2013-2014 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost New Misfire TSB! 

****** Just bought 2013 F 150 King Ranch w/ 3.5 L Ecoboost 150,000 Miles. This is my first Ford and just love this truck. I live in Arizona and the trucks history is all Arizona ownership. After reading through all the shudder problems, and test driving the heck out of this truck (no shudder problem) I felt confident that I could shade tree mechanic a lot of these issues. After having the truck for about a week I took it out one morning and the unmistakable shudder reared its ugly self. So i went though all the internet post and common causes of direct injection engines. Yesterday, I Started My PM on the truck by cleaning all the MAP sensors. When i started the truck, i instantly had a better idle. So today I tackled the water in the intercooler problem. Being in a constant dry environment and not willing to drill a hole in the cooler, I took it off to do an inspection. (First of all, if a water problem is the cause, then why wouldn't some one take it out and have a petcock put in to drain the fluid. Drilling a hole is really cheesy.) So after removing the intercooler (which took about 20 minutes, very easy) I had my oil pan ready and waiting for that frothy white junk to come pouring out...what a disappointment, i had about a 1/2 ounce of oil drain out. The research shows if it isn't the plugs or the coils then it is going to be the carbon deposits on the intake valves from the PCV valves returning unspent gases and blow by oil or poor oil that has a high NOACK rating. I won't get to technical, but the NOACK test determines vapor loss of oil under high temp. A turbo charged engine is high temp and should always run a synthetic oil. Now with all the direct injection engines that are on the market no one until now has developed an oil to address this problem. The tech department at Driven Oil Racing have a direct injection oil coming out in April (www.drivenracingoil.com/). With that being said a couple of other Low NOACK synthetic oils are Amsoil signature series and Pennzoil ultra premium. I just ordered a catch can which I know will make a huge improvement. My final resolve unfortunately is going to have the inlet valve ports cleaned. In my scenario this is a long term investment for me, obviously with the miles on it. I am going to scope the valves, but the plan is to change the timing chain ( with the great video Mr. Makuloco made) and walnut shell the ports to like new. Then in the future with the catch can, the right oil, and cleaning the intake valves every 10000 miles this should eliminate future problems. For those of you that are rich and can drop $60,00 to $70,000k every three years on a new truck don't worry about preventive maintenance (PM), but for us poor folk....DO YOUR PM's

Yes 2013. Happened today wet snow day! Thank you

I have so many issues with 2014 3.5 eb SC F-150 that started a 600 miles. I wrote a long detailed letter to Mark Fields, A month latter I received a call from a person in his office, They told me "we will not be assisting you with any of your concerns" I have issues from major panel misalignment to a a sunroof that squeaks when you close it to a transmission that makes a whining ticking noise to a truck that will lunge forward and in reverse without notice. I have 16 issues that are not fixed 3 of a serious nature. Almost 30 years of Fords This will be our last one! I love your videos, they are a BIG help. Keep up the good work

Hi. I had this PO303 misfire in my 2014 F-150 twice on a rainy day while returning from relief work in Kentucky recently. Shuddered, lost power, blinking check engine light while pulling my camper and accelerating to pass a semi. Initially showed the code, but it cleared itself by the time my shop got me scheduled. Scared the bigeebies out of me; enough so that yesterday I was trading it in and voila, the code was back. Thank you for your video! I printed out the TSB and will take it in to get the fix. BJ

My 2012 eco boost has an inter cooler that has a "C" designation rather than the AD or AE. Do you know why?

My 2013 says AC.... Should I be worried and have them do that fix? It has a top cover but I've never experienced misfires.

I have a 2013 with the upper shield I never had and issue with almost 64k on the truck should I leave it or take off the upper shield

Ive installed the RX dual can on my 2012, and pulled the stick-on deflector off a few months back and reflashed the ECU. While the can did catch a good bit of water along with the sludge, there was still 3-4 ounces of clear water that accumulated in my CAC over the following month. I gained my mpg back (12 vs 16 mpg) but the can didn't solve the issue. I drilled the CAC (1/16 in) and the problem is gone, but to not to have a self-inflicted boost leak I have a small screw in there for the time being. Also from the looks of it, the driver's side turbo charge pipe had way more water on it than the passenger side tube. Is it just because it's longer? Maybe.... After doing some datalogging, I found out that the Ford TSB flash decreases the efficiency of the turbos so the boost doesn't build so quickly and push the water into the intake. HEY FORD...HOW ABOUT FIXING THE DAMN CONDENSATION PROBLEM AT ITS SOURCE AND NOT KILLING MY TRUCK'S PERFORMANCE WITH A "WORKAROUND." /rant

Today I had my 2013 EBoost go into shudder mode after accelerating onto interstate. Check engine light on and code says cylinder 6 misfire. Heard of changing single ignition coil, spark plug, and even drill a hole into intercooler. Any step you’d consider first? Thanks

I have 2013 EcoBoost please let me know what can intercooler post to go

What the common problems on a 2016 f150 2.7 ecoboost? Thanks in advance

Couple questions. One. Does the weep hole work? Do you guys leave the weep hole open or latch it? And any problems after wards? I had misfire on cylinders 1-4 when I hammered it and went into limp mode. And how much is the new intercooler and how much is it to take to a dealer to have the new tsb? I just bought the truck a while back and want to get it fixed ASAP and looking to see how much I’m gonna spend.

I have2013 3.5 L ecoboost build date Nov4 2013. I have the top shieldon the cooler. no codes coming up . so do I remove it myself or wait for codes and take to dealer

i have a 2013 king ranch f150...live in South tx where its humid about all year...would this cause the truck to stall and have a check engine light and have the truck engine to almost stall, and not accelerate...i then turn off then on and reprograms and works like nothing

Have a question for you. I have a 2013 f150 ecoboost. I have a cold air intake and aftermarket blow off valve. I have white smoke on startup only lasts for about 2 minutes or so. Also I have a code for random misfire only every 3rd drive cycles or so. No other cylinder just random. Any idea? Yes plugs changed.

So, it seems like TSBs are important updates to driveability concerns and vehicle longevity. Does Ford Service charge for these PCM updates? Should I remove these "deflectors" immediately and worry about the PCM update later, or do everything in the course of a day?

Thanks so much, looking for a used truck and you helped me a lot!!!! Are there mileage stipulation on this one?

Thanks for keeping us informed on this. I have an early build 2011 FX4 Ecoboost truck that had the intercooler problem one time. I was hyper mile driving the thing and that caused the intercooler to never get blown out. I changed my strategy and just started driving the thing like I wanted to, gas mileage be damned. Turns out, that kinda driving is what these EB engines like best, gas mileage actually picked up and now the truck at 59,000 miles runs better than ever. Mine has never been back to the dealer for anything (original tune, intercooler etc.) and has only gotten oil changes and air filters when called for. It's the best truck I have ever owned. Just gotta keep your ecoboost blown out!

Does the 2.7 ecoboost have this issue? I'm trying to buy a 2915 3.5 or 2.7.

any new tsb, saying to put the bottom defector back on, to increase temperature for condensation...

I have a 2014 with AD build. There is a top shield but no lower on the cooler . It is an early build 14. I wonder if that was a final update ?

This information is GOLD! THX! I have the 2014 and ended up putting a drain plug without a catch can on the intercooler ( I have a gravel driveway I dont care about drips). Is there a method to check the PCM version? I use a laptop with ODB interface. Never seen software version values. LUCKILY I never had an issue with the intercooler here in Far-Far Northern California - when I drained it the first time I got maybe 15 drops of liquid and that was it (was expecting more).

I'm a little confused here. I bought a 2013 F150 3.5 EB and it still has the AB air charge cooler and should have the AD, correct? According to the TSB, I should have the AD air charge cooler and the PCM reprogrammed? Or is reprogramming the PCM the final fix? How much can I expect to spend to get this issue corrected, in round numbers of course?

Thanks Brian! Your vids are always well done and informative. While I've never had the misfire issue on my '13, my CAC has the number DL34-9L440 *AC* on the tag. You mention AB, AE and AD. So is my AC CAC the inadvertent fix? Should I remove the top shielding? ("if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?)

My 2013 F-150 Ecoboost is stumbling from time to time, but it is not intercooler related. when driving down the road, it stumbles three or four times (like it wants to die), and sometimes when this happens, the gauges flutter, the speedometer resets to zero, and the DIC gives me an orange screen with a wrench. When you turn off the truck and start it up again, the speedometer works, and I am able to see the mileage readout. I pulled up a P0722 DTC. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I seriously am considering trading this truck in. This was a replacement to my 6.0L... I have pretty much had it with Ford- a company that I have been die-hard loyal to for many, many years now. Thanks in advance!

These videos are great - I have a 2014 EB - purchased used from ford dealer as certified used. I see the top deflector is still on. Is the calibration only able to be updated at the dealer ? Trying to decide if I should push to have the deflector removed and PCM updated as you have stated? Any help is much appreciated

I have a 2011, and they installed the shields and recalibrated. Truck is and has been running perfectly fine since. I know the old saying “if its not broken dont fix it.” But do you have any recommendations for me as far as doing anything on my 2011?

Does this apply to a 2016 3.5 EcoBoost ?

I've got a 2013 Limited 3.5L EcoBoost. Have not had one issue. Even towed a 28' race trailer across country and back in 6 1/2 days without so much as a hiccup. This has been a great truck! Have 42k on it now. I'm a Roofing Contractor and Have pulled 12k lbs on a trailer and had 2k lbs in the payload. This engine is strong and works well! I had air bags installed on the rear so I could haul heavy payloads.

My 2013 Lariat 3.5l ecoboost's intercooler is marked "A2". is this a current code?

My 2014 ecoboost is in the shop right now for this issue, they are trying to tell me its not covered by my powertrain warranty, how can this be?

So I just bought a 14' recently and it develops misfires when you step on it hard. The misfire seems to be jumping around first it was cylinder one and I changed the plug that looked bad and now cylinder 4. Just wondering if I needed to just change all the plugs and ignition coils and get it over with. Also not really sure how the intercooler causes misfires.

i only have the top deflecter in front of the intercooler and behind?

Thanks for the information. I actually have it scheduled back in the shop (different dealer) to have them address the drive line clunk. What scares me about the misfire issue is you never know when its going to happen. The last time I was making a left turn and punched the throttle and it was like the truck just gave up, then it started to shutter real bad, luckily no one was coming the other way. I have the paper work showing that there was a problem found but no fixed performed. Maybe this new TSB will help fix the issue. Thanks again for the great info.

Hi! I'm have a problem with my 2014 F150 Platinum 3.5L EB. Only 9,990 miles, The service maintenance warning indicator light came on and engine is stumbling, no turbo boost. Ford service manager said it sounded like chitty chitty bang bang. Currently in the shop (since last Thursday) diagnosed with several codes: P0299, P0017, P0015, P054B. They called today to say it was the Exhaust Cam Phaser on Bank 1. My question is: Is that something they can be repaired and I won't experience other related issues or should I be asking them to check other things as well that could be damaged?

Hey I have 2014 3.5 eb. I have seen lots about drilling a 1/16 weep hole in the inner cooler. What’s your thoughts. Thanks.

Does anyone know or can share a video on replacing the turbo inlet sensor and connector on a 2013 F-150 EcoBoost? Thanks in advance

Hey man - love your videos. Need your help - 2014 F150 eco - 50k miles - vibration in front of truck when coasting at 35 mph. Goes away at high speeds and when accelerating. Any thoughts ???

FordTechMakoloco: I am having issues with the truck downshifting from 6 to 1st at highway speeds. Also, the truck has started knocking into neutral and revving to the limiter, then shifting all over the place. I have pulled P0720 and P0721, and believe this is leadframe related. The LSF has been recalled from 2010-2012, but the '13 has not been covered in the past. My local dealer told me on the phone that the recall has been extended to the '13, as well, so I made an appointment. After taking the truck to the crooks (long story) at Lance Cunningham Ford, they quoted me $700.00, and said that it was NOT covered. I have done a search, and my VIN is not recalled. Any ideas why Ford hasn't addressed this very serious issue, and what can be done to force Ford to step it up before somebody gets seriously hurt or killed? Thanks!

Have f150 6 cylinder and loses power on highway. When i turn on truck will be fine but as soon as i put it into gear it dies. .any recommendation??

2012 3.5 I have know fire on the driver's side. Brian what could the problem be? New cam sensors etc?????

Ok thanks big help. I think it's normal probably the gear that I'm in at that time I'm guessing. And sounds good I'll take it off since high heat is right around the corner.

my 2012 has a code of AC so im wandering if this is a test cooler

hey I have a 2014 f150 5.0 miss on Cylinder 4 change plugs coil and injector cleaning

Is the Explorer with the 3.5 Ecoboost part of this?

Fordtechmakuloco, is this still the latest misfire TSB? I have a 2013 with 39,000 miles and it happened for the first time accelerating onto the interstate in the rainy mountains on a 1,000 mile trip for Christmas. I'm looking to get this resolved before I head back home at the local dealership here. Also, is the TSB covered under the power train warranty at no cost? Thanks for all you do! Your videos are AWESOME!

I do have a catch can install and did when this happened

I just drilled the smallest hole in the left bottom corner and watch the water pour out. That was a year ago. I run a MPT 93 PRX, catch can. Think I used like a 3/64 bit. Never understood why this intercooler does this. I own a srt4. And like 3 other plus a few tsi talons and never had that issue. But drilling this tiny hole will not cause an issue

hi have 2012 ford f150 ecoboost have code p012b/p012d how to fix that and little shake

Hey whats up? I am the original owner of a 2013 f150 ecoboost. I have always followed your videos.. i just hit 56,000 miles and ran into my second experience of losing power on the highway in wet like conditions. As of today, did any part numbers change since this video? And also your spark plug gap was set at 28? Is that the same as well. Thank you. Neil

Your comments on a 3.5 with 205 k on it. A '14 150 xl

Thank you for you innformation and videos. I just recently purchased a 2011 f150 3.5 ecoboost. Well this morning, under wet/foggy conditions, demanding power........ and Experienced the the shutter misfiring and loss of power you talk about. I took it right in to the dealer and they preformed tsb 13-08-01 flashed pcm and installed lower cac shield. Is this the most current fix for my truck? Does it really resolve the issue? I was just absolutely sick to my stomach when this happened.

I'm so REALLY confused... all I ever find when looking for ecoboost issues, they all seem to be related to F-150. Is the F-150 the ONLY 3.5 ecoboost that suffers from these issues?? The reason I ask is bc I own a '13 MKT with 3.5 ecoboost and when I nail it to get away from road turds, it'll sound like a machine gun (misses??). My service advisor (VERY trusted IMO) tells me it's a rev limiter situation. I'm wondering if these problems are specific to F-150's or do they relate to all 3.5 ecoboost?? Anybody?? thx.

Does the cal update change how the truck drives at all? Power delivery changes or anything? Seems like if you cranked up the boost may be a-ok. I have a 13 with a livernois tune in it - never had an issue.

I have a 2011 I drove the truck into the bay to be worked on rebuilt the trans and hook the battery up and the truck wouldn't start so I scanned it and it said it was the fuel pump so I changed the pump tried to start it and it still wouldn't start up so I rescanned and it came up with a code for PCM what do I do to reset this PC m I tried to disconnect the battery for about 30 minutes and a truck still won't start anybody have any answers that would I don't know what else to do

I have 2012 f 150 ecoboost crew cab 4x4 that has a rough idle. The truck has 34000 miles on it, and started a rough idle at 30000 miles. I changed to the new updated plugs and boots, but did not seem to help any. I don’t use the truck much, maybe once a week, cause I have multiple vehicles at my house. Sometimes it will blow white smoke out in morning when first cranking , but has done that since I had it. The truck runs great on the road, and only notice the rough idle some of the time like a red light, or at a stop sign. The passenger bucket seat will vibrate slightly. My Father in law has same exact truck and color, with 90000 miles on his , and his runs very smooth , no rough idle. Can’t even hear his run, but he uses his multiple times a week. I watch your video all the time, and wonder if you might no what is wrong with my truck. I haven’t tried the intercooler fix drilling the hole, but once noticed real drippy oil on my oil dipstick. I use full synthetic Pennzoil platinum since I got the truck. Please reply if you can help me with this. Thanks so much.

Any chance you can update the link to the catch can you recommend?

My 2013 has an AC??

Do you know how I would go about getting ford esp on a used truck that I am looking at a different dealer? And in your opinion, would you rather go with ford esp or a dealership aftermarket warranty?

No, the main concern was the loss of power, I mentioned the problem of hard starting, on the first oil change and also when I took it in for the loss of power. Dave D

how do i flash the pcm?

Brian where is on a 2013 where is the boost gauge on an F-150

I just bought a 2011 F150 with the ecoboost in January. It had 47000 miles and i have put another 20000 on it already. I have experienced the loss of power on a few occasions (raining or high humidity). My intercooler is marked AB. The warranty has lapsed. What would you suggest I do to correct this issue? Thanks for the great videos

Probably the 5.0L still the least risk of issues then? I've seen a couple 5.0's on F-150/forums having loud knocking, requiring a new short block. Have you seen anything like that before?

How do you reprogram after I take them off

I own a 2012 Ff150 ecoboost with AD on the cooler. Do I need to remove the stick on flap on the bottom and the deflector on top, and have the dealer recalibrate? I have not had any problems with the engine and i have 35000 kms on it now

Luckily my pop's truck has been good to him. 2013 w/ 3.5. 55k on it. Luckily the trucks in AZ so don't have to worry about many damp conditions

Does this have any relationship to a intermittently high pitched whine coming from the turbo boost pump under the air cleaner box? 2012 F-150 K.R. 3.5l EB 38K

I have 2013 fx2, same problem, is a same fix

Have you ever taken out the CKP Sensor on the 2.12 F150 FX4 3.5L ecoboost?

My 2013 F150 ecoboost has AC....not AB or AD. Would this be causing any harm? I'm about to take my truck to a dealer and have them flash and update the TCM after performing this TCB.

The 2011s have a miss under a load pulling something due to bad programing in the computer.A friend of my dad's brother in law had this happen to him when he had his 2011 F150 with the ecoboost.Jasper Engines and Transmissions already has 6 of these on test stands finding the problems with them.The Jasper rep that stops at my father's shop has talked to Ford techs that have seen blown headgaskets and fuel injectors blowing out of them

I have a 2013 f150 xlt with 3.5L ecoboost. The problems I had is loss of power when wet and humid and starting problems. The Dealer has made the latest changes to the cooler. It has not lost power as of this date, but I still continue to have starting problems. No one seems to be talking about the starting problems. What is your thoughts? Thanks Dave D

Just had misfiring happen on my drive from Florida to Maryland. happened around orlando during heavy thunderstorms with high temperatures (around 80 F). Felt like half the cylinders were misfiring, downshifting to 3rd gear at highway speed fixed the problem and didnt happen again during the entire 1100 mile trip. Check engine light was flashing and I was not able to maintain highway speed in 6th gear

I took my 2013 F150 to my dealer for the new ford bulletin, they did all that you said. That killed my gas millage from 19.5 to 17.5 and when I pull my trailer it went from 15 mpg to 10 mpg. I have not addressed the starting issues with the dealer as of this date.

Is this a recall fix?

Just installed the UPR dual oil catch can. It's supposed to be the fix to the ecoboost condensation problem causing the limp mode and leading to misfires, etc. Check blogs for additional info.

I have a 2013 and I have no issues with misfires. However, I have noticed a milky substance in the PCV hose that smells like bad fuel. I have also noticed a rise in my oil level and a fuel smell is present on the dipstick with only 1500 miles on this oil. Any ideas?

oh good i just bought an ecoboost last week and a monster storm is about to hit northern california

Just from reading all your posts you answered mi question! I'm going with the 5.0 .2015 models should have all these issues fixed? You would think wright!!!

Are 2014's having these problems still? Or have these issues been ironed out in the 2014. Trying to decide between a 2014 Long Bed HD Payload with either the Ecoboost or 5.0, thanks for any advice.

Hi, Brian! I have a 2014 F150 with the 3.5l Ecoboost and 175k miles. It developed a cylinder #2 misfire and I followed all of your suggestions to remedy that. Thank you for that, Now, when I accelerate, instead of a normal engine sound and performance response, it is sluggish and the exhaust note sounds like the old Powerstroke diesel. Any ideas??

Did this TSB seem to take care of the stumble/miss fire conditions?

I have a 2012 FX2 with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. are these air deflectors covered in the warranty thru FORD. I have less than 20,000 miles on my truck so I haven't had any issues yet but I don't want to wait for that either.

just watch your video ! thanks i'm sure it will help me to solve my problem! i was wondering if you could send me a copied of this specific tsb?

Thanks for the Info. But what about 2013 f150 5.0. Repeated #6 Misfire. New Coil, Spark Plug and Injector. Each is Receiving Input Signal. Is there something going on internally? Thanks Sam

Just had the stumble issue today on my 2012 EB. My intercooler is a model B, but you didn't mention that in the video. This was "fixed" a few months ago, the dealership installed the deflector shield and replaced one of the cats. Is there a new intercooler or better fix for the 2012? I'm heading to the dealer first thing tomorrow morning, but want to be as informed as possible.

Thanks for your video. I have a 2012 FX4 that has a shudder problem from a stop under any acceleration, slow to fast. I had the AC CAC and the dealer put the lower shield on and reflashed the PCM about six weeks ago, it didn't help at all. I now am trying an aftermarket CAC (Wagner-Tuning) and I'm thinking there's more going on here as the problem still persist. After the shudder off the line, it runs fine as it always has. The service guy says: they all have turbo lag and I know what that is but I think it's more than that. I went to the SP534 plugs and it helped then I went to the NGK 6510 (one heat range cooler) and it helped even more. But the problem is still there. It's a fast truck and once the turbos spool it spins the tires in second gear and doesn't stop til I hit forth gear. Any ideas?

I have a 2013 eco and whenever I get on it or have WOT it studders and the check engine light starts blinking..... It probably does this for about 30 to 45 seconds..... Almost a total loss of power until the light stops blinking.... Anyone know what could possibly be going on?

What is TSB?

I have the AB intercooler on a 2011 f150 ecoboost. what is the latest TSB?

so does it worth to buy the ecoboost 2014 or not because im just about to buy one tommorrow ! thx

I just bought a 2015 XLT ecoboost 3.5 4wd. I changed all plugs+coil packs. I keep getting a miss fire on #1. What should I be looking at next. BTW, I swapped out the new coil with another new one just in case. But no difference.

What about the new 2015 3.5 v6 ecoboost ?? Does it come with this problem ?

I have a friend with a 2013 F150. It around 11k miles, and he has noticed a skip when he pulls his trailer/golf cart. He has installed an Edge programmer. I was curious if you could tell me how much the programmer would affect the skipping issue? I haven't asked him to check to see which design # he has, so i can't provide that part just yet.

I have a 2013 ecoboost, and had the same PCM update you refer to last week for an unrelated issue (problem with the battery management system). 4 days after the PCM update, I pulled out to pass someone on the highway and the truck fell on its face. Went into full limp mode (wrench and check engine light both illuminated) . Brought it to the dealer today...they removed the deflector plate as per the other portion of the TSB and say that was likely why it happened. Does this make sense? Seems to me like this TSB is just another shot in the dark since, if I understand your explanation correctly, the PCM update will allow the engine to manage the water from the CAC. But in my case still had the deflector plate, which should result in less water accumulation, couple that with the PCM update and I should not have had this happen if it were a true fix. Long story short, I don't think this is the fix we are all hoping for!

Is only on the f150's or every 3.5l EB? I just bought a 14' flex.

should I be worried I have a 2012 fx4 eco boost and last summer on a road trip had 6 total shut downs off power with a real bad shacking.it was raining all 6 times . went to 4 dealers to get updates and the plugs changed but could there be damage down to my engine from this problem and can it kill the longevity of my engine. it happened only when I was passing and hard on the gas.

TSB-14-0040 says to remove the block heater if it has one and plug but if it doesn't have one install a block heater? Is that correct?

Makuloco what do you think the calibration did or changed? I have a 2013 KGCT3GA strategy code all my tunes are writing for that but if I really need thjs tsb, I will do it. Now let me tell you my dealing with this, I had it twice in one day only and it had rained for three days. I took the cac off and drianed in then drilled a 1/16th hole at lowest point. What do you think of the hole? And what do you recommend as for as tsb. Everything has been okay snice but It hasn't raines again yet. Thx