Engine Shacking - Knocking on Uphill

[malaguti]

Hi everyone,
I need help!


I have a 2011 Expedition 5.4 with 45,000 miles. It all started during a trip — when going uphill and accelerating at low RPMs, I could hear engine knocking (pinging). Later, I got stuck in traffic and noticed the car shaking. I lightly pressed the gas in neutral and it stopped, but then it started shaking again when I stopped later.


I replaced the spark plugs, injectors, and coils at first, and I thought the problem was fixed. But on the next trip, the shaking came back. After reading more about it, I decided to buy the full Variable Cam Timing kit — including chains, tensioners, guides, and cam phasers/solenoids. I really thought I had solved it that time. I drove around the city and everything seemed fine.


But on the first highway trip, the same thing happened again: knocking when going uphill under load, and shaking when idling. I finally changed the oil and switched to 5W30 to see if that would help — but nothing changed.

 

[dr2024]

Sounds like you need to hook it up to a diagnostic computer to see better what’s happening.

Were the timing kit parts all Ford/OEM?

 

[malaguti]

Sounds like you need to hook it up to a diagnostic computer to see better what’s happening.

Were the timing kit parts all Ford/OEM?

Yes, OEM PARTS.

 

[dr2024]

Maybe less relevant, have you changed the fuel filter? (30k interval IIRC).

I do think hooking up a diagnostic computer to see what is happening will help you figure this out.

 

[malaguti]

Maybe less relevant, have you changed the fuel filter? (30k interval IIRC).

I do think hooking up a diagnostic computer to see what is happening will help you figure this out.

No, I will try, But I don't think is the problem, because when the car is cold everything is fine.

 

[Johnathan M]

A bluetooth code reader is very inexpensive. I have used this one for years, and it's only around $30.00. https://a.co/d/12bmcq8
Get a free app to read the codes and diagnostics and there is so much you can check and do without taking it to a shop. I use the Car Scanner app on my iphone. I believe it's free, but I gave a donation since I benefitted from it so much.

You can have it reading sensors while driving and tell exactly which cylinders are misfiring (if that's what is happening). There's always the possibility that one of the new coils was faulty even when new. Reading what cylinder is misfiring can help you figure that out. Did your new coils include the boots/springs between the coil and the spark plug? Most do, but I've heard of people not replacing the boots when replacing the coils.

 

[dr2024]

+1 on a Bluetooth code reader.

I’ve used one in the past to identify a bad coil (new part failed early). The reader identified behavior (misfire) and the cylinder misfiring, and when I swapped coils between adjacent cylinders the fault moved with the coil.

I also recently worked on a Porsche 911 that was exhibiting intermittent bad behavior that felt like fuel starvation. Replacing the fuel pump relay had no effect, I finally put it on a diagnostic computer which showed a triggered fault relating to the crankshaft position sensor (a solid state Hall effect sensor), and that turned out to be the problem - replacing it completely fixed the behavior.

Point being, you need more information, and a Bluetooth reader & maybe later Forscan, is a good next step to give you more clues.

 

[malaguti]

+1 on a Bluetooth code reader.

I’ve used one in the past to identify a bad coil (new part failed early). The reader identified behavior (misfire) and the cylinder misfiring, and when I swapped coils between adjacent cylinders the fault moved with the coil.

I also recently worked on a Porsche 911 that was exhibiting intermittent bad behavior that felt like fuel starvation. Replacing the fuel pump relay had no effect, I finally put it on a diagnostic computer which showed a triggered fault relating to the crankshaft position sensor (a solid state Hall effect sensor), and that turned out to be the problem - replacing it completely fixed the behavior.

Point being, you need more information, and a Bluetooth reader & maybe later Forscan, is a good next step to give you more clues.

I've pushed the codes below:
P0012 - Intake (A) Camshaft Position Timing – Over-Retarded (Bank 1)
P0022 - Intake (A) Camshaft Position Timing – Over-Retarded (Bank 2)
P0345 - Camshaft Position Sensor “A” Circuit (Bank 2)

 

[DieselMonk]

May be the cam shaft position sensor, wiring and some cases even the ECM.

 

[malaguti]

Hello Guys,

Follow an Update about my problem.

I Have changed:

Camshaft Sensors
CamShaft Actuator
MAF Sensor
Spark Plugs
Ignition Coils
Fuel Injectors



The Problems stills. NO CODES.

Shaking when hot on Idle and Hard Knocking During the climbs with Lo RPM and a charge on Gas pedal. Any other ideas ?

Thank You.

 

[DieselMonk]

Fuel pump pressure / filter and or a vacuum leak somewhere. That is going to be hard to find, since it occurs when the engine is hot.
That vacuum leak lets unmetered air in the system and the computer goes like WTF?

 

[malaguti]

Fuel pump pressure / filter and or a vacuum leak somewhere. That is going to be hard to find, since it occurs when the engine is hot.
That vacuum leak lets unmetered air in the system and the computer goes like WTF?

Tks. I will try smoke on the system to find any leaks.....