Bucking/Surging Epidemic

[TJC]

New superseded spark plugs seemed to cure mine for now. Time will tell. Sensor is on the way regardless.

I've got NGK Ruthenium HX Spark Plugs going in tonight.

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[shovelhd]

I've got NGK Ruthenium HX Spark Plugs going in tonight.

They were awesome in my tuned GTI.

 

[shovelhd]

Just ordered mine, they are in stock $18 at Rock Auto, $31 after shipping and taxes

https://www.rockauto.com/?carcode=3443244&parttype=5088

Got two, thanks.

 

[TJC]

They were awesome in my tuned GTI.

I hope they work out that well in my Ranger! They come set at .032". I think I'm going to set them at .028" I figure they will wear up to .031" over time.

 

[shovelhd]

I hope they work out that well in my Ranger! They come set at .032". I think I'm going to set them at .028" I figure they will wear up to .031" over time.

I started out gapping them, but after a few changes, it wasn't worth it. The factory gap was fine. The electrode is very thin and delicate.

 

[TJC]

I started out gapping them, but after a few changes, it wasn't worth it. The factory gap was fine. The electrode is very thin and delicate.

I worried about just that. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[JackP]

Just replaced mine and it's running great. Thanks to all who have taken the time to post this helpful info...with pictures and part numbers.

 

[lariat]

So I've purchased the sensor, but haven't installed it yet as it's arriving this week, but in the meantime, I have the Ford Performance Tune installed now and it looks like I may not need to swap sensors as it's working great with the new tune. It's how the Ranger should have been delivered from the factory. Can't believe we consumers need to pay for new mapping to make our vehicles run like they should.

 

[TheAssuager]

I had my mechanic replace the EGR sensor in my truck this morning. Tomorrow I will know if it made a difference in some of the bucking/hard shifting and will report back.

What I thought was worth posting here, is when my mechanic removed the old sensor, I think his exact words were 'water is pouring out of here.' He started the truck up with it detached to move any more moisture through.

Hoping I notice a difference in the morning.

 

[PeterDB]

My stutter/bucking/jerking symptoms were also solved by replacing the DPFE – thanks to all the advice and testimony from other members of the forum!

My 2019 Ranger Lariat started exhibiting the symptoms maybe 6 months ago, gradually getting worse until I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I took it to my local Ford dealer who diagnosed the problem as a bad transmission. The transmission was replaced at no cost to me under my extended warranty contract based on photo evidence from a teardown. Unfortunately, the new transmission did not fix the problem. I found the TSP that says “reset the PCM” which they did, which also did not fix the problem. I suggested spark plugs but the service advisor said with no misfire DTCs or CEL the plugs were still good. I started to think that 1) based on anecdotal evidence from this forum maybe the DPFE really was the culprit and 2) I should replace the plugs myself since the dealer didn’t seem to really want to. Since the problem did seem like misfires, I used FORSCAN to record “misfires” on the oscilloscope over a 4-mile loop that included hills and flats and recorded 88 misfires, mostly while I was in the stutter zone of ~1800 RPM under light load. These apparently are random enough to not throw a code or set off the CEL. Misfires seemed like an ignition problem, so I decided to replace plugs first. Plug #1 came out easily enough but it was very rusty. Plug #2 broke off, leaving the core of the plug in the head. I used a bolt extractor to get the rest of the plug unscrewed from the block. At this point I decided to stop while I was ahead and leave the other two plugs for later, especially after reading about how the design of the air input grates at the bottom of the windshield allows water to drip onto the engine causing rust to form around the plugs. I tested this and found that even with the engine cover that comes with the 2019 model year I did get water on the head. My next move was to replace the DPFE which was easy with no problems – and it totally fixed the problem. Amazing! The engine seems to run more smoothly, and my fuel economy may have improved a little although I haven’t driven enough to confirm this.

I now need to get the last two spark plugs replaced without requiring a head replacement if one of the plugs cannot be extracted. My extended warranty doesn’t seem to cover this. Coverage exclusions include 1) damage to a covered part caused by failure of a non-covered part; 2) to cylinder block, cylinder liners, cylinder barrels and cylinder heads unless damaged by a mechanical breakdown of an internally lubricated covered part; 3) caused by rust damage or contamination.

It appears that dealer service mechanics don’t know how to diagnose a problem without a DTC, CEL, or TSB to guide them. In my case, they looked at the most expensive possible cause first when in reality the root cause was a $58 part. I’m not complaining too hard since, while the transmission wasn’t the root cause of my reported problem, it still was “bad” according to both the dealer mechanic and the extended warranty company, which was good to find and replace under warranty. However, without an extended warranty I might have put off replacing the transmission if I had known that while it was bad, it wasn’t the cause of the symptoms I reported. It seems inappropriate that owners of complex and expensive vehicles like the Ranger are at the mercy of inadequate service procedures that are likely to result in unnecessary repairs and unsatisfactory repair outcomes.

Now on to negotiation with the dealer on who pays for the head if the final two plugs don’t come out gracefully.

 

[RangerBill]

My stutter/bucking/jerking symptoms were also solved by replacing the DPFE – thanks to all the advice and testimony from other members of the forum!

My 2019 Ranger Lariat started exhibiting the symptoms maybe 6 months ago, gradually getting worse until I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I took it to my local Ford dealer who diagnosed the problem as a bad transmission. The transmission was replaced at no cost to me under my extended warranty contract based on photo evidence from a teardown. Unfortunately, the new transmission did not fix the problem. I found the TSP that says “reset the PCM” which they did, which also did not fix the problem. I suggested spark plugs but the service advisor said with no misfire DTCs or CEL the plugs were still good. I started to think that 1) based on anecdotal evidence from this forum maybe the DPFE really was the culprit and 2) I should replace the plugs myself since the dealer didn’t seem to really want to. Since the problem did seem like misfires, I used FORSCAN to record “misfires” on the oscilloscope over a 4-mile loop that included hills and flats and recorded 88 misfires, mostly while I was in the stutter zone of ~1800 RPM under light load. These apparently are random enough to not throw a code or set off the CEL. Misfires seemed like an ignition problem, so I decided to replace plugs first. Plug #1 came out easily enough but it was very rusty. Plug #2 broke off, leaving the core of the plug in the head. I used a bolt extractor to get the rest of the plug unscrewed from the block. At this point I decided to stop while I was ahead and leave the other two plugs for later, especially after reading about how the design of the air input grates at the bottom of the windshield allows water to drip onto the engine causing rust to form around the plugs. I tested this and found that even with the engine cover that comes with the 2019 model year I did get water on the head. My next move was to replace the DPFE which was easy with no problems – and it totally fixed the problem. Amazing! The engine seems to run more smoothly, and my fuel economy may have improved a little although I haven’t driven enough to confirm this.

I now need to get the last two spark plugs replaced without requiring a head replacement if one of the plugs cannot be extracted. My extended warranty doesn’t seem to cover this. Coverage exclusions include 1) damage to a covered part caused by failure of a non-covered part; 2) to cylinder block, cylinder liners, cylinder barrels and cylinder heads unless damaged by a mechanical breakdown of an internally lubricated covered part; 3) caused by rust damage or contamination.

It appears that dealer service mechanics don’t know how to diagnose a problem without a DTC, CEL, or TSB to guide them. In my case, they looked at the most expensive possible cause first when in reality the root cause was a $58 part. I’m not complaining too hard since, while the transmission wasn’t the root cause of my reported problem, it still was “bad” according to both the dealer mechanic and the extended warranty company, which was good to find and replace under warranty. However, without an extended warranty I might have put off replacing the transmission if I had known that while it was bad, it wasn’t the cause of the symptoms I reported. It seems inappropriate that owners of complex and expensive vehicles like the Ranger are at the mercy of inadequate service procedures that are likely to result in unnecessary repairs and unsatisfactory repair outcomes.

Now on to negotiation with the dealer on who pays for the head if the final two plugs don’t come out gracefully.

Warm the engine by running it for a short time, don't get it hot, before removing the spark plugs.

 

[TJC]

Warm the engine by running it for a short time, don't get it hot, before removing the spark plugs.

I replaced the plugs in my 2020 at 20K miles only because I was concerned about not being able to get them out if I waited. I ran the truck just long enough to get the needle up off the cold location. The plugs came out pretty easily. I did use Nickel anti seize compound on the threads of the new plugs. They really don't go in as tight as the old school spark plugs of years gone by. Don't over tighten!

 

[fourhokiefans]

Never any codes but bucking and surging continued for 1 1/2 years after replacing the transmission valve body. Mechanic was clueless as to the cause of my issues after that. Stumbled across this thread as I was doing a deep dive into other peoples experiences before I laid down several thousand dollars for a new transmission. I decided to replace the DPFE/EGR sensor as suggested here and it has solved my problems. Thanks to the folks posting their experiences here as you have save me a small fortune and eliminated a lot of frustration.

 

[lariat]

Never any codes but bucking and surging continued for 1 1/2 years after replacing the transmission valve body. Mechanic was clueless as to the cause of my issues after that. Stumbled across this thread as I was doing a deep dive into other peoples experiences before I laid down several thousand dollars for a new transmission. I decided to replace the DPFE/EGR sensor as suggested here and it has solved my problems. Thanks to the folks posting their experiences here as you have save me a small fortune and eliminated a lot of frustration.

I still haven't done mine yet as it looks like a PIA.

 

[TJC]

I still haven't done mine yet as it looks like a PIA.

Not so bad, just take your time. I'm 69 and short (5'8"). Took me about 1.5 hours. Hardest part for me was getting to the back of the engine. Had to use a step to get me high enough. Once I had the old one off it was quick business. Best part of it all is next time will be 15 minutes, loosen to hose clamps and take a single bolt loose, remove hoses and R&R module.

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