Powerboost Cavitating Noise on Cold Start

[Gros Ventre]

I believe it will not solve the problem although the above may be a part of the problem. On the third of three fluid & filter changes by a Ford Dealer that I trust, I asked politely (& firmly) to have the tech measure the amount of fluid drained (the good news is the Service Advisor agreed this was needed). The tech was following the prescribed Ford procedure that tells him to refill with 5 quarts. Well... the amount drained was on the order of 7 1/2 quarts. There is a problem with the procedure and Ford's assessment of how much fluid needs to be added. Also the methodology of measuring fluid level is flawed. They need a standard dipstick among other things.

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[Porpoise Hork]

Here's an update. Kinda good, I guess. The tech opened a hotline and found similar reports from other dealers. Hotline confirmed to replace Flex Plate and Separator Plate. I am not an expert, but if those are metal then it could contract during cold snaps. Maybe. Not even sure if there will be moving parts near those plates.

Now I am waiting for the parts to arrive and see if it still happens during cold snaps.

Sounds like they are replacing the transmission filter screen assembly then. With that they should hopefully fill it to the correct level when bolting it back up.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Update: Got my truck into the quick lane at the Ford dealer this morning and they found that it was, in fact, 1 quart low. Going to park it nose down in the driveway tonight and see how it reacts tomorrow morning!

So looks like Ford still hasn't figured out how much fluid is suppose to put in the 10R80.

OR they checked it cold and overfilled it...

 

[Porpoise Hork]

It might be the latter… Just picked it up and the transmission wasn’t at full operating temp. But wouldn’t that mean it’s likely even lower than a quart low? Like engine oil, I’d think when cold you’d get a higher reading since all of the oil has had a chance to settle.

The engine has to be running to properly check it. Keep in mind the fluid will expand quite a bit as it heats up. The difference on the dipstick can be as much as a full bar between cold and specified temp of 206-215F.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Holy crap they WAY overfilled it.. Supposed to be between 4-5 when hot.

 

[Snakebitten]

2021 - 2022 10r80 F150 Powerboost

At full temp, engine on, should be between 3&4

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Thanks for posting this. I wasn't aware of any change in fluid level.

 

[Snakebitten]

Thanks for posting this. I wasn't aware of any change in fluid level.

Your point was still accurate though.
His stick shows the transmission as overfilled.

 

[Snakebitten]

How can the actual dealer be this incompetent…?

Do you have a pdf of this actual spec that I can show the dealer, by chance?

No offense, but this forum is riddled with examples of the lack of expertise in the service department.
And the information that I posted above is from THE official manufacturer's service manual for your truck. Your dealership has the exact same documentation.

However, you get the feeling these days that they don't READ?
It's a disappointing scenario.

 

[Snakebitten]

The Service manual is 15,000 pages for the Powerboost.
Heck, the owners manual is 750 pages.
So I agree that it's possible for there to be mistakes in it. But I trust the documentation after two years (time for the publisher to release addendums) far more than I do the folks that won't even hook up a battery charger while using FDRS, even though the on-screen instructions repeatedly instruct them to do so.

 

[Gros Ventre]

I'm beginning to wonder if there is design problem. Every Automatic transmission I've had and changed the fluid on, had a filter designed so that the suction for the pump was part of the filter and thus low in the pan. I've had one of the filters for this transmission out and it does not have a similar thing. From this I infer that the suction for the transmission oil pumps are above the filter instead of being part of the filter and lower in the pan as a result. That then means the fluid level is a very sensitive thing as to what it is when things are really, really cold outside with the resultant cold fluid level lower. Among other things, I'm considering installing one of those flat-pad stickon 120 volt oil warmers and then allowing a longer truck warmup so that the transmission has more time to bring up fluid temps.

 

[J44snk]

Now the cold weather is back in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I am monitoring the cold start problem of my Powerboost again. I noticed this noise about October-November of 2021, the first winter of my Powerboost. I didn't get to record it until about February 2022 when I noticed it more. I went to the dealer about it, couldn't replicate it. Until I left it overnight and went there in the morning to cold start it together. They were able to hear it, but they cannot replicate it in the shop, that is because it warmed up already. It is annoying how they cannot fixed things. Anyway, they contacted Ford Engineering (that's what they told me) and their reply is "Normal". I do not think anything is normal about this. I plan to take this back again sometime this week and hopefully get some action on it.

I see more and more posting about this problem here. Anybody here had a resolution already? Did Ford Representative actually reply for an action or possible solution?

Here are the two videos I posted on youtube

November 6, 2022


February 2022


Thanks!

I live in Calgary as well, and park on my Drive nose down - my 2022 502a PB sounds normal when starting, even last week when it was -20c.
I was following this issue from last Winter - and from what I could see this was caused by not enough Oil in the gearbox, which the few posts on this thread confirm this.

The PB transmission needs more oil than the EB transmission - and in some of the early models it looks like Ford was putting the same amount of oil in both transmissions.

my Blend date was July, and maybe by then they have actually addressed this.

Hopefully you can get the dealer to check and confirm.

Good luck!!

 

[Gros Ventre]

As to oil level... I come back to my experience. In having the oil & filter changed there were problems. On the third round I had the dealer measure how much oil was actually drained: 7 & 1/2 qts. Thus if the Ford procedure specified less than that to be added, the oil level was low. I have been told by two dealers now that the procedure for checking level (EG reading the dipstick) was complex. One dealer said that it required two people, one behind the steering wheel and one under the truck... So-o-o... there ya go.

 

[Snakebitten]

I believe the documentation that is considered a potential discrepancy is only a difference of one hash mark. I doubt on level ground that it would be enough to cause any issue related to volume.

But I imagine that a steep enough angle could introduce a problem regardless?

 

[dstrydom]

Funny thing is I noticed this first when I go around a sharp corner to the left or when I am accelerating when my '21 Powerboost is cold. This confirms that the oil levels are low. 22k Miles

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