Stuttery/hiccupy acceleration after cold start

[ice445]

Does anyone else have this? If I let the truck sit for like 5 ish hours and then pull off, the first acceleration event or two is super unsmooth, it's like you can feel the throttle closing and reopening repeatedly. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with the trans trying to shift, its just literally the engine taking power away and giving it back a few times until you get up to speed. Then it never does it again for the rest of the drive lol

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[710-oil-614]

Had the hesitation in my 2023 Tremor. I think that it’s a combo of the ecoboost and 8F35

 

[lavaspill]

I’ve had 3 Ecoboosts and all 3 do exactly as you describe.

Does anyone else have this? If I let the truck sit for like 5 ish hours and then pull off, the first acceleration event or two is super unsmooth, it's like you can feel the throttle closing and reopening repeatedly. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with the trans trying to shift, its just literally the engine taking power away and giving it back a few times until you get up to speed. Then it never does it again for the rest of the drive lol

 

[TORQUERULES]

I believe it is there by design to keep you from boosting the heck out of it before it warms up. A lot of newer turbo vehicles have something similar, but the Ecoboost is much more intrusive IMHO.

 

[ice445]

I’ve had 3 Ecoboosts and all 3 do exactly as you describe.

I believe it is there by design to keep you from boosting the heck out of it before it warms up. A lot of newer turbo vehicles have something similar, but the Ecoboost is much more intrusive IMHO.

Oh good, I’m glad it’s normal then so I can stop worrying about it, lol. Thank you.

 

[TORQUERULES]

Oh good, I’m glad it’s normal then so I can stop worrying about it, lol. Thank you.

If you have noticed it will go away once everything is up to temp a little.

 

[lavaspill]

Exactly!

If you have noticed it will go away once everything is up to temp a little.

 

[Cherokee]

From the first start with no miles on both my Ecoboosts,
My 24 and my 26 both run smoothly from a cold start.
Hit the start button, then nothing but smoothness.
But then again I do regular Italian tune ups.

 

[CajunMick]

I believe it is there by design to keep you from boosting the heck out of it before it warms up. A lot of newer turbo vehicles have something similar, but the Ecoboost is much more intrusive IMHO.

If I need another vehicle for whatever reason, no turbocharger. Natural aspirated. See couple other brands offering natural aspirated and non-CVT driveline.

 

[SilverBullet2.0]

If you have noticed it will go away once everything is up to temp a little.

This right here!

I've been observing this with my HUD which shows ignition timing degree. Upon initial start it's at around -20 then will go up and is constantly changing based on throttle.

Then prompted Gemini about it later -

Ford's official horsepower and torque ratings for the 2.0L EcoBoost (250 hp / 277 lb-ft) are achieved on premium fuel (91/93 octane). When you run 87 regular, the engine doesn't break, but the computer actively pulls ignition timing to prevent knock—costing you roughly 10 to 15 horsepower and noticeable throttle response.
For everyday driving on the street, 87 regular is completely fine.

A reading of -20° (or negative 20 degrees) on startup is completely normal for modern EcoBoost engines during a cold start.
Why It Drops to Negative Timing at Startup
When you fire up a cold engine, the computer purposefully retards the ignition timing deep into negative numbers for 20 to 40 seconds for a few specific reasons:
Catalytic Converter Warm-Up (Cat-Heat Mode): Retarding the timing ignites the air-fuel mixture very late in the stroke—sometimes as the exhaust valves are already beginning to open. This dumps raw heat directly into the exhaust manifold to rapidly warm up the catalytic converters for emissions compliance.
High Idle RPM Strategy: By combining negative timing with a slightly opened throttle, the ECU holds a high idle (1,200–1,500 RPM) while generating maximum exhaust heat without revving the cold engine excessively high.
Smooth Engine Stabilization: Negative timing allows the ECU to make split-second idle speed corrections faster than adjusting airflow alone.

 

[ice445]

From the first start with no miles on both my Ecoboosts,
My 24 and my 26 both run smoothly from a cold start.
Hit the start button, then nothing but smoothness.
But then again I do regular Italian tune ups.

Seems like it depends on the conditions and how long you wait and idle before driving off, when I leave my complex there’s enough speed bumps and low speed driving that I don’t notice it at all once I get to the main road. When I leave my campus I get right up to 50mph straight out of the parking lot where it’s most noticeable.

 

[BK007]

From the first start with no miles on both my Ecoboosts,
My 24 and my 26 both run smoothly from a cold start.
Hit the start button, then nothing but smoothness.
But then again I do regular Italian tune ups.

You should be good to go with the 2.0L 25'-26' Eboost you have both port and direct injection. 22'-24' is direct injection only. I have had Eboost in F150's an Now Mav and i have never had that problem....

 

[Cherokee]

If I need another vehicle for whatever reason, no turbocharger. Natural aspirated. See couple other brands offering natural aspirated and non-CVT driveline.

I like my little turbo and yes I will change out the two inch long turbo oil filters that Ford does not mention. I’ll do that at 50,000 miles. Cost is about $300 @ Ford.

I cannot imagine ever owning a 4 banger without a turbo now that I’ve got this one.

V-8 power out of a 2.0 Ltr 4
OUTSTANDING I say !

 

[Master Blaster]

Does anyone else have this? If I let the truck sit for like 5 ish hours and then pull off, the first acceleration event or two is super unsmooth, it's like you can feel the throttle closing and reopening repeatedly. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with the trans trying to shift, its just literally the engine taking power away and giving it back a few times until you get up to speed. Then it never does it again for the rest of the drive lol

That sounds most likely like bad fuel. Switch gas stations and see if it persists. If it still persists then the next most likely causes is a badly-plugged injector not atomizing the fuel correctly. That's a much more expensive fix, and you can prevent the problem next time by switching to a better fuel quality.

 

[SilverBullet2.0]

From the first start with no miles on both my Ecoboosts,
My 24 and my 26 both run smoothly from a cold start.
Hit the start button, then nothing but smoothness.
But then again I do regular Italian tune ups.

Modern Direct-Injection Cars: Italian tune ups are mostly ineffective for cleaning the intake valves on modern direct-injection gasoline engines. Those valves do not get hot enough under regular high-RPM driving to burn off heavy carbon deposits.

2. The Redesigned 2.0L EcoBoost (2025+)

Ford updated the 2.0L EcoBoost architecture for the 2025 model year to incorporate their Dual-Injection (PFDI) system—adding the port injectors upstream to eliminate that legacy carbon issue once and for all.

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