Lack Of Power On One Hill

[hypoxia]

I was pulling 10,000 # through the mountains and on one hill the truck slowed to 45 MPH. The pedal was to the floor , the boost was only 20# and the RPM was somewhere around 3000 RPM. I normally pull this load at 55 MPH on this hill.

Everything was back to normal on the remaining hills with boost over 30# and normal downshifting.

What would cause the low boost and lack of a downshift?

[Juzplanekrazy]

Went into ReGen???

[hotlicks2go]

Happens to me too. Feels like it gradually looses speed until it hits about 45 then maintains that steady. Feels like it won't downshift and get the rpm's back up pulling the hill. I find myself letting up and stomping on the pedal expecting it to downshift and pick up power but it won't. I am planning a trip with Spartan tunning this coming holiday and will see if there is improvement.

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by Juzplanekrazy

Went into ReGen???

I don't think so but ?? 150 miles earlier coming down a steep gravel mountain road I noticed the display say "Calibration Completed"; 5 minutes later the same thing. Isn't that what it does with a regen? If so why did it do it twice in 5 minutes?

[goneon66]

i've seen "calibration completed" messages too. is it the compass updating.......???

66

[6.4Mike]

I've towed my 7500lb trailer through the mountains quite a lot this summer (probably 6000km) and get the same effect usually at least once per trip. I believe it's a regen. Usually get it on at least one hill in a 4 hour pull that I seem to run out of pedal. My boost actually (reads) ~30psi when this happens, but who knows how accurate those stock guages are anyways. It definately lacks power, the manual even says to expect a lack of power during a regen. And with the regularity I get this problem, and the fact its NEVER on the same hill twice, I believe its just a regen. If I were pulling a heavier trailer I'd probably get less active regens, so really my problem is I'm not working it hard enough!

[245road]

Same power loss just happened to me. Dealer found a dtc that says too much oil in the crank case. I'm trying to find out if there is a fuel contamination that is increasing the oil volume - and what to do to get it fixed 100%.

[RatherBNtheWoods]

There's a sensor and a DTC for too much lube oil in the crankcase?

[JohnD333]

please keepus informed of progress. I pull a 14k 5er and even on flat ground can't get 4k miles without accumulating an extra inch of fuel in the crankcase but have always changed it before I got a any error messages. The August reflash was supposed to help fuel accumulation a lot by eliminating regen at idle for Job 1 450's like mine. It didimprove mileage and did stop the regen at idle, but I still accumulate the extra fuel in oil and change it as soon as it gets to the top of the full range with the dipstick inserted only to the bottom of the yellow cap - official Ford definition of too much fuel in oil.

[Stalwart]

Before I got the "TCM killer" update, my truck was limited to 20 psi during regen, now I seem to get full boost. '08 Job 1 F450

[tbsimmons]

Some things I have noticed towing our fiver, 16000# range usually.
The truck likes regen while towing. Seems to do it every time I latch onto the trailer, I was going to ask Ford if there is a timed relay on a button where the hitch mounts. Ha Ha. The truck is a tow truck only. Not a daily drive, which might have something to do with it.
You think the EGT's would be high enough towing to regen itself, but guess not.
During the regen my boost drops a lot also, mid 20's range. Pulling without the regen on climbing hills I am in the mid high 30's prior to the downshift.
Also with my truck if I can keep it from downshifting it wont loose boost. The truck is weird sometimes, you think it should down shift on some grades and doesn't, then down shifts on grades where you think it wont. When it downshifts the boost drops some. I am tired of it to be honest. I have not talked with Ford about, but will after the first of the year.

[JohnD333]

TBSIMMONS,

It sounds like it would be worht your whle to take a trip to the dealer. It also sounds like you have a Job 1 that has never been reflashed. Mine did the regen with every hookup until my Job 1 450 reflash in August. This reflash stopped regen during idle (hookups, etc,), and also added messages to Job 1 dash (drive to clean, cleaning, etc). It helped mileage in my 4.30 rear end 450, but understand it did not help the 250/350's with 3.73 rears as much. I think that reflash was available in late June and also believe that that one is not the same one that was out in late October that killed many transmission control modules (tcm's) in the process of reflashing. The reflash that killed all those tcm's has been suspended by Ford. There is no word as to how long it might be before a newer flash will be available, but there still may be one that is newer than the one you have that can save you some grief.

The August reflash also helped with power/boost on the hills. I suspect what now happens during regen when system encounters driver's inputs (pedal etc) "I want more power!*!!" situations, such as going up hills with a load or accelerating onto the highway, is (my belief) that the regen cycle stops, lets you get your power,then starts the regen cycle all over again. So if the system estimated the need to drive 10 miles t current powere settings to clean the system, you drive 8, then stomp on it for more power, system will let you have it (it would not before the reflash) but once back into lower power demand situation, will start the 10 miles of regen all over again, and if interrupted, again and again until it gets the 10 miles in one interrupted shot.

Job 1's might get better mileage if the dash had capability of saying "I am in regen for "X" more miles/minutes, don't accelerate sharply if you want to improve your mileage."