Any opinions on the 16v 1.5 EcoBoost is the Mk3.5?  

I briefly had a 1.5 in a Mk4 which I thought was this engine but turned out to be the 3 pot lol...  

I'm considering part exchanging the Mk4 for one before it needs servicing.  That's a logistical nightmare as I can't drive and the car is SORN.  Would be less stressful just to own something outright without warranty and finance deadlines.  Budget will be about £12k but must be bought from somewhere like Cazoo for the 'straight swap'.  The only Golfs at that price are 1.6 TDIs with twist beam and low spec.  Don't want a 1.0EB so am basically left with the 16v 1.5EB in a Mk3.5 Titanium.

3 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Don't want a 1.0EB

Why ever not !! 🤣

I guess what you're after is more 'Eco' and less 'Boom'

Is this the 1.6 but just made a bit smaller? We had one in a Kuga for a while, seemed decent tbh- punchy enough and not unrefined at all. I loved the 1.6 in my MK3, pulled really well and was smooth.

Not had one, but have noted a couple of threads on here where it seems the cooling system issues which we thought had been overcome with the change from the 1.6, weren't.

Quite a number of reports/articles on this on the web, eg: https://autozilla.co.uk/ford/6-common-ford-1-5-ecoboost-engine-problems-solutions/#:~:text=Another problem owners have as a result of,components overheat%2C leading to cracks in cylinder heads.

There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding the 4-Cylinder 1.5 ECOboost.

The 4-Cylinder 1.5 ECOboost is a further development of the 1.6 ECOboost. Both engines belong to the Sigma engine family. The displacement was reduced for tax reasons (mainly for the Chinese market). Both the 1.6 and 1.5 ECOboost have the same open deck design engine block with the exact same bore size. The smaller displacement of the 1.5 ECOboost is achieved by a different crankshaft with a smaller stroke.

The 1.5 ECOboost has a watercooled intercooler system for increased thermal management of the engine. The intercooler has its own cooling system that shares the reservoir with the engine cooling system.

Other changes were introduced to reduce emissions. The main changes are a clutch on the water pump pully which allows the water pump to be switched off and an exhaust manifold that is fully integrated into the cylinder head. Both changes result in a drastically reduced warmup time of the engine.

There has never been a recall for the 1.5 ECOboost engine regarding the cooling system. Only the 1.0 and 1.6 ECOboost engines were affected by recalls regarding the cooling system.
 

Despite being quite rare engine failure of the 1.5 ECOboost is a known problem. The problem can be both a broken head gasket or a cracked cylinder wall but in 99% of all cases cylinders 2 or 3 are affected. These cylinders are closest to the exhaust manifold that is integrated into the cylinder head. Strangely the 182 HP versions and automatic transmission versions seems to be more affected than the 150 HP with manual transmission.

From my point of view this engine is very sensitive for uneven warmup/expansion of the different engine components. On this engine it is extremely important to have the engine warmed up before giving it the beans. The open deck design of both the 1.5 and 1.6 ECOboost has cooling gaps between each cylinder. On itself these cooling gaps are not the problem. However in combination with the integrated exhaust manifold and impatient users the inevitable uneven warmup/expansion causes excessive movement the cylinders which eventually result is a broken head gasket or a cracked cylinder wall.

On these engines excessive movement the cylinders can be prevented by installing a blockmod (for example from Pumaspeed). This however requires the cylinder head to be removed.

Ford eventually changed the engine block design of the 4-Cylinder 1.5 ECOboost in 2019. The new design has a drilled hole instead of the cooling gap between each cylinder. The result is a more rigid open deck design that eliminates the excessive movement of the cylinders. Since production of the Focus MK3.5 had already stopped at that time the revised 1.5 ECOboost was never installed on the Focus MK3.5. 

 

13 hours ago, unofix said:

Why ever not !! 🤣

I guess what you're after is more 'Eco' and less 'Boom'

If they're anything like the 1.6EB, they won't be particularly 'Eco' either.  

Not bothered about MPG for the type of use it'll get, and tax is the same on everything 2017 onwards.  Main thing I need in the engine is one that won't mind being left unused for a (currently unpredictable) amount of time.  That obviously rules out wetbelts!  Also makes most VAG engines difficult as they have dry belts but recommend replacement every 4/5 years.  I need to limit the risk of breakdown as far as possible so don't intend to play cambelt roulette.

From Wilco's comprehensive reply, it seems this particular engine may not be suited to being left for long periods either.  If I've got any chance at getting back on the road, that will involve a lot of stationary idling and very short trips, which isn't ideal from a thermal perspective.  The idea of a clutched water-pump doesn't fill me with confidence either.

This is just one consideration at the moment.  I could just hand the Mk4 back to the finance company a year early (paid up for 3 years) but it seems a shame to lose the equity in it.  I realise buying another car that will probably be unusable isn't great value for money either, but I would at least have an asset to sell in future if my situation becomes more predictable, as well as the opportunity to attempt driving something very similar to what I was used to in the meantime.  (Hence Golf or Focus being the main choice).

To be honest with that kind of usage you'd be best off with a full EV but from what you've said previously I realise you wouldn't be able to live with one.

1 minute ago, mjt said:

To be honest with that kind of usage you'd be best off with a full EV but from what you've said previously I realise you wouldn't be able to live with one.

Absolutely.  If I'd been able to move into a ground floor property, that's what I would have tried.  Either a full EV car or even an electric mobility scooter for the short term.*  But while I'm stuck in an upstairs flat with no outdoor storage or powerpoint that makes a full ICE car the only option.  If I can get back up to driving around my estate (where there is a small shop, pharmacy, park etc) I will have to rely on someone else bringing me cans of fuel as there's no filling station nearby.  It's really not an ideal solution, plugging in would be easier.

This all boils down to unsuitable accommodation, that's what really needed to change a couple of years ago before my health issues declined this far.  Sadly, even now, there's little to no chance of getting what I need at my age and 'occupation'.  It's incredibly frustrating as I know what could be done to improve my situation and regain some life quality, but it's just not possible where I am.

*You are right about the balance/vertigo issues I have with automatic transmission or jerky regen braking.  I have been hoping that full EV might be a bit smoother without a hybrid trying to mix engine and battery power.  But ultimately the only way I'll know whether I could adapt to EV/auto is by trial and error...which isn't suitable or safe when I have to walk back up a flight of stairs after each attempt. 

A small full EV

9 minutes ago, unofix said:

A small full EV

I have enough trouble balancing on terra firma, not sure one of those would be ideal!