Coolant pressure monitor.

[anon]

Another idea for  the Ecoboost. Lose the coolant and the engine quits.  If the pressure falls at temperature, it gives a warning that the system is leaking in time to save the engine. This is a simple  matter of making a pressure takeoff in the radiator hose and wiring in a transducer to turn on a warning. I need to get a bluetooth link to send a warning tone to the audio but it should be possible for about £45. That and the access port in the sump to check the oil pump once a year should go a long way towards keeping the little monster in one piece.

[Luke4efc]

Perhaps you'd also need to include a loud siren and some flashing beacons the size of a lighthouse to warn some people their engine is about to blow up.

It seems a lot of members that join the forum with ecoboost issues like this don't even realise the oil pressure light means you're probably about to scrap your engine if you don't immediately turn it off.

[anon]

People no longer know how their cars work.

My generation drove old cars because money was expensive. A three year contract hire as most do now was not available to the private user. We learned how to mend them and the garage was the last resort. After a year you did your own maintenance. Those of us that were good at it never ran out of beer or cigarettes because then as now people didn't know how to diagnose faults.

That aside, the people who fit safeguarding systems to an Ecoboost will be the ones who will stop the engine when the warning sounds. The others will provide us with lots of cheap spares in the years to come, one of the reasons why the last car I expect to buy is my current Fiesta.

[Wino]

Intresting comments above. 

How long do you think or expect a new car will actually last ? 

Old school rule of thumb used to be from new around 10 yrs. I'm not so sure these new cars will actually last 10yrs mechanically and more importantly electronically as things now get outdated every few yrs be it technology advances/ removal or lack of support.

 

[TomsFocus]

10 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

It seems a lot of members that join the forum with ecoboost issues like this don't even realise the oil pressure light means you're probably about to scrap your engine if you don't immediately turn it off.

It's worrying how many people think it's an oil level light as well!   Basic warning lights should be part of learning to drive.

[anon]

I would expect spares support for ten years past last build date as is normal. Electronics are extremely reliable. Connections are not. It is the deeply mistaken belief that cars only last five or six years that drives people to buy new ones. Your rule of thumb is actually calculated by the SMMT who some years ago reckoned the average time to scrap was 11.8 years. The overall reliability of electronics has improved markedly and will continue to do so as manufacturers pursue the autonomous systems which will need it.

Really it depends entirely on how well the car is looked after but this one was bought three years old to last until 2030. I expect it will.