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New GT - dead spots = KnockRetard?

carsontech

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Edit: The symptom I think I'm feeling may have nothing to do with actual knock retard. It could just be me, the ecu transitioning between spark tables, the cam phasers changing velocity of air, or something else. All of what I explain in this post could be normal for all I know...

Traded in my base Race Red Ecoboost for a base Ruby Red GT.

Has anyone else had this issue?:

On the test drive of the GT I thought I felt some random "dead spots" in low rpm, low/medium to high load.

I chalked it up to the water on the road creating resistance and slowing my momentum.

I decide to trade and get the GT. It had 150 miles on it and I've driven the odometer to 300ish miles so far.

When test driving the GT, the gas tank was about half full. Not sure of what octane, brand, or freshness though.

I told the salesman to fill it up with 93 or not at all. Off he went and filled up with 93, or so he said. I have no reason to doubt him, he's a nice guy who sold me my Ecoboost, as well.

Anyway, I drive it to work directly from the lot after signing paperwork. It's still raining like crazy and the dead spots are still there but there were tons of puddles to help the dead spots feel like water resistance. Same thing on the way home.

The next morning it's dry. I head to work and feel even worse dead spots. low/medium load to high load, basically all through the power band.

One day later I hookup my HPTUNERS scanner and confirmed the dead spots are indeed knock retard. Massive amounts. the more load the worse it is. Like 10 degrees knock retard in 6th gear at a mediumish load. Every gear is like that, though depending on the load. Even light throttle in 2nd going up a small hill.

6th gear feels like a turd. Almost like the car is going backwards. My old ecoboost would smoke this thing in 5th and 6th.

I run down to a half a tank and throw more 93 in from QT. Take it for a drive to mix up the gas good and the same thing is present... tons of KR and dead spots... which correlate to each other. As soon as I feel the dead spot I see the scanner shows KR.

I've driven cars that require
Premium fuel with regular fuel in them and they never acted like this. Usually the computer would use an algorithm and use a blend of spark tables when it thinks low octane fuel is being used. Driving should be seemless, but maybe a little less power than if you were running premium.

The car is not suppose to run ok, then dead spot, run ok, dead spot, dead spots and KR climbs as load climbs, etc.

Now, I'm new to the coyote engine and even newer to this new ecu they have in the MY15 Mustang GT. I come from the LSX GM side. I traded my C6 for an ecoboost, then the Ecoboost for the GT. My Ecoboost ran 87 just fine, by the way. I miss it in a way, but I can tell that this GT could probably almost hang with my old C6 Vette if it wasn't for this KR.

Anyway, if using anything but premium will cause this issue, then it makes sense that the half tank of fuel when I was test driving was 87 and my salesman could have accidentally put 87 in again.

But after me running it down half a tank and topping off with 93, I should have noticed at least a little less KR. I'm not, though.

I talked to my salesman today and he told me to drive it for a few more days, fill the whole tank with 93, and return for service if the car is still doing the same thing.

I do a long test drive and run my scanner before I buy a used car. I should have done so with this car before I bought it. Frustrated! Never thought about scanning a new car's parameters during a test drive before this. Stupid me.

hp tuners 2.25 log:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9zwgn664py9hdf9/mustang 300 miles bad kr half 93 half dont know.zip?dl=0
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thehunterooo

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Sounds like another issue, these cars can run 87. I would take it back to the dealer unfortunately.
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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I agree. Just seeing if anyone else had a similar experience and what the outcome was. Also posting this so other are aware. I'll keep everyone posted.
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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I also forgot to mention that I disconnected the battery for 30 minutes to "reset" the computer. That made no difference.
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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I need to find someone in the Upstate of SC to compare.

It seems the KR PID in HP Tuners could correspond to subtracting OR adding timing.

Could be I'm feeling Fords stock tuning for the cam phasers to where the valve event is actually slowing down the velocity of air, causing a loss of torque.

Part throttle just doesn't feel right. Neither does 5th or 6th full throttle. I thought there would be way more umph, even for a stock geared GT.

Maybe I'm not used to how variable vavle timing cars feel power wise. I just know my Ecoboost didn't feel like this. And my Vette, of course, didn't either, but that's a whole different engine architecture, so it doesn't count. Not like the Ecoboost is much closer in architecture, either, though.

Torque, loss of torque, then a little more torque, then meh.

HPTuners Scanner log attached to OP. Scan was taken with some sub version of Scanner 2.25.
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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Ok..update. Took it through 1st, 2nd, 3rd full throttle for one time. Never have done that on this particular car yet. Full throttle appears to be fine and pulls hard through those gears. Guess it's just me.

I still need to work out if the KR seeing in HP Tuners is KR or some kind of reverse KR. Hopefully what I feel in the part throttle for this car is normal and I can stop worrying about it.
 

Varekai

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Well if you can find out about the history of the car, let's say like if it was a dealer trade. You said it had 150 miles on it when you test drove it right? Let's say it was a dealer trade car and they drove it for 100 miles or so to that dealer, or more, set on cruise control at around 1800-2k rpm, that could have made a dead spot in it since the engine wasn't broken in yet. Just a theory.
 

Poppacapp

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I am about 10mins from SC line in NC, but my car is auto, so not sure how it would compare.
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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After more research. The KR PID in the HP Tuners scanner can show spark being added or subtracted. What I'm seeing is spark added.

I'm going to log all of the mapped points for spark to see if this particular strategy isn't as smooth when transitioning between spark tables.

I find it hard to believe that a 100 mile cruise during break in of a new car could cause this kind feeling. Materials and technology have come so far. I can't be for sure about that, though, because I'm no expert on breaking in vehicles.

I've rebuilt a few LSX engines and never went through a break in proceedure. They seemed fine. I could have just been lucky, though.
 

Schu

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dont go psycho on us... just drive your new car and stop obsessing. If you truly have issues ford will take care of it.

Chill out francis.
 

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TQ Management?
 
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carsontech

carsontech

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I have an appointment on Aug 10th to have service department take a look. I went and test drove 3 other new GTs today and none of them acted strange like mine.
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