I’ve been feeling a shudder when accelerating to pass on the highway and read that drilling a weep hole in the intercooler could help. Before I do it, is there any downside to this?
When’s the last time you cleaned your MAF sensors?
Actually, you know what? Forget it. Just go for it! Drill that hole bigger than recommended and let it flow!
Gale said:
When’s the last time you cleaned your MAF sensors?
Actually, you know what? Forget it. Just go for it! Drill that hole bigger than recommended and let it flow!
What’s a MAF?
@Hale
Mass Air Flow sensor. Your truck has two. Super easy to clean, but make sure you use the proper cleaner, let it dry completely, and don’t touch the sensor itself.
Check out some videos for your specific engine.
I did mine every 10k miles, always helped.
@Gale
Wow, I’m at 175k miles and never knew I had to do that. Appreciate it!
Hale said:
@Gale
Wow, I’m at 175k miles and never knew I had to do that. Appreciate it!
Yeah, look up a few videos. You might need to soak them multiple times or just replace them altogether.
Your truck might run a little weird right after cleaning while the computer adjusts, but your fuel mileage should get better—probably a lot better in your case.
This may not fix your issue, but anytime my 3.5 EcoBoost had acceleration problems, cleaning the MAF sensors helped. After that, I just made it part of my routine maintenance.
@Gale
That’s super helpful, thanks!
@Hale
Oh man… sell the truck now!
Or you could just tell me what it is?
Mass Air Flow sensor. It’s right after the air filter. You can buy special cleaner for it at most auto parts stores.
As for the weep hole, it’s meant to drain water and oil blow-by. I wouldn’t drill it.
@Mal
Got it, thanks!
Every time this happened on my 2011, it was the spark plugs. Mine seem to go bad around every 60k miles.
Jaden said:
Every time this happened on my 2011, it was the spark plugs. Mine seem to go bad around every 60k miles.
It’s been a while since I changed mine, so that might be it. Appreciate it!
Before drilling, try this:
- Clean your MAF sensors (there’s more than one if you have the 3.5)
- Check the air filter
- Make sure there are no loose intake connections
- Check oil levels
- When’s the last time plugs and coils were replaced?
Also, maybe run some Seafoam or another fuel additive.
If nothing works, maybe spend $100 for a mechanic to check it out?
Ford actually has a TSB about drilling that hole, pretty sure. Do it. The gunk sitting in that intercooler isn’t going anywhere unless you let it drain.
You won’t lose enough boost to matter. Just get a catch can and plug the hole once the junk stops coming out.
I have a 2011 and it’s always been the ignition coils when this happens. I drilled a weep hole but didn’t really notice a difference.
I change my plugs every 30k miles now and only run premium fuel—it seems to help. Bought it in 2018 when it was spotless, but honestly, I’ll never buy another EcoBoost.
@Valen
Why wouldn’t you get another EcoBoost?
I just don’t like it. The boost kicks in too hard off the line, making it annoying to time traffic. Gas mileage is terrible. My old 5.3 was smoother, more predictable, and easier to drive in all conditions.
Plus, I have to run premium fuel, and I don’t like pushing a smaller engine so hard. I don’t even tow anything. It’s also a pain to drive in mud because of the turbo lag.
And after dealing with loss of power under acceleration so many times, I just don’t trust it anymore.
You don’t need a weep hole, a catch can, or any of those hack fixes. Just take care of the truck.