Hi All

total newbie on here, seeking wisdom and reassurance from owners! Just recently (4 weeks ago) purchased a fiesta 1 litre eco boost mild hybrid, 3500 miles on a 20 plate. Totally love it atm, using it as a driving tuition vehicle. However, all I seem to see are negative comments of the eco boost engines and advice to steer clear at all costs! Is this worthy advice? I like to think I have a car that will last! Currently averaging 54mpg  with learners driving it. Amazing! Thanks for reading 

Personal advice, don’t panic, take Fords service schedule as a minimum requirement, more frequent engine oil and filter changes are never going to cause any harm. 

If you take the standard Ford schedule of service every 18,000 miles, as driving tuition is likely to be a little more harsh on a car my personal thoughts are an interim oil and filter service at 9,000 intervals.

One final thing make sure you use an oil that is approved for use in Ecoboost engines. If you service at a Ford dealer then you’ll be ok in that area.

A lot of the issues in the "scare stories" relate to the earlier version of the ecoboost which has the "wet" belt cam drive. The MHEV has chain cam drive.

 

I've had 5 Fiestas with Ecoboost engines.   All have been serviced regularly and I've had no problems.

Many thanks for the replies. I had heard the wet cam could cause an issue, I didn’t know the car I have wasn’t using it. Also, the regular servicing is something I’ve always done on previous cars, looks like I’m better off paying the rates and getting it done at my local Ford dealer where it was purchased. Good to know your cars have had no issues Bobr, you’ve all given me peace of mind. 

I agree with above.  Just so you know, although they did away with rubber timing belt running in oil, it does still have a rubber belt driving the oil pump. This is quite small compared to the timing belt .  I mention in case you say to someone ‘my car is fine as it doesn’t have a wet belt’ and someone says yes it does.    The two issues in my mind with eco boost is a) wet timing belt sheds fibres and rubber granules which block the oil strainer.  So not have wet timing belt helps that, and proper oil service should reduce chances of the oil pump belt doing it.     B) as it is very highly tuned, a coolant leak means the engine is damaged in the blink of an eye, whereas some other mainly older engines are more resilient and don’t self destruct before you realise you have a leak. I’m not aware there is a higher than average chance of a leak. Older ecoboosts had a problem with narrow plastic coolant pipes breaking from heat/vibration which Ford revised. 

Even having the wet oil pump belt remember to never use engine flush and always use the correct oil

They are solid engines as long as they don't have a Gaz's shady backstreet garage remap put on them! 🙂

There is no need to worry mate 👍

Can someone let me know when the switch to dry belts came (model or year).

thanks

WM

2018 I believe for Fiesta and all MK4 Focus

1 hour ago, WhiskyMac said:

Can someone let me know when the switch to dry belts came (model or year).

thanks

WM

They're not dry belts - its a chain for cam drive and retains a wet belt for oil pump drive.

Wet cambelt continued in Mk 8 Fiesta after the Mk 4 Focus was introduced, phased in early to mid-2020 with the MHEV. Note - the 100ps I understand still has the wet cam belt.

OK. Chain drive sounds more reliable to me but if it was from mid-2020 then probably going to be too expensive for a competition car.

Ta for the info though.

Quick way to tell. If the turbo is at the front of the engine it's a wet belt. If the turbo is at the back its a chain. The flow across the head was reversed in the redesigned EcoBoost. The facelifted non-hybrid Fiesta 100 and 125 were supposed to use the new engine but the only couple I have seen both had the old turbo at the front version. All hybrids supposedly have the new engine as the motor generator needs the space freed by moving the turbo to the back.

On 10/20/2022 at 1:36 PM, agraham said:

Quick way to tell. If the turbo is at the front of the engine it's a wet belt. If the turbo is at the back its a chain. The flow across the head was reversed in the redesigned EcoBoost. The facelifted non-hybrid Fiesta 100 and 125 were supposed to use the new engine but the only couple I have seen both had the old turbo at the front version. All hybrids supposedly have the new engine as the motor generator needs the space freed by moving the turbo to the back.

Thanks for the info. I used to spray cars before I became a driving instructor, so tbh, my mechanical knowledge is zero. I think my car is  probably the fiesta 100, how could I identify an old turbo at the front if I’m a complete muppet mechanically wise. Sorry, I wish I was more ‘on it’ ha ha. I don’t know what a turbo looks like, unless it’s my missus having a go at me, THAT turbo is totally unmistakable!”

12 hours ago, Simon Vokes said:

. I think my car is  probably the fiesta 100, how could I identify an old turbo at the front

If you have a 100 it won't be an mhev anyway. An mhev will be 125 or 155. Must be something in your paperwork to show what you bought, but in the pic the turbo is under the shiny heat shield at the front (in a non-MHEV version). 

Edit: the V5C will show max net power (kW). 1 kW is approx 1.36 ps so a 100 will be around 73.5kW, a 125 around 91.9kW, etc.

Edited October 22, 20223 yr by Eric Bloodaxe
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