Kenferg1

So, before we went on vacation I took the EB to my local dealer for service. Told them about shudder/miss that sounds like it is caused by the turbos. Described how it didn't seem to know what boost level it needed, especially under slight throttle application going up hill. Also, I wanted the speakers fixed since they continue to drop out. Long story short, they changed the oil and air filter. They couldn't find any reason for the shudder/miss (that's dealer code for "the computer says there's nothing wrong.") So, off I go, unsatisfied but needing to get it home.

The day we left was the day before the Oklahoma and St. Louis tornados and all the rain that went with them. I'm pulling a 6,000 lb travel trailer for this trip. We stayed in Paducah, KY. Next morning we pull out in the rain, 97% humidity. I have the CAC air deflector fix with the computer update. But just to make sure, after driving 1/2 hour @ 55 mph I put my foot in the throttle and spin the turbos. Shudder, misfire, flashing CEL, limp mode! F**k!!!! I pull over to let it idle, and sure enough it clears itself up. Drive another 15 min at 55 mph, repeat process and the same thing happens. So now my mission is to keep it out of high demand until we get in drier air. BTW, I am really pissed by now. CAC still dumping water in my engine, and the shudder/missing/turbo unsure issue is getting worse.

We get west of St. Louis and out of the rain. So the CAC issue takes care of itself. We get outside of Columbia, MO and it the engine gets so rough that I have to find a local dealer to get it looked at. The service man gets it in and the code shows that cylinder 5 miss fired. He replaced the plug and coil pack on 5 and thinks that will do it. I get down the road 10 miles and at first it runs fine. Then the shudder/miss/turbos unsure returns but is worse.

40 miles outside of Denver, the shudder/miss/turbos unsure finally causes the engine to throw a wrench light, go into limp mode, and make life hell in a construction zone. Yeah, this was fun! Pull over, shut off truck, set for a minute, restart. It clears the wrench light so I can get to the next exit with a campground. Call a dealer in Denver that can look at it the next morning.

So, get I get it there. This mechanic actually tracked the problem. It was a bad wire in the harness that was not providing the right voltage to the boost control module. It was only getting 1.83 volts when it is supposed to get 5 volts. They repaired the harness, road tested it, and it was fixed! Finally, a solution to a problem that had plagued me for more than six months!!!!! I also had them replace the other five spark plugs just in case of the gapping issue. Besides, after ingesting water twice I wanted to make sure they were all good.

Now, I don't know if this is a widespread problem, or if it was isolated to my truck. What I do know is that the shudder/miss/turbos unsure problem is completely gone. I know because I finished the western portion of the trip making multiple pulls up I-70 and I-15 without a single problem. What I do suggest is that people with this problem make sure that their dealer checks the voltage to the boost control module. If it is less than 5 volts, then that may be the problem.

As for towing, it is simply a dream. The engine pulls and pulls and pulls. Blowing by trucks and cars going up to Eisenhower tunnel and Vail pass is a hoot. I know they can't believe this little truck can dust them like that.

Now, to go back to original dealer and chew some ***... after I get the latest CAC replacement.

BTW, at every point we met and were extended courtesy by people who didn't owe us anything. Both dealers did the best they could to fix the given problem and get us on the road. The KOA assisted us in every way they could, even extending a discount on our stay for as long as was necessary until we could get our truck fixed. It renews my faith in my fellow Americans, when so many try so hard everyday to destroy it.

02themax

Glad you got it all figured out! Might be something Ford can look into?

Kenferg1

It might. It seems that this is a gremlin that several 2011 owners have been chasing for a while. The thing that I noticed is that it does seem like a miss fire like in a N/A engine. The thing is that when the ECU is calling for more boost, the boost module will deliver up to the voltage input it is getting. Once it reaches that threshold, it stops delivering boost and the engine very suddenly loses power. It got so bad at one point that it would send a hard shudder through the drive train while pulling a hill. I would then lock out to a lower gear, usually 4th, which took the rpm's up to about 2,500. At that level the boost requirement was not as high and the engine would run fine. That worked until the wire issue became so bad that it simply could not signal for enough boost. At that point the engine was all over the place and it gave me the wrench light and went into limp mode.

Snowflake

Would the tech that worked on your trucks name happen to be Matt (Rags)?

engineermike

That mechanic deserves an award.

bobkyle2

Sounds like a good deal there! I'm not too far from Paducah or St.louis you probably came though my neck of the woods in Southern Illinois.

mtxpert

Somebody find the module he's talking about and provide a diagram for people to review so we can make a testing procedure sticky to self diagnose and then bring the problem to the dealer!
IF we find quite a few people are having this issue we might be able to get a recall going to rectify and stop the EB shudder issues besides the CAC.

azdriver

Glad to hear someone found the issue. I have said before and it bears repeating...Warranty is only as good as the person working on the vehicle....Sad to say but it is almost impossible to find a "Tech" (LOL) that is anything more than a parts changer. If the computer does not tell them what is wrong, they have no problem solving skills. My brother worked at Ford stores for many years. I have seen some very good mechanics over the years. Sorry to say, they are very rare. Enjoy.

Kenferg1

I didn't get to meet him. The dealer is Groove Ford in Centennial, CO. They were really nice folks that worked to get us back on the road. The other was Joe Machens Ford in Columbia, MO. Their service writer has an '11 EB and was familiar with many of the problems. We rolled in there after 1 pm and he still worked me in for the diagnostic which caught the #5 misfire. This was after the CAC sent lord knows how much water through the engine. We both thought that this could be the fix. Both dealers were very good to us, and I would recommend them if you are having troublers in their area.

Kenferg1

Agreed! My home dealer is full of computer checkers. I'm not sure there is a diagnostic bone in their bodies. It's about maximizing book labor time ya know.