Power Loss
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 163
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From: Louisiana
Power Loss
Im sorry if this has already been addressed. Since my father bought my 2001 screw 5.4 4x4 in 2002 it loses power when outside air temperatures are above 80 degrees. When it is 60 degrees or colder the truck runs like a raped ape. No codes, doesnt run rough, i keep the maintenance up as directed by the manual(air filter when needed, fuel filter every 15,000 miles, oil changes with motorcraft oil and filter every 3,000 miles, fuel injector cleaner in the tank every 15,000) just seems to lose power when its hot outside. Am i the only one who has this problem?
Thanks
Thanks
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 163
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From: Louisiana
I had the ecm reflashed about 5 months ago, and I cleaned the maf sensor. I guess it could possibly be a bad air temp sensor, but it is definitely pulling timing as temperatures rise. Is this normal, have you heard of anyone else having this problem?
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 842
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From: royal oak, mich
This is the controlling table for spark retard for Air Coolant Temp. As you can see if the ECM believes the air temp has hit 130 degrees it pulls timing. These figures are used in with other tables to get a resultant spark value. Take a peek at the Coolant Temp sensor to. It could be just dirty contacts messing up the voltage value.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
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From: Ontario, Canada
I'm having a similar issue on my 2002 Expedition.
Truck runs awesome, but when it gets up to operating temperature, it feels sluggish.
Reason I noticed it is this:
When we bought the truck, it had a baffed thermostat (never got past half-way through the temp picture in the gauge). Thing ran like a raped-ape though.
As soon as we flushed the system and put in a new t-stat, I noticed an instant decrease in power once up to temp.
I have no idea if the ECM has ever been reflashed? Is this common? My parents have a 2000 Expedition, and do not have the same issue.
Truck runs awesome, but when it gets up to operating temperature, it feels sluggish.
Reason I noticed it is this:
When we bought the truck, it had a baffed thermostat (never got past half-way through the temp picture in the gauge). Thing ran like a raped-ape though.
As soon as we flushed the system and put in a new t-stat, I noticed an instant decrease in power once up to temp.
I have no idea if the ECM has ever been reflashed? Is this common? My parents have a 2000 Expedition, and do not have the same issue.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 842
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From: royal oak, mich
There's a controlling temperature where the ECM goes from open loop which is richer running with more spark advance to closed loop where the timing is lowered and the fuel is running leamer. If you were below that set point you ran in open loop always. Another thing to do is clean the MAF as it is the most critical part in what your ECM sees for data.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
There's a controlling temperature where the ECM goes from open loop which is richer running with more spark advance to closed loop where the timing is lowered and the fuel is running leamer. If you were below that set point you ran in open loop always. Another thing to do is clean the MAF as it is the most critical part in what your ECM sees for data.
Temperature is only one point of data used to determine when the ECM goes to closed loop. It will also go back into OL when you go WOT.
The power-loss is across the board and occurs at WOT as well.
My question was more as to whether there is a specific ECM re-flash meant to cope with this issue, which from the post above, I seemed to gather there was?
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: royal oak, mich
ECM reflashes are mainly for emmission control updates. There's unlocked power to be had but at higher emmissioon levels. You could have a sensor slowly going bad telling the ECM the temp is not what it should be. If a temp sensor sees like 120 inlet air it dials down spark to avoid detonation.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
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From: Ontario, Canada
ECM reflashes are mainly for emmission control updates. There's unlocked power to be had but at higher emmissioon levels. You could have a sensor slowly going bad telling the ECM the temp is not what it should be. If a temp sensor sees like 120 inlet air it dials down spark to avoid detonation.
FWIW, using the odometer trick, coolant temp doesn't seem to get higher than 93C.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
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Intake air temp sensor could be acting up... Yes normal if sensor is bad.. PCM trying to compensate for heat and load. If you can monitor the actual reading you will be able to see what the temp is reading. They get tricky when little things like that start acting up.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 842
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From: royal oak, mich
I got my remote oil filter/oil cooler in and I have an oil temp and pressure guage installed. Now that I can monitor those parameters I find the check engine light flashing. I figure with the cooler keeping the oil at 160F it's running to cold for the ECM parameters. Have to find it and change it before it throws a code.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
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From: Ontario, Canada
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 54
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Possibly. If the Check Engine Light is flashing that is usually only for misfires..... Bad coils could be your cause they have been known to cause RF interference with the PCm and screw all kids of stuff up.......
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I have no codes at all, did replace one coil when I bought it; #8, since it developed a mean misfire under load after replacing the thermostat.
