I have a 2017 f150 with the 3.5 ecoboost and 10-speed. I have been having an issue where the truck will shudder first thing in the morning, before the truck is fully warmed up.

The best way way to explain the noise, is that it sounds exactly like a front tire rubbing against the plastic wheel liners on a lifted truck with too big of tires.

It only happens when I try to accelerate where the truck builds some boost. It also only happens if the truck is cold. It is also a rare occurance.

There are no engine lights on or anything.

Is this the problem withthe moister in the mass air flow sensor that I read about? Or is it a bad turbo?

 

I could say "Welcome to the club" ! My 2018 does the same thing and I don't live where it really gets cold and the truck is garaged at night in a warm garage. It seems like it is getting to much air and not enough fuel. But by the time I get to the end of my street (200 yards), its running just fine.

I have asked this question on another site "Are the 3.5 Eco's Cold blooded ?" the answers were YES. I was going to take mine in, but since many owners state yes it stumbles a bit when first started unless you let it warm up.

 

It seems to me that if it were an inherent turbo issue we would hear more complaints about it. I've only had my 2018 for a little over 1000 miles and haven't noticed it yet.

 

Likewise. We've got ~~ 32K on our 2015 3.5L EB, and it doesn't do this. A couple of times on cold mornings, it's felt rough for a few seconds, but that's about it. Otherwise, it's been as smooth as a baby's butt.

 

I was talking to a friend the other day who was a Ford dealer tech until recently. He has a 3.5 EB F150. He was telling me that he started using 100% gasoline, no ethanol at all. His result was that after 3 tanks or so, the idle shudder went away completely.

 

Now this could be true especially on first startup in cooler temps. Ever watch the drags when they are racing Top Alcohol Classes. Takes them a long time before they get warmed up. But the problem is finding 100% gasoline. The Greater Phoenix area where I live mixes upwards of 20% alcohol especially in the winter months. I would have to drive 80 miles to the next county to purchase 100% gasoline.

 

I don't believe I have heard of 20% ethenol gas anywhere. E15 Started popping up around here though.

 

When I was in South Dakota you could buy E30.

Sometimes you can smell the alcohol when your vehicle is idling. I'd be willing to bet that often times E10 ethanol levels are well above 10%.

 

It definitely has a distinct odor. As far as Texas is concerned, I know first hand that all E10 is infact E10. E85 on the other hand...

 

My 3.5 Eco says It will go up to 15 % alcohol and that's it. I don't think I would like that much. There is a noticable defference in mileage difference with just that extra 5 %. I don't buy a truck with fuel economy in mind as long as it does the job I need doing. However decent mileage is a plus and that extra 5 % is noticable with no other change. I think we lost the last station ( Shell) that sold 100% gas in Abilene a couple years ago.

 

I apologize for reviving an old thread. I just purchased gas at a brand new fuel station here in our area. Low and behold, the sticker on the pump I was using said "up to 15% Ethanol". It just took me by surprise that the content was listed so high. I'm used to seeing 5% or 10% labels in our area.

Anyway, I guess I'll see how the 3.5L Ecoboost does mileage wise on this particular tank full. I love the new gas station they built, but I'm not so excited by the increased ethanol content.

 

I doubt you'll notice it. Ethanol has 30% less energy than gas. If you replace 5% of the gas with Ethanol it changes the energy content of the fuel by 1.5%. Since it also suppresses pre-detonation (pinging), it may actually end up helping mpgs by letting the computer run the engine more advanced. But probably not, you probably just won't notice anything.

 

What is the oil requirement on these late-model turbo trucks and are you using the correct oil? I have a smaller turbo vehicle and take pains to drive it carefully until the thermostat opens. Fortunately where I live, I have to drive on residential streets for about two miles before getting to a highway, so even in very cold weather I'm good by that time. As a general rule, you never just sit and try to warm up the engine. All you have to do is drive and avoid more than half-throttle and no more than half the redline on the tach. Can you make it 'rattle' in the driveway by working the throttle? If not, it most likely is not the turbo. If you can, it possibly could be an oiling problem to the turbine bearing. If it is, it won't be too long before it fails.

 

Maybe it's a suspension thing? Just mentally noodling here. Might not be an engine or transmission thing at all, but shocks that aren't warmed up or something.

 

Maybe I totally misread the OP's post. The noise sounding like a tire rubbing agaainst something plastic, letting off the throttle and it quits, doesn't sound like engine or trans to me, but an IWE problem, likely the checkvalve by his description.
Maybe next time it happens OP, throw into 4A or 4H whichever you have. If it stops, you've got IWE problem.
Go ahead guys condemn me.