Strange noise during cold start on Powerboost

[Jrohner78]

The video is a last gen f150 (2018) which is 5-6. This gen (2021 and newer) powerboost models are to be 3-4.

Sponsored

 

[SouthParkCo2]

Ok I am confused - after watching this video - but reading the forums - is the fluid suppose to be between 5-6 or 3-4?? Is the Powerboost trans different?

Read this post. It explains with pictures ... The transmission is almost the same but with fluid level differences. Ford has/does use the same measuring stick for different transmission levels in different models...

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...-start-on-powerboost.7088/page-10#post-186991

 

[J44snk]

Ok I am confused - after watching this video - but reading the forums - is the fluid suppose to be between 5-6 or 3-4?? Is the Powerboost trans different?

If you look at the posts, the correct level is between 3-4.
The dipstick starts at 1 and goes up to 6 (furthest point from the hex), so the more oil, the lower the number, less oil the higher the number.

 

[J44snk]

The video is a last gen f150 (2018) which is 5-6. This gen (2021 and newer) powerboost models are to be 3-4.

Makes you wonder if they forgot to update the build manual (or they didn’t look at it) and were automatically putting in the lower oil level in the PowerBoost transmission for the last year or so - or at least on one of the shifts/lines.

 

[Jrohner78]

Makes you wonder if they forgot to update the build manual (or they didn’t look at it) and were automatically putting in the lower oil level in the PowerBoost transmission for the last year or so - or at least on one of the shifts/lines.

My thought is with all the shortages if some tranny's meant for something else got diverted to F150s and didn't get filled right...

 

[herothedog]

@Ford Motor Company I just dropped off the truck for the recall work around the insulation and drive shaft. When I made the appointment one month ago, I said I needed to have this noise problem looked at.

Well, it was not on the service ticket. So, I'd have to leave it for a while (days... weeks) to have it "worked in". They also said their tech must be able to reproduce the problem. I told them it only happens when temps are single digits or colder for many days (the weather is forcasted to be 50-70s for the next many weeks down in the city well above single digits up here). They said they would not accept a video with the noise, and this forum was not something they would use either.

I'm remembering now why it has been 30 years since I last owned a Ford truck...

#dissatisfied #customer

[Update] So parts for the recall repair were not available even though they said they had them when I made the appointment... sigh... but instead they said they did look into the transmission problem. According to the service guy, they checked the fluids cold and hot and they came out on spec... I have no idea who what or how they measured, I did smell an oily smell when I first picked up the truck so...?

 

[Snakebitten]

Yea, Ford is the only manufacturer that has frustrated customers when it comes to getting their new vehicles serviced.
All the other dealerships have open bays and available techs for immediate drive thru service.

Join their forums and you will NOT see posts resembling these.

 

[herothedog]

Yea, Ford is the only manufacturer that has frustrated customers when it comes to getting their new vehicles serviced.
All the other dealerships have open bays and available techs for immediate drive thru service.

Join their forums and you will NOT see posts resembling these.

It might be the first vehicle I've had in 30 years to have an issue in the first year of ownership (and I probably have had nearly 20 vehicles in that time ?). I guess my time or luck is up? The last vehicle I had a problem with was in a 1998 Audi A4, it was probably a year old at the time. The turn signal switch broke on Christmas Eve... The dealer service manager asked if I could bring it by before 5PM, I said I would try as I had a long commute. I got there at 5:10... he was there waiting for me. He tried his best to remedy the problem but it required the steering wheel to come off and he needed his airbag tech to do it, who was already gone for Christmas... He tried and I was happy. He scheduled me for the day after Christmas and if I could wait for an hour or two they would put me in the front of the line as soon as I pulled in... I can't think of any other major issues (I did have some VW issues but it was not on a car that was less than a year old and less than 6000 miles on it).

 

[Snakebitten]

In 1998, a Powerboost would be considered Science Fiction. Lol
Honestly, I'm amazed Ford had the gonads to actually build this truck with the insane complexity it has.
I'm even more amazed that mine is just days from being a year old and it's never seen the dealership.

I fully expected to experience early adopter snags at some point.

 

[Jrohner78]

My plan on Monday is to meet with the transmission tech. See if he can show me the proper powerboost fill level and walk me through the procedure for checking it. If everything the tech tells me matches what has been shared in here should be good. If not I want to dig deeper on why.

 

[herothedog]

True, I did take the early adopter risk. I have before (the VW I had)… though service/support is the bigger issue.

 

[Snakebitten]

True, I did take the early adopter risk. I have before (the VW I had)… though service/support is the bigger issue.

My Powerboost is in a long line of Ford trucks and I admit that I have been fortunate to have never gotten a "lemon".
But I am well aware that some have, including a relative or two.

My daily driver(s) are vehicles that couldn't be more analog compared to the Powerboost. Most days I'm driving a 17 year old Porsche and as much as I LOVE the machine and respect it for the design and engineering, I avoid Porsche dealerships at all co$ts. Lol

They probably would treat me better and make me feel like they care...... But ??

Again, the Powerboost is just mind boggling complex. But dang is it awesome while it works.

 

[SouthParkCo2]

As it stands now for my truck .....

So, I picked up my truck yesterday afternoon from the Ford dealership. They had it for four days and 20 miles of test drives. They could not duplicate the cold weather idle noise [no surprise, much warmer temps in Colorado]. They checked the trans fluid level for me and also found it to be "Good". I would have talked to the tech who worked on my truck, but he was at "Ford School". At my request, though, they printed out a 7 page document with the trans fluid check procedure [307-01B for 2022 F-150 Rev. Date 12/13/2021]. I'm posting it here/below ....

Because I may be/must be OCD, I set my truck up [level, running in diagnostic mode, & at normal operating temp per the gauges] shortly after getting home. So I could verify their "Good" determination. My results once again matched my previous results from last Sunday. Trans fluid level remains at midway between 5 & 6...... A spec level of between 3 & 4, per the printed document I received, is what I should be seeing and I'm still not. So if the numbered marks on the trans fluid indicator are about at 1 quart increments, I'm roughly 2 quarts low. I also took a reading with the motor off and it was between 2 & 3 [crowding the 2 mark].

Two things: 1) I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong when I check the trans fluid. Who do I believe, the dealership or my lying eyes? 2) At this point, I'm seriously considering buying 2 qts. of MERCON/Valvoline ULV fluid and bring the trans up to specs.


**Updated reply/conversation from YouTube with Ford Tech "Shop Talk"**

" @DD Butikofer “Ford School.” I’ll bet I know what class he was at. I have to go to training myself next week for the first time in years. If you’re following the procedure and think it’s low, top it off if they won’t. The numbers aren’t quarts. I would guess 3/4 of a quart would probably raise it to the correct level, but I’d probably start with half a quart because it’s a pain to get back out if you over fill it. I’d want it full either way, but I doubt your problem is low fluid. With low fluid the symptoms I would expect is no engagement for 4 or 5 seconds in extreme cold weather. It causes other issues too, but usually that’s the first thing noticeable. You put in in gear first thing in the morning and nothing happens for several seconds. On the hybrid version it would probably occur when the gas engine starts, since they usually start driving on electric and bypass the torque converter till the gas engine starts. Although the transmission still needs to hydraulically engage clutch packs so……… I may need more coffee to think about this lol. The video that you sent me the links to, I really think was the torque convertor bolts were rubbing the separator plate between the engine and the transmission. I had a Ford truck doing that a while back, probably like a 2019, not a hybrid, but similar transmission. That truck would only act up first thing in the morning for maybe 60 seconds if we parked it outside and it was very cold out. Made a horrible noise for about a minute and then it would just go away. Expansion as things warmed up I suppose. There was a TSB on that truck, and I haven’t seen anything on newer trucks or hybrids, but it seems like it’s probably the same issue. I think you said you had a video of it, so I definitely would show that to them or give them a copy of it. Every clue helps for diagnosis. If that is the problem and it’s similar to the one we looked at, it may not do it again till next winter. And that’s going to make it nearly impossible to diagnose until then. It’s not a good situation for you as the owner knowing something is wrong with the truck, or for the dealer trying to diagnose a problem they can’t see. Is it still making the noise or has it stopped as the weather warmed up?

@Shop Talk - Thank you for thinking this through. I had no video of my truck but I did/do have an mp3 audio file which I did provide to them. As well as a couple of pictures of my low trans fluid level taken as I crawled out from under.... They did accept that I was hearing a problem and though they could not reproduce it, they told me my truck was documented as having a customer reported issue [so there is that]. I, like many others [many who have posted videos on YouTube], only had the issue when ambient temps were some where below 10 degrees F. The noise on an unmoved truck is typically reported as being 5-10 minutes in length. Mine was quite lengthy as well. Spring is coming in Colorado fortunately....... no noise now. On bringing the trans fluid level up to snuff, I'm assuming that getting the truck level, in continuous run mode, and at fully normal operating temp would be the correct starting point to add fluid?

@DD Butikofer yes, level, engine running and proper temperature. "

 

[Severdog]

Two things: 1) I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong when I check the trans fluid. Who do I believe, the dealership or my lying eyes? 2) At this point, I'm seriously considering buying 2 qts. of MERCON/Valvoline ULV fluid and bring the trans up to specs.

I’ve always wrenched my own rides. First, out of necessity. Later, out of the need for certainty. No one will do the job as well as a patient, methodical owner who is vested and has no time constraints.

 

[Jrohner78]

Thanks for that post showing the documents!! I'll have this ready Monday when I head in. One thing I want an answer on is if I've been running low since ownership has there been damage done already.

Also perhaps worth nothing when I checked mine the dipstick not only read between 5 and 6 it was full of bubbles.

Sponsored