Wastegate Actuator (Wake-Up) Noise

[airline tech]

I am not understanding the High Pressure fuel pump prime. It is mechanically driven off of the camshaft, so how can it prime without the engine running? Are you referring to the low pressure fuel pump in the tank?

Highly Valid point, I did not catch my discrepancy. for clarification yes the HP Fuel Pump is a mechanically driven pump off of the camshaft lobes.
The LP Pump triggers on to pressurize the system up to the HP Pump, just like any other Fuel Injected system with a (Fuel Pressure Regulator)
It also purges any trapped air in the system (HP Side) of the system.

From the Manual:

1. The fuel delivery system is enabled during ignition ON, engine OFF for 1 second and during crank or running mode once the PCM receives a CKP sensor signal. On vehicles with gasoline direct fuel injection, the high pressure fuel system may be under vacuum after several hours of cold soak. Fuel vapor may collect at the fuel injection pump, causing a long start condition. To prevent this, the fuel pump relay is energized for 1 or 2 seconds, depending on application, as soon as the dome light is commanded ON. This causes the fuel pump control module and the fuel pump to cycle for 1 or 2 seconds and purge any trapped air or fuel vapor from the high-pressure fuel system.

Note: Fuel Injection Pump = (HP Fuel Pump) and Fuel Pump = (LP Fuel Pump)

There are a lot of descriptions on this forum that describe the noise when opening the door as HP Fuel Pump priming, when in actuality it is not actually working It is strictly LP Pump (Operating) and (Purging and Priming) the system.
This specific noise I do not hear (Loudly), I assumed by the forum posts on here, that was the noise created by opening the door.
So out of curiosity after reading posts on the Wastegate Actuator moving (cycling) with opening the door as well, I wondered if I assumed wrong.
I proved my assumption wrong by having wife open the door while I watched and listened with a mechanics stethoscope.
The noise I have assumed was the Fuel Pump prime. was the Wastegate Actuator cycling all this time (8 Months) of ownership.
Again, I am new to Ford (Ownership) and new to a (Turbo-Engine), so I am learning all of the new to me things that this truck has.

I am and will always be the type of person that wants to know how things work, it helps a great deal with troubleshooting issues that may come up.
I am mostly on my own with the Ranger, since the manuals are so vague when it comes to the inner workings on systems. They are very weak in explanations for specific operation.
As an Aircraft Mechanic who works on multiple fleets of aircraft, you have to have a general knowledge of the systems for all fleets, or you will never get anywhere in troubleshooting issues.
This is where Aircraft Manuals differ with Automotive, they are very detailed.

My Point to this:
Nowhere in the manuals does it state the reason or activation event that triggers the Wastegate Actuator cycle, at start or door opening.
The Wiring Diagrams show it getting power with the door opening (more specifically) dome light being triggered on (Via PCM Power Relay) but that is it, no mention anywhere else of the Wastegate, except when the engine is running and how it operates in that function.

By watching some youtube videos (Ford Tech) I am assuming the noise is being generated by the actuator rod itself (Its swivel points & dry bushings)
Some have mentioned lubing up the actuator, I am curious are you removing the cover plate or just lubing the exposed rod end.

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[dtech]

May be nothing more than a pre-startup routine to ensure the wastegate is functional and will be open at cold start - when I believe there is a momentary injection of extra fuel for quick warmup, an open wastegate is needed. If the waste gate is not functioning properly would be interesting to know if it changes anything or possibly prevents startup.

On my later year Saabs at shutdown you'd hear a 20 sec high pitched noise from the engine - an engineer decided to get cute and program the ignition system to fire to promote cleaning of the spark plugs - a feature of dubious value.

Meanwhile I'm still trying to understand with all the changes one can make in forscan why one of them isn't to disable the radio staying on until the door is opened and closed.

 

[NeilP]

In digging deeper into the noises, the truck makes (Wake-Up) , what I though was the HP Fuel Pump priming is actually the Wastegate Actuator cycling.

On the Wake-Up subject, I did confirm that the periodic wake-up, if standing near truck that some have experienced, it is not the FOB, as I only had my phone on me when it did it, so I have eliminated 1/3 of the possibilities.
1. FOB - Eliminated
2. Phone (Ford Pass - Proximity near truck) as if you are near truck long enough it will repeat a number of times.
3. Phone (Ford Pass - Itself) looking for update on health, tire psi etc - (Not dependent on proximity)

I am highly curious if it does it when the truck is all alone, need camera to monitor - as sometimes I note the parking lights flash along with the uncommented wake-up.

If you have not experienced this little quirk, while working around truck, and the truck comes alive (wakes up) without anyone touching the door handles etc

Now I know that the PCM wake up occurs when opening the driver's door, ignition key or switch cycled, and remote start.

Now the specific question:

I can understand the reason for the HP Fuel Pump (Prime)
But why specifically does the Wastegate Actuator, Cycle?

The only thing I can conclude it does it for the purpose of ensuring. correct position for engine start and also ensures it is not stuck open.
Plus, this cycle will ensure that the wastegate is actuated full cycle (open and closed) as a preventive measure to help prevent sticking.

As far as the noise it makes, since I never paid much attention to it as I always believed it was the fuel pump, now notice the difference between the 2, the HP fuel pump is noisy just after start and then settles down along with the cooling fan.

I believe the (R2D2) sound as some have described it, is the Wastegate Actuator, I confirmed with a Mechanics Stethoscope.
Since I do not have a comparison truck to compare the noise with, is this noise common for all Rangers

Note: The noise can be generated just by opening the driver's door.

Since the manuals and online search does not cover this specific action, I am seeking input from others with Turbo knowledge.
Am I correct on my conclusion?

I think you might be on to something with the cell phone & Ford Pass app being in close proximity of the vehicle. I do not carry my FOB with me, but almost always have the phone in my pocket. The Ranger always seems to randomly make a noise when I am working out in the garage.

 

[airline tech]

I think you might be on to something with the cell phone & Ford Pass app being in close proximity of the vehicle. I do not carry my FOB with me, but almost always have the phone in my pocket. The Ranger always seems to randomly make a noise when I am working out in the garage.

Yes, 20 something years ago we did not know what a cell phone was, now it's part of everyday life we cannot live without. I call it my leash, always with me unless doing something that would harm it (damage it) and even then, it's in earshot if possible.

 

[scarchild35]

Hmm....I wondered what that sound was. I thought it was the fuel pump too. My older Mustang would make a whirring noise when you put the key in the on position, right before turning it to start and that was the fuel pump but it was in the trunk area on that car. I have heard other noises on this new Ranger too, including the sound of the recirculation vent door closing when you park and turn off climate control. I like these new futuristic noises. It helps me understand why new vehicles are so gosh darned expensive. And reminds me why I have an extended warranty if any of that shit malfunctions, too.

 

[seasprite]

I watched a video from Ford Tech Makuloco that the waste gates are freezing up due to people staying out of boost for better gas mileage. So this must be Fords answer to the issue.

 

[airline tech]

Hmm....I wondered what that sound was. I thought it was the fuel pump too. My older Mustang would make a whirring noise when you put the key in the on position, right before turning it to start and that was the fuel pump but it was in the trunk area on that car. I have heard other noises on this new Ranger too, including the sound of the recirculation vent door closing when you park and turn off climate control. I like these new futuristic noises. It helps me understand why new vehicles are so gosh darned expensive. And reminds me why I have an extended warranty if any of that shit malfunctions, too.

The air inlet ( recirculation door) actually powers open at key off.
This is why mice are getting in the cab- it is powered open to vent the evap core to prevent musty odors.

 

[scarchild35]

The air inlet ( recirculation door) actually powers open at key off.
This is why mice are getting in the cab- it is powered open to vent the evap core to prevent musty odors.

Mice? Yikes. I think I read about this problem in another post on this forum and sounds awful. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Racket]

I randomly came across this video and while a solution for the Raptor owner I wonder if a little better engineered solution would help our specific trucks

 

[awd.nv]

I sometimes wish Ford had engineers in the chat rooms to answer such simple questions like this. I have heard it but shrugged my shoulders thinking it is because I had the key on me or something. Never dug into it.

 

[airline tech]

I wanted to Update this thread with some findings and a video of the noise.

Since first purchase I have had a noise when I opened the driver's door, search here led me to believe it was the Fuel Pump Priming, for intended engine start.

After doing a little investigation I found that this was (NOT) the noise I was hearing.

Now while investigating other issues with the truck for fellow members, I took a deeper dive into this noise to separate this -Wastegate Noise vs The Fuel Pump Prime.

My dive revealed that the noise is tied into the PCM Wake circuit, The PCM Wake circuit powers the PCM through the PCM Power Relay.
This Wake circuit does a few things to prep for intended engine start and I won't go into all the details but only focus on the noise's.

1. Fuel Pump Prime - This is a 1- Second prime of the (In-Tank) Low Pressure Fuel Pump, the purpose of this is to purge any vapor at the Fuel Injection Pump (HPFP)
The HPFP may be under vacuum due long periods of cold soak and fuel vapor may collect at the (HPFP) High Pressure Fuel Pump, so to prevent a long start condition the (In-Tank) Low Pressure Fuel Pump is commanded on for (1-Second) then is shut off if engine rotation is not detected.
I also want to point out that the High-Pressure Fuel Pump is mechanically driven by the camshaft and the Low-Pressure Pump is electronically driven.

I do not hear the Pump Priming

2. Wastegate Actuator: I searched for the reason for this cycle at (Wake) but no luck finding a definitive answer, I do know that is powers from the PCM (VREF) circuit and the (VREF) circuit is powered from the PCM (VPWR) circuit (Fuse 7) BJB -(Engine Fuse Box) this power distribution is from the PCM Wake signal.
VPWR = PCM Power Into the PCM and VREF = Power Out of the PCM

Now for the noise itself, I plan on pulling the heatshield off of it and attempt a lube of the rod ends, just to see if I can quiet it down some. I do not hear it any other time other that when in wake mode, as this may be internal IDK if that will help but worth the 20 minutes or so to get access to both rod ends to at least try.
There is ZERO rod end play so no rattling sound from it.
I decided to post a quick video of what I hear to compare the noise across the members here to indicate if this is all Rangers or some Rangers.

Note: The PCM Wake circuit, will remain powered for 3-Minutes, unless an Engine Start is performed or it will go back to sleep. Thus, you can create this noise, every 3 minutes just by opening the driver's door.

I believe the noise is coming from the Left side rod end or the bushing on the wastegate housing.

I have a couple of High Temp lubricants to try, as simple WD-40 won't work for this as a solution, and I am focusing on something that will provide the resonation noise on the metal during movement, and that dog bone rod is a perfect source for it.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

I wanted to Update this thread with some findings and a video of the noise.

Since first purchase I have had a noise when I opened the driver's door, search here led me to believe it was the Fuel Pump Priming, for intended engine start.

After doing a little investigation I found that this was (NOT) the noise I was hearing.

Now while investigating other issues with the truck for fellow members, I took a deeper dive into this noise to separate this -Wastegate Noise vs The Fuel Pump Prime.

My dive revealed that the noise is tied into the PCM Wake circuit, The PCM Wake circuit powers the PCM through the PCM Power Relay.
This Wake circuit does a few things to prep for intended engine start and I won't go into all the details but only focus on the noise's.

1. Fuel Pump Prime - This is a 1- Second prime of the (In-Tank) Low Pressure Fuel Pump, the purpose of this is to purge any vapor at the Fuel Injection Pump (HPFP)
The HPFP may be under vacuum due long periods of cold soak and fuel vapor may collect at the (HPFP) High Pressure Fuel Pump, so to prevent a long start condition the (In-Tank) Low Pressure Fuel Pump is commanded on for (1-Second) then is shut off if engine rotation is not detected.
I also want to point out that the High-Pressure Fuel Pump is mechanically driven by the camshaft and the Low-Pressure Pump is electronically driven.

I do not hear the Pump Priming

2. Wastegate Actuator: I searched for the reason for this cycle at (Wake) but no luck finding a definitive answer, I do know that is powers from the PCM (VREF) circuit and the (VREF) circuit is powered from the PCM (VPWR) circuit (Fuse 7) BJB -(Engine Fuse Box) this power distribution is from the PCM Wake signal.
VPWR = PCM Power Into the PCM and VREF = Power Out of the PCM

Now for the noise itself, I plan on pulling the heatshield off of it and attempt a lube of the rod ends, just to see if I can quiet it down some. I do not hear it any other time other that when in wake mode, as this may be internal IDK if that will help but worth the 20 minutes or so to get access to both rod ends to at least try.
There is ZERO rod end play so no rattling sound from it.
I decided to post a quick video of what I hear to compare the noise across the members here to indicate if this is all Rangers or some Rangers.

Note: The PCM Wake circuit, will remain powered for 3-Minutes, unless an Engine Start is performed or it will go back to sleep. Thus, you can create this noise, every 3 minutes just by opening the driver's door.

I believe the noise is coming from the Left side rod end or the bushing on the wastegate housing.

I have a couple of High Temp lubricants to try, as simple WD-40 won't work for this as a solution, and I am focusing on something that will provide the resonation noise on the metal during movement, and that dog bone rod is a perfect source for it.

Electronic waste gate actuators will make that noise. The actual waste gate flapper that is inside the exhaust housing is designed to be loose and can make a rattle noise. It pivots on a center pin and is amazingly loose by design. The rod ends will also be a bit loose to allow for heat expansion. We never found a lube that would be effective especially on the hot side.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

Regarding your video; some observations I have made is the actuator begins in the 180° position, initially moves to what appears to be (estimate) the 120° position, then to the 240° position, then back to 180°. In your technical CAD drawing it is depicted as being in the 120° (ish) position.

If the wake up sequence is a testing sequence then it seems to be testing its full articulation in both directions. It would be interesting to know what this thing looks like while its in operation during road driving I.e. what is the meaning of each direction with regards to exhaust flow. I'm interpreting 180° to be closed position.

It could be as you say, a means to calibrate and "shake itself loose" and ensure it's not partially open during start up.

 

[airline tech]

Yes, I saw Ford Tech's video he did on the F-150, he talks about the rattle, as that is a common complaint, but no one has brought up the whining noise in my video, that's what made me the most curious as I cannot find anything about that specific noise, as with owners of anything that makes a noise are Googling if it's normal and I am surprised that with that noise it was not a quick Google search with thousands of results, they all pertain to the rattle, which I do not have.
On here it's been referred to the R2-D2 noise and Fuel Pump.
So, I just accepted it as normal and with another thread about pinging got me to take another look at this and decided well it would not hurt to at least spray a high temp lube on it to see if any difference. If it is internal, then the noise stays, if not then I at least have options to address it.
I have a small array of Aircraft Engine lubes to try on it, specifically designed for High Temp.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Yes, I saw Ford Tech's video he did on the F-150, he talks about the rattle, as that is a common complaint, but no one has brought up the whining noise in my video, that's what made me the most curious as I cannot find anything about that specific noise, as with owners of anything that makes a noise are Googling if it's normal and I am surprised that with that noise it was not a quick Google search with thousands of results, they all pertain to the rattle, which I do not have.
On here it's been referred to the R2-D2 noise and Fuel Pump.
So, I just accepted it as normal and with another thread about pinging got me to take another look at this and decided well it would not hurt to at least spray a high temp lube on it to see if any difference. If it is internal, then the noise stays, if not then I at least have options to address it.
I have a small array of Aircraft Engine lubes to try on it, specifically designed for High Temp.

All the electronic actuators that I’ve encountered working at a large Borg Warner turbo distributor for 10+ years make a whining sound. Holsets, Garrett’s, IHI’s do the same. The Holset VGT’s are crazy noisy.

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