PLEASE HELP KR readings no solutions

[SHOamBroke]

Ok guys this is gonna be along post. Expelling every bit of info I can think of.
2015 SHO NON PP 125k

purchased vehicle from an older gentleman about 6 weeks ago. Always wanted a Taurus and it was the exact color I wanted (Fire Bronze) he was a traveling salesman so car has higher mileage but was very very well maintained.
My first hiccup I noticed after buying the car was a surging under light load like going up a hill on cruise. Problem… the notorious hose on the intake. Problem fixed. New car!

Fast forward a week and I got sold on a basic tune package from Ortiz tune. Installed my new plugs M-12405-35T which is advertised as gapped to .026 and they told me they would gap them but then went back on their word and I removed them all and sure enough .028-.030 so they are now correct at .026 170tstat and 3 bar. Also installed an Air raid CAI. loaded up the Ortiz tune and holy **** the car started bucking and misfiring and ran like ****!! I tuned back to stock and car seemed ok. I then went to Matt at GEARHEAD and he’s been great!! I got the AO 93 tune and I’ve still been getting a random sputter under light accel. Here’s what I’ve noticed…..

WITH the tune the car runs flawless and pulled really hard 1st 2nd and then it shifts to 3rd and I hear a split second clacking super quick the KR readings shoot to 7.5 and reduced power. Matt found that my 02 sensors would stop responding so I replaced them and car ran smoother but STILL getting knock. I’ve used high quality fuel mixed with high end booster to make SURE it’s not false knock from fuel. Still there. So I went as far as taking off the intake, fuel rails and injectors and MISERABLE *** coolant pipe 9 hours later I had my new knock sensors installed. No excessive carbon buildup that I could see. Started car no leaks! Took it for a run and leaned into light throttle SAME knock readings in higher gear But runs totally perfect in 1st and 2nd. On one occasion I went to pass someone at 55 and leaned into it 75% throttle and my CEL started flashing p0303. Stopped car. Turned off restarted and it ran 100% smooth again no more codes.
So I returned to stock. And the car still runs amazing and pulls hard in 1st and 2nd and even 3rd. But I’m STILL getting knock readings and a minor hesitation that almost feels like a misfire but I had a buddy at Ford hook up the IDS and no matter how soft or how hard I drive it no fluctuations or misfires but in 6th gear on cruise control 1500rpm if the car goes up a steep hill the knock readings go up to 4.5 and it reduces power.
The part that throws me off in all this is it runs perfect in the first couple gears and the highest knock readings happen under light to moderate throttle just cruising along. As soon as the car downshifts to 5th gear and rpms go up the knock is gone. The car shifts amazingly crisp and no slipping at all.
New plugs
New coolant
New 170 STAT
New 02 sensors
New Knock sensors
Brand new upper trans mount
New Anthony D lower trans torque mounts
New trans fluid
New oil
JLT catch can
Ive also already tapped the 3/32 hole in the IC and it drained like 1 full cup of oil.
Turbos have roughly 50k on them and seem totally fine
NEW FUEL PUMP MODULE ALSO DONE
Gearhead tune and 3bar but currently running on stock tune till I figure out this issue that’s killing my love of this car.
my thoughts…. If it was a bad piston skirt wouldn’t the car run like **** more often? If I don’t use more than 75% throttle car runs flawless.

 

[Bluezone]

Sometimes oil can cause pre-ignition. So are you running the newest specification of oil? That to me sounds like an awful lot of oil in the intercooler after 6 weeks. Oops just realized you don't have a gear Head intercooler. How's the b l o w by? Have you run a compression test?

 

[SHOamBroke]

The

Sometimes oil can cause pre-ignition. So are you running the newest specification of oil? That to me sounds like an awful lot of oil in the intercooler after 6 weeks. Oops just realized you don't have a gear Head intercooler. How's the b l o w by? Have you run a compression test?

the oil drain of a full cup was right after purchase it had never been drained in 125k miles. I’ve since added a catch can and don’t have oil dripping out of the IC. I run royal purple full synth 5-30 same as the previous owner has and he also used sea foam every oil change.

 

[Bluezone]

The

the oil drain of a full cup was right after purchase it had never been drained in 125k miles. I’ve since added a catch can and don’t have oil dripping out of the IC. I run royal purple full synth 5-30 same as the previous owner has and he also used sea foam every oil change.

Okay that should be right up to current oil standards then. They set the most current standards using a 3.5 l ecoboost engine. They chose it because there were pre ignition problems due to small amounts of oil entering the combustion chamber. That and to help with timing chain wear problems.
It doesn't seem likely that you have false knock problems. You've changed the transmission motor mount and the torque mounts at the bottom of the transmission. Good choice by the way. How's the engine mount at the front? Just wondering because if the rear one over the ****** is gone the front one can be bad as well. Which can be a cause for engine noise and false knock.
From my own data logs, I never see full boost until third gear. So it's possible when the using the first two gears you're not up to full cylinder pressure from boost.
Have you talked to your tuner yet about this problem? Might be a good idea to do a data log and send it off to Matt.

 

[SHOamBroke]

Okay that should be right up to current oil standards then. They set the most current standards using a 3.5 l ecoboost engine. They chose it because there were pre ignition problems due to small amounts of oil entering the combustion chamber. That and to help with timing chain wear problems.
It doesn't seem likely that you have false knock problems. You've changed the transmission motor mount and the torque mounts at the bottom of the transmission. Good choice by the way. How's the engine mount at the front? Just wondering because if the rear one over the ****** is gone the front one can be bad as well. Which can be a cause for engine noise and false knock.
From my own data logs, I never see full boost until third gear. So it's possible when the using the first two gears you're not up to full cylinder pressure from boost.
Have you talked to your tuner yet about this problem? Might be a good idea to do a data log and send it off to Matt.

Yeah I’m in my 10th log to matt. We are both out of ideas. He’s as frustrated as I am I think. Maybe next step is to shotgun a front mount at it. Then maybe toss on a lift have a person rev the motor on a brake stand and see if I can see exhaust flexing or making contact.

 

[SHOamBroke]

here’s a video link to my issue. Most hills it climbs to 4.5 on stock tune, on the perf tune it’ll get to 7.5 and drastically reduced power.

 

[76FoMoCo]

have you done a log on the stock tune? lpfp and hpfp fuel pressures all good?

 

[SHOthyme]

Check to make sure the under engine cover is tight, mine had broke at one of the 4 places it mounts, so it would flap in the breeze and give me false knock.

I took it off and no crazy high knock anymore. I'm going to replace it with a Flex under engine cover, because apparently they are metal, and have the vents cut out of them.

 

[GotGrip?]

What you're describing is very similar to what I dealt with when my injectors were gummed up. It was ok for every day driving but as soon as you get into load knock would shoot way up. My injectors had to be replaced around 70k.

 

[76FoMoCo]

^^^ I agree it would be fuel related. once you start to require more boost/load you would need more fuel and AFR would be a good thing to look at.

 

[yaycandy]

Easily fixed mine with same issue. Replace fuel module behind passenger back seat

AA8Z-9D370-B

 

[SHOamBroke]

Check to make sure the under engine cover is tight, mine had broke at one of the 4 places it mounts, so it would flap in the breeze and give me false knock.

I took it off and no crazy high knock anymore. I'm going to replace it with a Flex under engine cover, because apparently they are metal, and have the vents cut out of them.

The under engine cover has actually been removed so that’s not an option plus if it was flapping around I would be able to hear the thumping going down the highway at 70 or 80 or 90 miles an hour and the car runs absolutely perfect at that point. I posted a video showing exactly when it acts up and it’s only under partial throttle in sixth gear when the engine is lagging

 

[SHOamBroke]

Easily fixed mine with same issue. Replace fuel module behind passenger back seat

AA8Z-9D370-B

I forgot to include that has also already been done

 

[stripSHO]

it’s only under partial throttle in sixth gear when the engine is lagging

Prime low speed preignition territory. Watched the video and I'm curious, is your shifter in D or did you have it in S and paddle shifting, such that the transmission is locked in 6th? If the latter, stop lugging your engine! My car would do the same thing with my old tuner; if I was locked in 6th and gave it any decent amount of throttle on the freeway then 4 degrees KR was pretty much the minimum I would see. Targeting full boost at 2000 rpm is stupid, reckless and pointless but he thought it was a good idea.

I'm with others that maybe there's an injector issue or maybe even problem with rail pressure. But I would probably start by trying a different oil just for the **** of it.

Also I assume you're running 93 octane? Have you read your plugs? Done compression tests? Tried swapping coils to see if that misfire moves? I don't remember where but I think I read somewhere that some misfires can show up as knock.

 

[yaycandy]

I forgot to include that has also already been done

Oh ok, i didnt read any posts but the first one. So the knock sensor wires are **** on this platform. Sometimes they start to chaff and have issues. My knock sensor wire was actually bad. Had my friend unplug the knock sensor, plug his meter into the contacts and wiggling around the wires it would lose continuity. Not sure what setting he had it on. So i got a new wire connector and wire from Ford and had my raceshop install it when my engine was out for replacement. Thats when i was still getting alittle bit of an issue and the fuel module fixed it right away as it had the ford recalled part number on the module. But reading more into your issue, i doubt we had the same issue.

I would check compression and run a good leakdown test, maybe the valves got dirty. Maybe Ortiz tune hurt the car. If the car was fine before the Ortiz tune then this should also be documented to narrow down the cause.
Not picking on Ortiz but any tuner should be held responsible

 

[SHOamBroke]

Prime low speed preignition territory. Watched the video and I'm curious, is your shifter in D or did you have it in S and paddle shifting, such that the transmission is locked in 6th? If the latter, stop lugging your engine! My car would do the same thing with my old tuner; if I was locked in 6th and gave it any decent amount of throttle on the freeway then 4 degrees KR was pretty much the minimum I would see. Targeting full boost at 2000 rpm is stupid, reckless and pointless but he thought it was a good idea.

I'm with others that maybe there's an injector issue or maybe even problem with rail pressure. But I would probably start by trying a different oil just for the **** of it.

Also I assume you're running 93 octane? Have you read your plugs? Done compression tests? Tried swapping coils to see if that misfire moves? I don't remember where but I think I read somewhere that some misfires can show up as knock.

No I was driving in D just normal highway driving on my commute to work. 60mph cruise set approx 1500rmp. I never really use sport mode and don’t intentionally lug my engine. It just happens when I go up decent climbs as I live in a pretty hilly area. Once it downshifts to 5th the knock goes away. This is ALL on stock tune. ….. with that being said once I load a tune I’m finding that from a 1st gear start lay into it to the floor and she takes off like a rocket. 1st and 2nd gear perfect lots of power. Then BAM it hits 3rd gear and I hear this very quick clacking noise for literally 1/4 of a second and the KR spikes to 7.5 and that’s all she wrote. Makes it totally worthless if I need to run on the Highway against anyone or pass someone and I also got severe cylinder 3 misfires the last time I stepped on it to pass someone at 55. I immediately returned back to stock and haven’t had a misfire since. ‍‍‍‍ Matt’s been a great help but we know tunes will amplify whatever issues we are having.

 

[SHOamBroke]

Oh ok, i didnt read any posts but the first one. So the knock sensor wires are **** on this platform. Sometimes they start to chaff and have issues. My knock sensor wire was actually bad. Had my friend unplug the knock sensor, plug his meter into the contacts and wiggling around the wires it would lose continuity. Not sure what setting he had it on. So i got a new wire connector and wire from Ford and had my raceshop install it when my engine was out for replacement. Thats when i was still getting alittle bit of an issue and the fuel module fixed it right away as it had the ford recalled part number on the module. But reading more into your issue, i doubt we had the same issue

Yeah and I’ve already replaced the knock sensors with new ones with no changes.

 

[yaycandy]

Yeah and I’ve already replaced the knock sensors with new ones with no changes.

Not the knock sensors. The wiring to them, the whole way. But i dont think thats the issue. Worth a try later down the road if issues are still there

 

[SM105K]

I would swap cylinder 3 coil with cylinder 1 and see if the misfire moves. You can then rule out coils if it doesn't move.

 

[76FoMoCo]

^ this was my next suggestion as well as pull the plugs before and give them a look.