Anyone experience sluggish throttle response on the EFI Ecoboost? I have had several incidents where I'm needing to change lanes fast and the response is a dead second or two before the motor catches up to the throttle position. Then, it rockets forward at full throttle to catch up. By that time it's too late to change lanes and I have to be on the brakes hard to keep from rear ending the guy in front of me. I'm coming from a carburetored Toyota Tacoma that was far more responsive (minus the power) then this truck. I never felt hesitant to jump on it and go. Now I feel like my life depends on waiting until I have all day to change lanes, make a left turn or pass a slow moving vehicle on a two lane road.

Is this something the dealer can adjust?

 

Not sure if this is a legit post? EFI EcoBoost? The 3.5 EcoBoost in the F-150 is a direct injection, I guess it could be called EFI too, but nobody has used that terminology since 1985.

Also carbureted Toyota Tacoma? The last carbureted Toyota truck avail was 1986 or '87?? And was pre-the "Tacoma" name. Also would have been an anemic 4-Cyl version, with nowhere near the response of an EcoBoost with blown turbos and a dead cylinder.

 

I know there are some issues with spark plug gap on higher mileage trucks (not sure of your mileage)

also, the condensation inside the intercooler issue. What year is yours?

Have you driven more than one of these trucks to compare it to? Maybe swing by a ford dealer and kick some tires then go for a test drive

 

It sounds like a possible issue with the throttle position sensor...might want to have it looked at.

 

There's a delay under certain conditions in the programming with the ecoboost between pedal and motor for some reason. I noticed it when I got my truck a lot of tuners seemed to address it and made it a lot snappier. That's why if you punch it under some situations you notice it's not turbo lag there's literally no throttle being applied even though pedal is pushed. My boss mentioned to me his 6.2 350 does the same sometimes if he gives some gas then off then steps on it......computers...

Give a bit of gas so the sensor recognizes movement but not enough to really up rpm or spool turbo, yet you'll notice quicker throttle response. You're fooling the computers off 0 throttle delay

 

Im not sure if I have the same "issue" as you, I started up my truck, let it run for about 1-2 minutes while I talked to my wife and then we took off... I drove about 4-5 miles (at op temps, 55 degrees ambient temp here in NC) I turned onto the "highway" and hammered it.... it took about 1 FULL second to get its A$$ in gear and go. I saw condensation from the tailpipe and that was the last that happened in the next 25 miles of driving. my truck has 280 miles on it. Im not worried

 

I would be willing to bet the delay is thanks to emissions programming.

 

Like someone mentioned earlier, you'll get better response by tipping in the throttle rather than instantly stuffing to the floor. A tiny bit of planning goes a long ways.

I've not tried this, but maybe keep it in tow haul mode if you're an aggressive driver.

Or ask a tuner to put a "race" tune in the tow haul mode and leave the other mode stock. I know that can be done with Chevy trucks.

 

Yes, at under certain, specific conditions DBW will temporarily uncouple the throttle plate position from the accelerator pedal. Most of these will involve a "re=acceleration" effort, sequence on the gas pedal. Lift the gas pedal quickly, say to slow quickly using a bit of engine compression braking in order to merge into that upcoming traffic opening. Now, you're sync'd with that opening in the faster moving traffic so you need to accelerate back up to match the traffic speed.

Oops... the engine don't react to the new gas pedal position for a few terrifying seconds...

Insofar as I am aware this story began with the introduction of the new RX300 in 1998.

Toyota had developed an FE breakthrough technique involving the Camry transaxle being upgraded for the additional robustness required of a much heavier vehicle.

Toyota abandoned the old method of constantly maintaining ATF line pressure at a fairly high level(~3000 PSI?), pressurized fluid accumulator, etc, in favor of real time control of ATF line pressure. HIGH ATF line pressure "on demand", only at specific times required, gear changes, up/down shifts, etc.

The FE technique is now fleetwide, across the industry, so all DBW systems will be used to prevent raising engine torque until the new/next/upcoming gear change is fully completed, that might take up to 3 seconds.

 

In about 2008 a new version of the engine/transaxle control ECU was introduced in an effort to alleviate some instances of the 2-3 second downshift delay/hesitation.

Basically the new firmware "watches" the rate at which you lift foot pressure form the accelerator pedal in order to best ascertain your actual intent. Did you intend to enter cruise mode, therefore an upshift might be in order, or was it your intend to slow slightly using a bit of engine compression braking..basically using the current low gear ratio you were just previous using for acceleration, no gear change required..

Lift the gas pedal fairly quickly (comparatively), the firmware will judge that your intent is to slow using the current gear ratio..result..no new gear change required if you now return to acceleration.

Lift the gas pedal slowly, comparatively, the firmware will assume you wish to enter cruise mode and if an upshift is appropriate it will be commanded.

Obviously, lift the gas pedal slowly when your actual intent is to slow the vehicle using the current (low, lower) gear ratio, you'll most likely, probably, get an upshift and then a 2-3 second downshift delay should you then quickly return to acceleration.

Good luck with learning to "tell" this firmware your thoughts.

 

The criticality of the spark plug gap is only a symptom of the base problem, water ingestion.

Water enters the 200F combustion chamber, "converts" to steam which provides additional effective compression, add the air and fuel mixture and oftentimes the effective compression ratio will rise so high that the easiest "gap" for the ignition HV to jump might be the plug insulator, or even internal to the COP. There have been a few instances of connecting rod failure probably also attributal to water ingestion, hydrolock.

 

Sounds like simple turbo lag to me, or am I the crazy one ? If your not familiar with a turbo motor, then its kinda weird until you get use to it, and can manage it a little better........ I can tell you that my 5.0 snaps to attention when my foot flirts with the thought of hammering down....

 

No, a new design aspect of the Ecoboost as implemented in the Ford EcoBoost F150 is that the majority effects from turbo lag are eliminated. The turboes are constantly, consistently, kept up to an RPM that just barely produces positive pressure downstream of the impeller. That's why the CAC produces condensation, the airflow through the CAC is under slight pressure and once it depressurizes at the CAC outflow side condensation forms.

 

And unless yours is a stick shift I'd bet you can recreate the 2-3 second downshift delay/hesitation "at will".

 

The "majority" of effects perhaps, it's certainly snappier than either of my two diesel trucks in the past. But there's definitely some lag going on. Lock the transmission into a certain gear and mash the pedal and you'll feel power come on linearly as boost pressures rise to where they need to be. You can watch boost pressures using a scan tool and see them directly correlate to power output when you do this.