Uneven Acceleration

[Moeman]

Hello All... after having our last SUV bought back due to service dept not being able to correct some issues, we cast a wide net to see what large SUV would suit our needs at the right price. Well, in short we didn't really like anything out there. Seeing as the wife works for Ford and 2022's were being offered at 0%, even though we didn't think much of Expeditions, we held our noses and signed on to an XLT thinking that we'd stay away from all of the buggy electronics, save some money on the initial purchase and dump some cash into it to try to make it look somewhat decent. But, before we start working on appearance, we have some things to fix. Hoping to find some answers here as years of dealing with Ford service depts have resulted in much frustration and not many corrections.

So, acceleration on this vehicle is not linear, mostly noticeable when starting from a stop up to about 40mph, slowly accelerating up a hill, etc. The engine feels like its chugging instead of delivering smooth and steady power.

I've felt this on a few other vehicles we've owned and never was able to get it resolved. Hoping I can find a solution on this one.

Any ideas?

 

[SyndicateZ]

Maybe a tune will help

 

[GlennSullivan]

Possibly the trans is not shifting correctly. You might ask if there is a firmware flash for the controller. I find with my 2017 (6 speed) if I'm going up an incline and am very soft on the accelerator, I get that same engine lugging kind of feeling. My solution is to drive a little more aggressively and the trans immediately shifts down 1 gear resulting in increased RPM and lugging eliminated.

 

[MassGuy]

Its a turbo. Once boost builds at around 2000 RPM the acceleration takes off. It's turbo lag.

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

Not sure if the "chugging" you're feeling is consistent or sporadic. All eco-boosts (in fact most boosted motors) can, on rare occasions, experience liquid water induction issues. If it isn't throwing codes, and it seems to happen at the same or similar point on your commute or typical drive, this could be it.

All air-compressors cause existing humidity in ambient air to condense and fall out. Depending on the design of the overall boost system, and how boost is managed, liquid water can "pool" in the intercooler under certain conditions. If this occurs, the next time boost is applied, that liquid water can be blown into the combustion chambers, before it vaporizes, and cause misfires. There are some cures; but, depending on ambient moisture levels and how a vehicle is operated, it can be experienced. I don't recall experiencing it with my '20 Expedition. But, it has happened a few times this summer with my F150 PowerBoost, likely because the motor is rarely being boosted as the PCM prioritizes the EV motor before the turbos if the battery is charged. Add to that that I live near a warm lake that causes our local humidity to be significantly higher than surrounding areas this time of year in the morning and evening.

My PowerBoost is most likely to experience it the first time it boosts after a cold start in the driveway in the morning. It lasts about a mile while I'm accelerating to 55 from a stop. It manifests as rough running as the accelerator is depressed. The PCM responds by increasing the boost as long as I stay on it, which eventually dries everything out and it smooths out.

Good luck to your wife at Ford, I spent 23 years there; but, things seemed to have slipped horribly on many fronts since (even before)I left 16 years ago.