Intercooler Condensation buildup
 

Have you guys heard about the TSB (12-6-4) that is supposed to address a condensation build up in the intercooler?
Sounds like a serious issue if you are affected - with sudden loss of power, etc.
I have not experienced it yet, and I am wondering how widespread the issue is. Anybody else not having the problem?
I am assuming (and hoping) that this is a rare problem, but trying to see some responses from people here ....

Haven't had an issue with mine but then again I don't use cruise control and it seems to be a related issue.

Interesting. Apparently part of the solution in TSB is to put as air deflector on the intercooler. Would really like to see a picture of that. Would like to know if the intent is to increase or decrease airflow. If its to decrease it, I guess that would settle the lower grille discussion.

I was just wondering about how many people need to report the same issue before a tsb is actually issued? with possibly hundreds of thousands of trucks out there with the ecoboost, i wonder what percentage that turns out to be? just wonderin...:-roll

Yeah, no kidding.
From what I heard it is blocking part of the intercooler - could be redirecting the flow though also. I have not seen a pic myself.
It would be funny if it would reduce the airflow - in that case Ford tells people to not block the airflow with anything and then issues a TSB partially blocking it. :)

But wait a minute - no - the issue would not necessarily be settled. The TSB combines the air deflector with a new programming. From what I read, people suspect that the re-programming reduces the boost, and with it power and heat. So it could be that reducing the cooling (= air flow) reduces the condensation, but needs to be combined with a boost reduction.

Anyway - all of what I said is what I read about it - and all of that is speculation. So take it with a grain of salt. Hopefully there will be more information out soon.

So nobody on FTE has experienced this issue? That would be nice and reassuring ....

I have a 2011 EB SuperCrew with almost 5000 miles.
I have not experienced the problem. I do occasionally use cruise control.
I am with you, hoping this is not a widespread problem. I'd hate to have to reduce the boost to fix the problem if it does crop up.
We shall see......

This guy had the issue discribed.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-ecoboost.html

This is the only report on FTE that i can remember.

Yeah, meborder, thanks. That's the issue, no doubt.
Looks like the problem sure isn't wide spread, and I will make sure to not keep the truck in cruise at the same speed for too long, I think.
The fix though sounds like a little bit of a band-aid, but we'll see once more real reports come out. I sure hope they don't reduce the power.

Here I kanged this from another site, it looks to block like a third of the upper part of the CAC. Sorry for the quality.

Thanks Matt. Sure does look like a blocker. I've always been a little curious about the overall size of the intercooler. Especially since Ford already engineered that support bar across the front of it that looked like it would deflect a significant amount of airflow from the upper portion.

I don't think it's the use of cruise control per se but the use of CC in wet or very humid conditions.

I haven't experienced any symptoms of any kind but truthfully, here in SE Virginia, CC is barely an option as traffic is tight all the time.

AAAahh yes, there is no traffic like HRBT traffic... I try to explain that to my NoVA friends all the time.

Heck...I just walked in the house after driving back from DC and I couldn't use the darned cruise anywhere today....

I'm not even 100% convinced it has anything to do with cruise. I think it has more to do with steady state cruising and never flowing enough air through the intercooler to flush out the water that is collecting.

it could be that they change the boost map when on cruise control, but i doubt it.

i bet this happens on open roads in high humidity, it just so happens that out here in the plains you get ample opportunity to use cruise. if you drove for 6 hours with your foot at 70mph in 90% humidity i'd bet a sammich it would do it as well, but who does that? if you have that much open road, most will use cruise (i know there are some control freaks out there that refuse to use it .. i'm married to one of them).

i doubt this would ever happen in stop and go; the intercooler is not cooling as well due to lack of airflow over it, and you are surging more air through the cooler when you accelerate.

Yes, I'd agree that the issue is not cruise directly, but constant speed driving with no boost. That makes me think it should not happen when towing, because I think that the turbos are on when towing a travel trailer at 60mph.
I also think that probably temperature plays into it, meaning high temps make it worse? I live in Western WA, so we have near 100% humidity almost all winter. I'd expect nearly every F-150 to exhibit the issue here if it was humidity only ....