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Tick and rpm skipping? Help!

Albertcado

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Hi fellow 5.0 enthusiasts, my rpm needle jumps from 1500-1750 RPM when accelerating in 1st and 2nd gear (I've never seen this or heard of this before)

I don't know if it's an issue with the rpm gauge needle, an actual issue in the pistons, and/or directly related to the engine tick. My engine also thumps/knocks on idle when it gets warm.

Best way to describe it; when accelerating fast the rpm needle goes up smoothly in one motion, but anytime I accelerate slowly the needle skips very quickly from 1500-1750 rpm (always in that range where the tick also happens 🤔)


How do I go about getting the rpm thing and engine tick diagnosed at the dealership?
Do I have to pay for diagnostic fee if there is no engine issue found? I hear that the fee is waived ONLY if there is a problem found that has to be fixed under warranty...

Typewriter tick started after 1st oil change like many

Car was purchased new, 2020 mustang gt MT @ 8k miles

Here is a clip of my engine tick/thumping, the thumping/knocking noise is VERY concerning because it's there on top of the tick
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Pkvir

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I would be concerned about that "thumping". I am very nervous about my first oil change.
 

Elp_jc

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That's the infamous 'tick', unfortunately. And it's louder than I'd like as well. I was biting my nails when I started my car after changing the oil at 1,128 miles. Ha ha. But fortunately, nothing. But many have started after the 2nd oil change (when basically all factory fill is gone), so still not out of the woods yet, but I'd say like 80% there. I'm at 4.5K now, and next oil change will be at 6K miles. I switched to M1 0/30, by the way, and my engine liked it. Hope it stays quiet. It has the darn '2K rattle', but basically all Gen3 Coyotes do; not much we can do about that.

At any rate, I'd definitely try 'Ceratec' when it's that bad... but I'd probably first take it to a dealer and see what they tell you. It's supposed to be 'normal', based on a TSB, but yours is pretty loud. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
 

Elp_jc

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Well, it sounds more like an old clunker with 200K miles, than a new 'race engine'. Ha ha. But reportedly that Ceratec additive should quiet it down.
 
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Albertcado

Albertcado

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That's the infamous 'tick', unfortunately. And it's louder than I'd like as well. I was biting my nails when I started my car after changing the oil at 1,128 miles. Ha ha. But fortunately, nothing. But many have started after the 2nd oil change (when basically all factory fill is gone), so still not out of the woods yet, but I'd say like 80% there. I'm at 4.5K now, and next oil change will be at 6K miles. I switched to M1 0/30, by the way, and my engine liked it. Hope it stays quiet. It has the darn '2K rattle', but basically all Gen3 Coyotes do; not much we can do about that.

At any rate, I'd definitely try 'Ceratec' when it's that bad... but I'd probably first take it to a dealer and see what they tell you. It's supposed to be 'normal', based on a TSB, but yours is pretty loud. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
Any idea what my rpm needle jumping at 1500rpm could be? The needle jumps slightly every time at 1500rpm to 1750rpm, right where the tick range is.
 

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friedmud

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That's the infamous 'tick', unfortunately. And it's louder than I'd like as well. I was biting my nails when I started my car after changing the oil at 1,128 miles. Ha ha. But fortunately, nothing. But many have started after the 2nd oil change (when basically all factory fill is gone), so still not out of the woods yet, but I'd say like 80% there. I'm at 4.5K now, and next oil change will be at 6K miles. I switched to M1 0/30, by the way, and my engine liked it. Hope it stays quiet. It has the darn '2K rattle', but basically all Gen3 Coyotes do; not much we can do about that.

At any rate, I'd definitely try 'Ceratec' when it's that bad... but I'd probably first take it to a dealer and see what they tell you. It's supposed to be 'normal', based on a TSB, but yours is pretty loud. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
Just be a bit careful when you take it to the dealership for the tick. I did it... and my dealership was not aware of the TSB and told me they wanted to tear down the whole engine. I stepped in at that point and pointed them to the TSB and they agreed that it matched up and that they shouldn't try to do anything with it.

I wasn't convinced that a dealership tearing down my new engine was going to end up with a better result than just living with the ticking! Now I just consider it to be part of my (maybe last?) mechanical car...
 

Elp_jc

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Any idea what my rpm needle jumping at 1500rpm could be?
Honestly not. That's very weird indeed. Never heard of that until you mentioned it. But the better question is if you feel the engine doing what the needle is indicating, or something else causing just the needle to jump. Can you feel/hear the engine varying rpm along with the needle???

I take it you haven’t been around many race motors.
As a matter of fact I have. Only a few, but none of them ever sounded like that. Good race engines are blue-printed, and you'd never hear crap like rod knock on them. So maybe you've been around cheap/worn-out race engines then :).
 
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ice445

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I believe you can run a gauge calibration to fix that with engineering test mode.
 

Cobra Jet

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As far as taking it to the Dealer, the car is a 2020, it has the new car 3/36 bumper to bumper and the 5/60 Powertrain warranties in place. You will not be charged any diagnosis fees at all for them to look over your concerns.
 
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Albertcado

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Any idea what th
As far as taking it to the Dealer, the car is a 2020, it has the new car 3/36 bumper to bumper and the 5/60 Powertrain warranties in place. You will not be charged any diagnosis fees at all for them to look over your concerns.
Are you 100% certain the diagnostic fee is waived under warranty? I've heard from some that even under warranty, the diagnostic only gets waived if they find an issue that needs to get fixed, but if they find nothing wrong I still have to pay for the diagnosis labor??? In a funny way, almost better for the dealership to discover an issue so they can fix everything under warranty and I don't pay anything...
 

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Cobra Jet

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Any idea what th

Are you 100% certain the diagnostic fee is waived under warranty? I've heard from some that even under warranty, the diagnostic only gets waived if they find an issue that needs to get fixed, but if they find nothing wrong I still have to pay for the diagnosis labor??? In a funny way, almost better for the dealership to discover an issue so they can fix everything under warranty and I don't pay anything...
When I had my prior 2016 - it was in for MULTIPLE issues - all covered under warranty - all that didn’t cost me anything at all. I’m not talking little minor things - I’m talking:

Major driveline issues (3 driveshafts, multiple road force balancing BS, NVH “ears” used multiple times to locate issue, multiple hours/weeks/months long diagnosis involving Ford Engineering and 2 FSE’s - and eventually a complete rear differential replacement).

Rear 1/4 glass on driver side replaced due to extreme warpage

Driver side door seal replaced due to extreme warpage

Emergency brake R&R due to some type of factory install issue

and I could go on and on. Eventually that car was a Ford Buy Back and I got my current 2018.

My 2018 had to go in for the 10R80 harsh shifts - 2x. The second time the valve body was replaced.

In every instance - I’ve never had to pay anything at all - and that even included multiple Ford loaners when the 2016 was in/out of the shop for months on end.

So I’m not and never will spew out misinformation.

If your Dealership charges you any diagnostic fee for something that is being reviewed that falls under the new car 3/36 warranty, report them. The new car 3/36 is BUMPER to BUMPER - that is everything.
 
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Albertcado

Albertcado

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When I had my prior 2016 - it was in for MULTIPLE issues - all covered under warranty - all that didn’t cost me anything at all. I’m not talking little minor things - I’m talking:

Major driveline issues (3 driveshafts, multiple road force balancing BS, NVH “ears” used multiple times to locate issue, multiple hours/weeks/months long diagnosis involving Ford Engineering and 2 FSE’s - and eventually a complete rear differential replacement).

Rear 1/4 glass on driver side replaced due to extreme warpage

Driver side door seal replaced due to extreme warpage

Emergency brake R&R due to some type of factory install issue

and I could go on and on. Eventually that car was a Ford Buy Back and I got my current 2018.

My 2018 had to go in for the 10R80 harsh shifts - 2x. The second time the valve body was replaced.

In every instance - I’ve never had to pay anything at all - and that even included multiple Ford loaners when the 2016 was in/out of the shop for months on end.

So I’m not and never will spew out misinformation.

If your Dealership charges you any diagnostic fee for something that is being reviewed that falls under the new car 3/36 warranty, report them. The new car 3/36 is BUMPER to BUMPER - that is everything.
Gotcha thanks for the heads up :)
Does that mean after the bumper to bumper warranty expires, the powertrain warranty won't cover diagnosis?
 

Elp_jc

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Well, the operative word here is dealers SHOULD not charge you anything while under warranty. But the best way to get away with that is to play dumb. If you already told dealer there's an engine TSB on the 'tick', and you take the car for that, they might slap you with a diagnostic fee. But if you haven't said anything, and your car obviously has a tick (make sure you can duplicate it at will), then no freaking way they could slap you with any such fees, since that engine noise is disturbing, even to the mechanically inclined. All they could tell you is that your issue is considered a 'normal characteristic' of the engine, and send you on your merry way out of the dealership :). But at least the issue would be documented that way, in case it gets worse. Good luck.
 
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Albertcado

Albertcado

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Well, the operative word here is dealers SHOULD not charge you anything while under warranty. But the best way to get away with that is to play dumb. If you already told dealer there's an engine TSB on the 'tick', and you take the car for that, they might slap you with a diagnostic fee. But if you haven't said anything, and your car obviously has a tick (make sure you can duplicate it at will), then no freaking way they could slap you with any such fees, since that engine noise is disturbing, even to the mechanically inclined. All they could tell you is that your issue is considered a 'normal characteristic' of the engine, and send you on your merry way out of the dealership :). But at least the issue would be documented that way, in case it gets worse. Good luck.
Thanks for the insight. How do I know if the issue is officially documented? Do I need to obtain something in writing or a form from the dealership stating the issues I mention to them?
 

Elp_jc

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If a dealer checks your car for that concern, they absolutely have to give you a receipt where it clearly states what is that concern, and what did the tech find (the resolution). And that would stay in Ford's system, therefore documented (for good or bad). If you sell the car privately, I'd disclose that, since it could come out eventually, but up to you.
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