Hi all. Haven't been on much because this truck has been so good. But now I have a problem. I have searched and found a couple threads on this subject but no solid answers. 2014, 110,000 miles Tune stock power, dpf, egr off. I'm on the road in rural Mississippi. Today not towing I experienced my first ever turbo flutter. I was on a dirt road and would get to maybe 35 and let up and hear the flutter. When I hit the highway the truck was very sluggish and Boost at 60 MPH was like 38PSI. When I would let up truck would slow rapidly like I was in a lower gear but I wasn't. I wanted to stop and restart the truck but it was not a good place to do it in case it didn't start. So, I suffered back to where the RV is, shut it down, restarted, went back to the highway and all is normal. NO CODES, I have about 1200 miles of towing, and a few hundred miles of driving around before I get back home. HOW DEEP IS THE DODO I'M IN?

 

Sounds to me like the vanes were stuck opened. My turbo has been plagued by stuck closed vanes since it first occurred in 2012 but my issue was the opposite problem description with 0 to only a few psi boost. Shutdown > restart would resolve the issue. Although, I can't think of this occurring since the wastegate solenoid was replaced in 2018 but I got so used to the issue, I would just reboot. I don't know that the issue ever caused a CEL but I do recall sometimes having P132B as a recurring code related to this issue (have to scan for it prior to shutdown if I remember). I don't know this as fact but I don't think a CEL is presented due to the issue not existing during another sensor check duration during another drive cycle, which would then change from pending to permanent DTC. VGT monitoring is 15 seconds "once per driving cycle" but I have no idea what speeds or distance is required for this driving cycle.

How long were you driving prior to noticing the issue? Personally, if all of the ducting is intact and no new strange sounds, I'd go for another drive on the highway at operating temp. A unified drive cycle from a cold soak for t-stat monitoring, for example, is around 24 minutes with the current ambient temps in the northern half of MS.

 

Thanks for the response. That makes sense. The truck had been driven likely enough to reach operating temp. Then it sat for maybe 15 minutes. I restarted and noticed the flutter the first time I let up on the throttle. By the highway I’m sure I would have been at operating temp. I just drove again a few ninutes ago, about 15 miles. Everything normal. I’ll check for nondisplayed codes tomorrow.

so you replaced solenoid and it solved your problem? Would that solenoid close mine? I will look in to that.

 

I made a number of changes throughout 2018 to correct several issues so I have no way of knowing if the wastegate control valve corrected or not. However, I've always thought it could be because it has the closest relation. The vanes are oil pressure controlled by a "PCM solenoid" so I don't know if the wastegate valve/solenoid could cause this sticking vanes issue. The wategate actuator opens to relieve exhaust pressure when the vanes don't react quickly enough so that makes this seem like these are separate. Someone who understands how this part of the engine works with a VGT and what/how/why the PCM commands it would have to explain.

It's hard to recall all of the model year fixes and design changes at this point but I feel like the early turbo issues were resolved with the 2012 job 2 - 2014 trucks. Mine is still the original 2011 job 1 turbo.

If it happens again and you're in a position to scan for DTCs, that's the data you'll need to help diag if this becomes a recurring issue. Otherwise, I wouldn't do anything without information (or something fails which is certainly an inconvenience). Years ago, I had my truck at the dealer several times for this issue, firmware updates were applied (difficult to reproduce) and the issue was never 100% corrected and ambient temp didn't seem to matter.

 

My 2013 truck had this same issue, other than I had low boost psi. Thru a P239 Code, and put me in Limp Mode.
Turbo Charger Vanes were sticking was the findings. Ford said the 11-14 turbos are known for this.
$4850.00 dollars later, the truck is a lot more peppy, no hesitation from a stop. Runs like a new model.
(Ford has a 2 year warranty on the turbo replacement).
Took 3 weeks to get the turbo, as Ford was out of stock. So, I just cleared the code if it thru a light until the turbo got replaced so the truck would not go into limp mode.

Here is the listing on the P239 Code that I found on the internet, from my experience.
Boost pressure sensor harness is open or shorted
Boost pressure sensor circuit poor electrical connection
Faulty boost pressure sensor
Faulty Turbo/Super Charger
Engine over temperature
Ignition misfire exceeds the calibrated threshold Faulty Knock sensor (KS)

 

Did you have the 2015 model turbo installed?

 

Thanks guys. This is still a great site for learning. Based on y'alls experience I'm gonna ahead on my trip and hope if it happens again I can shut down and reset. I checked my Edge this morning. It's been so long since I had a problem that I forgot I could check them with the Edge. P01C6 was on there with no light. Something to do with fuel. I doubt it has anything to do with this problem. I have had some over boost issues for the past year. I changed the MAP and cleaned the MAF or vice versa and I think I changed the solenoid but sill had the ability to get to 38 PSI of boost. I checked around and couldn't find anything that the over boost would hurt so I just controlled it with my foot. Probably connected to yesterday's problem. I watched a video last night about replacing a control mechanism at the back of the turbo. Not a job I want to do but maybe I can get it checked next week when I will be in Northwest AR. Thanks again for the help.

 

subscribing. Vanes sticking is certainly what it sounds like.

I half wonder (with out research) if you would be able to take enough stuff off to access the turbo and check those vanes with your paws?

 

Yes. The replacement turbos are like the 15’s, with no ceramic bearings from what I was told.
They also mention, fully stock trucks with the emissions, the turbo vanes start sticking around 8 years and up. I made it 10 yrs.
(at least they figured out how to change the turbo out, without pulling the cab)

 

It took the dealer about 8 hours to change my turbo out. Of course, they have done many and have all the tools, etc to get it done quicker than I could do. And it looks like a real Pain to do.

I went Ford, based on the 2 years warranty, and traveling with an RV, you can always find a Ford dealer around.
And the replacement was not a remanufactured unit. The dealer I used said, they had too many issue with the reman’s ones, they only replace with new units.

 

Hi Senix. Maybe a few years ago but I’m 80 now with a bad back and bum leg. I have done a bit more research. One item that makes sense is that if the turbo blades stick closed but the truck goes back to normal when stopped and restarted (which mine did) the problem is not with the turbo but with some sensor. I have had an over boost condition for over a year. It will spool up to 38 PSI if I get on it. I was never able to resolve that. I changed a couple sensors and a solenoid and nothing changed. Talked to the tuner and he was adamant that there is nothing in my tune (stock power) to cause that. And that rings true as the tune was on a couple years before I noticed the over boost. I have no codes. Someone on this thread had a code list that included a “turbo boost sensor”. Now that sounds like something I need to investigate. I think but not sure it is on the back of the turbo. So, I am gonna go as planned to Arkansas controlling the boost with my foot and see if I can get it fixed there. I will fill this in when I know more.

 

StanleyZ,
Please let us know what you find. Mine was 0 or no boost which is different from yours having high boost. Maybe your isn’t the turbo.
I know, Ford checked the boost sensors, wire harness, etc for the P239 code on mine.
I talked to the mechanic who replaced my turbo. He said trucks that are not deleted have this issue, since we are recirculating all the crap back through the turbo/motor.
He also said they never see the guys who have deleted trucks.

 

I have no codes but the more I think about the over boost the more I think it may be a wastegate problem. IE, exhaust gas heats up and rushes into turbo, waste gate should open and relieve excessive pressure and lower boost. If it does not open the turbo eats the pressure and spins up. Since I've only had the stuck vanes once in 110000 miles I will discount for now. So there is a waste gate solenoid and an actuator. The solenoid looks easy. I'm gonna pet it a little and see what happens.

 

This sounds like my chipped 99.5 7.3 PS. Right around 1750 rpm, if I got on it, the turbo would surge like crazy and then stall. Once I got over 1900 rpms it would be fine. Never did it while I was towing either. The consensus cure was an aftermarket turbo wheel (Wicked Wheel) but I never got around to replacing it in the turbo before I sold the truck. It was totally predictable and never threw a code, but that was the old 7.3 which didn't have half the crap these have on them for pollution and engine control (and about half the power too). The truck had a 3.5-4" exhaust from the turbo back with no Cat. The turbo flutter and whine from the exhaust was pretty loud.

 

Completed my trip and am home now. I have not yet put truck in shop. After further review I am not so sure my turbo was stuck closed or open. I am now thinking that the truck was stuck in a lower gear in the TOWHAUL mode and I failed to figure it out. While driving in the Ozarks I experienced a similar sticking a couple of times. Truck seemed to stick in 3rd gear and take forever to upshift. I continue to have boost to 38 to 40 PSI, but only when truck is unloaded. Towing my 5er in semi mountainous area I seem to top out around 24 PSI which is pretty close to normal. Other than when testing to see what it is doing I control boost with my right foot. I'm getting pretty good at it. I have my EDGE mounted where I can see the boost easily. I now suspect the turbo over boosts because the waste gate don't open. So, if someone knows what would happen if a waste gate failed to open when called for, I would like to hear from them. I am GUESSING that if the waste gate did not open when called for the turbo would continue to spin faster and faster. which is what mine is doing. Thank you in advance.