'04 F-150 that keeps setting a P0022 in memory.

mchan68 · November 14, 2010

I have one here, that got passed down to me from our tune-down department. This truck was previously serviced at an independent garage. Finally ended up on our doorstep becuase the owner got "tired of it running like a bag of shit". Vehicle was previously serviced with Fram oil filters and 5W30. Finally, after I replaced both phasers and VCT solenoid valve body assemblies (along with a broken bank #2 timing chain guide that someone tried to jury rig to the head with a bolt and some washers), life was good. The vehicle came back about a week later with P0022 in memory. Monitored both advance/retard PIDs at idle and under various conditions. Both banks increase and decrease at the same rate. Even the owner admits it runs much better than it had, after the repair. After clearing the code and changing the oil again with 5W20 and the proper FL-820S oil filter I sent him on his merry way and advised him to change the oil frequently until all the residual crap works its way out. Is there anything else I should be looking for? Again it's P0022 by itself, no CMP sensor codes and power balance is a flat line, and relative compression shows 0% green bars across the board. The only thing I do notice is the engine does sound a little noisier than I'd like it to be, but night and day better than it was before (clacking at idle like a diesel).

Jim Warman · November 14, 2010

Have you checked oil pressure? Anything below 25 PSI @ idle is probably going to be too low... Did you inspect the bonded gaskets on the chain tensioners? These can be a source of oil pressure loss through internal leakage. IIRC, chain tensioners have been updated with better bonded gaskets.

Next to the VCT solenoid in the head, you will notice an oil gallery plug... if you remove that you will find a screen-make sure it has no debris.

HTH.

mchan68 · November 14, 2010

Have you checked oil pressure? Anything below 25 PSI @ idle is probably going to be too low... Did you inspect the bonded gaskets on the chain tensioners? These can be a source of oil pressure loss through internal leakage. IIRC, chain tensioners have been updated with better bonded gaskets.
Admittedly no, I didn't. The job was diag'ed and quoted by the tune-down department. Perhaps, I probably should've. After wrenching on this truck, I realized the last guy who was "in there" was a real hack. EVERY sensor connector lock tab was broken off, along with mis-routed, bent lines etc. I counted only two COP connectors still intact.

Originally Posted By: Jim Warman

Next to the VCT solenoid in the head, you will notice an oil gallery plug... if you remove that you will find a screen-make sure it has no debris.

HTH.

Both VCT solenoid/valve body assemblies were replaced already. Perhaps if it arrives back, that will be my next step, to see if there's any more residual crap left in there.

Spdracer · November 17, 2010

Couple things here....how many degrees off are you on the "camerorr2" pid? Is it off all the time, part throttle or when? Each tooth is worth approx. 17 degrees of timing on this engine. In other words if the chain jumped 1 tooth you will get approx. 17 degree error. The phasers retard a maximum of 60 degrees on this engine. How I diagnose these codes is start the engine and monitor the VCT pids. Take a jumper wire and ground the PCM side of the affected bank VCT solenoid. It should retard the cam 60 degrees within a few seconds. If it's slow or doesn't move at all, the next step is to verify base oil pressure. It must be 25psi minimum at warm idle. If ok, then could be a phaser, localized oil problem in the VCT solenoid and or manifold assembly. For example, if I have a cam that has a 17 degree error and I ground the VCT solenoid on that bank, I should end up near 77 degrees in the VCT pid. If I do, I know the phaser, base oiling system are good. I know it's out of time 1 tooth for some reason. If I start at approx a 34 degree error and I gound that VCT solenoid and it goes to 94 degrees, then I know I've jumped 2 teeth. If I have an error that is 25 degrees for example, then I know it did not jump time...it could be a stuck phaser. In that case, if I ground the VCT solenoid at the cam goes to near 60 degrees, and as soon as the jumper wire is removed goes back to 25 degrees, I know I have a stuck phaser. Does this make sense? The service manual does a shitty job explaining this and the trouble trees are complete waste of time! I know the scanner says "advance" on all engines in the Ford world but remember this....if I have a signal cam engine, it will always RETARD when it phases. If I have a double cam engine, the intake cam will always ADVANCE if it has a VCT phaser and the exhaust cam with always RETARD if it has a VCT setup. Use the above method with caution. In other words if I have an error that already at 80 degrees for an example, gounding the VCT solenoid may not be a good idea...If it works it will retard another 60 degrees and could cause engine damage. I do not know the point where interference occurs and I don't want to find out the hard way. On any VCT equipped engine you have to make all of your diagnosis before you tear it down. This assumes the engine still runs of course. Once you tear it down and everything lines up and you have a code you can't get rid of, then it makes the job that much tougher. I want to know how much I'm off and if the phaser can move 60 degrees and back within seconds. Vein style phasers move very quickly unlike the old 2.0 Zetec one from 15 years ago. Good luck and I hope this sheds some light on the issue.

Chris Hamann

Port Clinton Ford Mercury

Port Clinton, Ohio

mchan68 · November 17, 2010

Thanks Chris for the helpful information. However, it has only set P0022 by itself in memory, since the repair. Just to recap, I replaced BOTH phasers and VCT solenoid/valve body assemblies on BOTH banks, as well as a bank #2 chain guide. The owner of the truck has already stated that the vehicle runs much better than it did, before he brought it into us. The vehicle isn't here at the moment. I just started this thread, just in case the code does return once again, and returns so that I have something I can look deeper into. Between yours and Jim's information, I now have something more to go on and appreciate your feedback. The only thing that bothers me a little, is that the engine doesn't quite run as quietly as I'd like. Again, I state very clearly, when the truck last returned, I found both VCT advance/retard PIDs increase/decrease at the same rate and power balance is a nice flat line, which right off the bat tells me there is no issue with base engine or valve timing. If it were off, it wouldn't have left my bay without setting VCT codes and CMP codes right away along with throwing the MIL light on, would it not?

mrbudge · November 18, 2010

Whenever we open up one of these engines for vct concerns, I make sure that the cam journal caps are pulled and inspected for scoring. There is a restrictor in the vct valve body that will allow base engine oil pressure to be maintained at the oil pressure sender but if the cam journals are scored, when the engine is hot at idle there will not be enough oil pressure at the phaser to maintain operation. The phaser will start to rattle and set your code. Rev it up and it will get better. If it will do a power balance without giving a syncronization error message then your base timing will be ok. Even the non vct engines will chew up the cam journals and cause oil pressure loss. When I see the chain guides worn out that indicates to me that the vehicle has not been maintained, and usually will find the cam journals worn out as well.

G. Bedford · November 18, 2010

Most guys are using the vise grip method to remove the phasers. I've done them by the WSM and that is where you see the amount of scoring on the cam journals. One of our techs got bit on this hard. I wish it were easier to check oil pressure at the head, because base pressure is not reliable on what is available up top on these engines.

Matt Saunoras · December 14, 2010

i wish i would have seen this post earlier. i just finished one up today. phasers, solenoids, guides and tensioners. came in with a p0022, at idle all cyl on bank 2 dropping 10rpm over the rest. found a guide broke, both tensioners clearly blown out and holes in the screen on the bank 2 vct solenoid. something made its way through the oil passages, i just hope it doesn't come back to haunt me

its running fine right now so we'll see. i'm definitely not doing another one without checking the oil pressure or cam caps.

btw thanks for the highly informative post Chris