, and it seemed to help initially. Reset all the misfire codes and took the truck out and accelerated pretty hard - same result, misfire, engine stutter and then limp mode for a bit before it settled down again and ran well under normal conditions. I pulled my boat up a hill pretty well, but not sure if that was the weep hole or the new plugs and boots.

Lately though the misfire has gotten really, really bad. Low idle, under load or just driving around. Not sure where to go from here. If I look at a new PCM or reset the PCM. Looking for any insight from the forum on how to chase this from here without breaking the bank.

winchested

Did you crack a spark plug putting them in? Are your misfires on a single cylinder or all? This can be monitored.

Andrew Lear

Not sure about the plugs—I’ll take a look again. Misfires are most consistently on cylinders 2 & 5 (nearly always on 5). Looking at cleaning/replacing the injectors next (just cleaned the MAP sensors yesterday). Trying Chevron/Techron fuel system cleaner now - see if that helps. On a long distance road trip and the shudder is pretty consistent. Listening to of YouTube videos on the Ecoboost misfire issues (one of the better channels (FordTechMakuloco) suggested the Techron. I’ll keep chasing until resolved - will update once solved.

papa tiger

Not knowing how many miles on it I would put a coking of your intake valves has happened on my to do list. . When U are not injecting water into the combustion chamber it is usually Intake valves coked when U know U got good spark and good spark plugs. Pulling the intake manifold off is the easiest/quickest way to solve that problem U can easy scope out the underside of the valves to see it they are fullof carbon. Is the cheapest option to the problem.

3kushn

Like so many others, my search didn't come with an answer and no time to read all the post. This answer here about only in boost will fluid come out of the weep hole is curious.
I drilled a hole about 18-24 months ago. I saw immediate results. I did not see any fluid during idle like mentioned but the very first time I went into boost, the shudder was gone.

3 days ago the Shudder came back. My only thinking is that the weep hole maybe got clogged, so I went in and made sure it was open. I couldn't visually see it but tried to run the drill in with my fingers without success. Anyway today I definitely see improvement but can still produce a shudder.

Should I just give it more time/miles? ( I put plugs in not too long ago. ) Made 2 35 mile trips today and still shudders.
I'm planning to trade this in but want it to run better in the meantime. 3 months??

Thanks for your help

papa tiger

Just drill the hole back open with same size drill only put in in a drill motor and open up the thing. Over time the thing has caked up on the inside with crud. If that doesn't cure it you need to pull your intake manifold and clean the intake valves as they are Coked with carbon. I will guess your coked. Maybe even a valve job is a good choice and keep the truck for some more years. Every owner is aware that dirrect injection is a real bite your *** problem with coking of intake valves. If so U r screwed until you clean them. Even Compressed NG or LPG injection systems causes coking of intake valves. As it gets worse you will have trouble even getting it to run right all the time.

3kushn

Thanks Papa, I suspect you're correct on the intakes. I did run the drill with a motor to open it back up and like I said saw some improvement but it wasn't a fix like the first time I drilled it.
I suppose it doesn't matter much anymore, I've decided to buy a new truck. This one has 250K miles and a few other nagging problems. Today I must have sucked in a leaf into the cabin air circulation louvers. Terrible sound with fan on mid to high. LOL. O2 sensor and a couple other error codes. All kinda minor stuff but time consuming.

Just for knowledge sake and back to the shudder. I guess for reasons of increasing RPM's to over 2K, today I put the truck in 4th gear and drove 50-60mph. In doing this the shudder problem is gone. It seems the shudder happens when either it downshifts or wants to downshift from 6th. Wondering why no shudder in lower gears and @ say 2.5-3K rpm's.
Just curious.

papa tiger

U probably scrape the valve stems some running the motor at high rpm's for long periods of time, 30 minutes and get temporary valve seating again. but it always returns. The intakes will eventually pop back into the Throttle body and Air filter Box most likely also code. Once the majority of intake valves get that gummy, sticky build up on the underside and down the valve stem it becomes a pita unless removed.