Hey everyone,

I own a '11 Raptor 6.2, but I've read this problem seems to occur in all late F150 engines to some extent, even the Eco.

What happens is that when the engine is idling an 'engine shake' occurs. It is as if it is idling just below minimum 'smooth' RPM's, i.e. it stumbles a bit, causing a low frequency shake throughout the vehicle.

I have searched high and low for anything concerning this problem, but so far I have come up completely empty. A variation of possible causes are attributed to this issue, and in my opinion, all of them stink.

I have found out that when the battery is disconnected overnight, the problem disappears. However, as the ECU starts to relearn and 'adapt' again, the shake returns to some extent.
No one seems to have gotten any further than connecting the truck to a diagnostics computer only to find nothing wrong.
It has also been suggested that premature cam wear may be the issue. But I have found engines with only a few thousand miles (mine's had it since the 1200 mile mark or so), so I have ruled this out, especially since it just disappears after disconnecting the ECU overnight.

I have also replaced the aie filter, removed the resonance chamber, and used the 5 star economy 91 AND performance 91 tune, and this makes no difference whatsoever.

This leads me to believe -at this time- 2 possible causes may be the at the root :

1. There's a faulty sensor somewhere (like the 'knock' sensor') which performs within parameters, but is a bit off somewhere in the operational band. This would mean there is a whole batch of defective sensors that slipped through QC, and got installed throughout the vehicle range.

2. There's something amiss with the ECU algorithm that is supposed to learn the engine and driver's ways. It does not seem to be in the fuelling map itself, because replacing the maps with tunes does not make an iota of difference.

Now, before you start yelling 'let the dealer fix it', please realise that US Ford products are NOT supported by Ford Europe and the dealers have no inkling about what to do with these things. I even have to order simple stuff like engine oil or spark plugs overseas.

So if anyone has information about this issue please post here. Maybe a solution can be found to benefit us all.

Thanks,

Peter

 

I can't offer any help, but I will add I drive a 5.0l, 2wd,Supercab and I have noticed the same with my truck since new or at least 1200 miles. My scenario is at times I will be idling at a light and will feel a subtle vibration in the steering wheel that is also felt through the pedals etc...

The truck doesn't drive any different and still gets consistancy fuel economy even when it is doing this. If I could describe it more precisely it feels like an accessory drive is running but is not, something like the A/C but its not.

My vibe tends to go away once you start driving and in some cases I don't notice it again for days afterward.

Just for record I test drove a brand new Lariat EcoBoost with like 40 miles on it and noticed the same thing with that engine on the test drive. So whatever it is its probably some emissions pump that cycles every so often and the bi-product is the annoying vibration felt. In my case it's not really something you would feel or notice from the pass seat of my truck, and its not so noticeable that even my wife has noticed it when she has driven my truck.

I notice it because I'm a car enthusiast, and any and everything about a vehicle will get my brain wondering what is going on.

 

Not familiar with the '11, or the 6.2, but I had an idling issue in my '09 5.4 as well, just felt like it was stumbling a bit. I cleaned the mass airflow sensor, air filter, and the throttle body. It sure seems to have resolved the problem...for now...

 

Peter: check this thread out:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-start-up.html

this may well be what you are experiencing. maybe get ahold of johnbar87 and ask if he ever found a resolution.

Pool Runner:
I have noticed my 2010 doing almost exactly as you describe. i have narrowed it down to the radiator fan. when that fan kicks on, it will bog the motor at idle just a bit, and the vibration from the fan can be felt in the cab in much the same way you describe. i.e. it feels like a rough idle. but once you start rolling, the fan is no longer needed and shuts off in very short order.

maybe you got something else going on, but what you describe sounds like the cooling fan to me.

 

My exact experience as well but I never mentioned since it feels like the cooling fans cycling. My '99 Taurus did the same thing. My '04 Expy does not and it has a clutch fan.

 

I've always attributed it to an accessory kicking on. I haven't noticed it lately, but I'm going to start thinking about it again because of this.

 

one explanation for why you don't notice it all the time, sometimes for days on end, would be the A/C. anytime the A/C is engaged, (defrost, defrost/floor, or recirculate all engage the A/C passively) the cooling fan runs on low and does not cycle.

on a hot day, if you sit there long enough on a hot day (as we do at work sometimes), eventually the fan will kick on "high" .... and you WILL notice that, it sounds like a 747 then.

 

I think my 2010 is considered a late model and it has always idled very smoothly. It's challenge enough sometimes for even a Ford tech to troubleshoot a problem.

This may or may not be related to your idle issue but I'll mention it anyhow. Sometime late last year my truck engine would just die for some unknown reason. It happen a couple times while out on the road at highway speeds and sometimes in town at low speeds. After coming to a full stop, the engine would start right back up and drive like nothing had happened. After taking it to the dealer a couple of times and them not being able to diagnose any particular issue they said that Ford has had some related problems with the throttle body on some trucks. They replace the throttle body and I haven't had a problem since.

 

I've hooked up the diagnostics and I've been staring at the ignition settings for a bit. There seems to be something very funky going on with the idle timing settings. Unfortunately I'm not enough of an expert on engine timing to determine if it's really that or if I'm imagining things. The numbers I'm seeing on idle timing (factory settings) don't make sense. Looking at it I'm thinking Ford didn't give a rats *** about how the engine ran, as long as they eeked that last 0.00000000001 mpg out of the engine for the EPA rating. Something's off, but I need to talk to a real specialist. IF I can find one.

 

You could always talk to Mike@5Star, he knows how to make these Ford engines run!

 

Have you tried the battery relearn process??? Check it out. it helped mine.

Battery relearn process - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

 

How positively arcane. I was half suspecting lark tongues and newt tails to appear somewhere.
But thanks very much, and I will try it for sure if the problem reappears !