I have a White 1999 5.4l Reg. Cab F-150 XLT 4x4. I have had the truck about 6 months and love it. I have noticed that when I crank the truck up, the rpm's imediately jump up to about 1800 rpm's for a second or so. They usually come back down to about 1000 to 1100 after a couple of seconds. This has me somewhat concerned, since the transmission jerks when you put it in gear at the higher rpm's. Is this something to worry about and has anyone else experienced this problem. If so, what sould I do and how can I fix it?

Thanks!

 

Mine does the same thing in the morning when it's cold.
I think that's normal.

 

I borrowed a 2000 5.4 from my dealership and it did the same thing to annoyance. Even if it's "normal," I wonder if there's some simple fix. It would be different if I were living in the Artic and the engine needed the rpm to keep alive. But down here, 1000 rpm would be plenty to keep it going even in "cold" weather. Anybody have a clue?
John

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I think all fuel injected Fords do this. Nothing wrong with this. Probably has more to do with emission control than anything else. Gotta get those cat converters heated up fast to start cleaning the exhaust.

 

I think this is caused on all injected Fords because the air beats the gas too the cylinders..giving a lean condition for a split second. I dont think its anything to be concerned about. Just dont drop it into gear right when you start it cold and it wont jerk the transmission so hard. Also, just my .02, Im a firm believer in NOT driving a vehicle until it has ran for atleast a minute at idle. This allows oil in the pan to shower the internals of the motor enough so you wont get excessive friction. I beleive doing this religiously can add 1000s of miles to the life of a motor.

DS

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2000 F150 XLT 4x2, supercab, shortbed, 5.4L auto, 3.55 LS, Class III tow/cooling, 4 wheel disk/ABS, Med Toreador solid, Med Graphite int, 60/40 bench, sliding r.window, pwr everything except seat, 16" chrome alloys
*** In the Works - FabTech 3.5",Bullseye spindles,3" bodylift,Eagle 589's w/BFG AT ko's,alarm/keyless entry,Changer/Fosgate amp/JL subs (when i figure how im gonna make the box fit!) ***

 

Dirtslinger is right. It's good to let the engine idle for a minute, BUT excessive idling of a cold engine will cause problems too. Oil has a greater chance of becoming diluted with unburnt fuel and water. Better to drive slowly as soon as the engine settles down.

In my case, I like to drive around the neighborhood (20 mph) before hitting the main drag (55 mph). At a minimum, I don't hit the highway until I see the temp. gauge moving up and I Never floor it until the engine is at operating temps. Not only does this slow cruising warm up the engine faster, but it also gives the tranny time to heat up too.

I wish we had a REAL oil pressure gauge. When an engine is cold and running at cruising speeds, the pressure is high, then it falls to normal as the oil gets hot. When the oil is hot, the engine is ready to pump out all the torque and horsepower it can.

Yeah, I could install a real pressure gauge and even an oil temp. gauge, but at this age, not only do I have other things to do first, but I'm getting really lazy about these things...

[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited 12-27-1999).]

 

BroadBear,

My 98 5.4L F-150 and my current 2000 5.4L rev up just like your truck. This is completely normal...especially when it is cold outside.

Nothing to worry about.

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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99

 

heres a way to make sure you don't screw up your transmission when it goes to 1800 rpms. its kinda an old technique..Allow your car to warm up for a few mins. all cars run faster when they're cold.

 

I have had my truck for just a few months and noticed the same thing. I posed the question while in the Chat Room one night, and everyone seemed to think that it wasn't a problem, either. I always let the truck warm up a bit before driving away...especially in colder weather.

BTW...what's your favorite mutual fund currently? Any hot tips??

Welcome to the club. Enjoy F-150 online.

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2000 F-150,XLT,Bright Red Clearcoat, 4x4,ORP,SC,4-speed auto., 5.4L, 3.55 LS,Tow Package, Ford factory Tonneau cover, Cab Rails, Lund Bug Shield, Mudflaps, Tennatoys 18" antenna, Pendaliner bedliner, Mobil 1

 

regarding the discussion on whether to let
warm for a minute before driving, there is solid research that suggests the number one thing to avoid is running cold for any legth of time, and that it is much better overall to go ahead and leave after 10 or so seconds of idle, as your engine warms much slower at idle than under load on the road. The NUMBER ONE thing is to GET THAT SUCKER UP TO TEMP!

 

This may be the ultimate way to minimize cold start wear and warm up time: http://www.centaurthermal.com/heatdevice.asp
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'99 EB Expy 4x4, 5.4L, Ox White, Air Suspended