Looking for some advice, I have a 2018 1.0 ecoboost in workshop just now with a petrol leak. I've taken the thermostat housing off and there is a small hole in the block about 4mm circumference , just abouve a core plug. When the car is running there is petrol coming out of this little hole. I have no idea why the hole is there or what it's purpose is. Has anyone seen this before ? 

2 hours ago, D.M said:

When the car is running there is petrol coming out of this little hole. I have no idea why the hole is there or what it's purpose is. Has anyone seen this before ? 

Can you post some photos of this ?

I've attached some photos , thanks.

I don't know what it's purpose is, some sort of pressure relief possibly?

But just to help anyone else, this is for the later chain driven 1.0, not the wetbelt version.  The hole is in the ally cylinder head, not the engine block.

Well if anyone is going to have an answer to this it will be Wilko @JW1982 👍

 

That's probably just a drilling from the top of the cyl head where the injectors fit, failure of an injector seal and the drilling will divert the fuel away. Drilling is probably designed for water getting in the cyl head recesses. 

I would be looking at the injectors for leaks. 

7 minutes ago, iantt said:

failure of an injector seal and the drilling will divert the fuel away. Drilling is probably designed for water getting in the cyl head recesses. 

I would be looking at the injectors for leaks. 

That makes a lot of sense. So its just a general purpose drain hole, intended for water to escape from the recesses in the cylinder head.

Thanks for the replies guys , much appreciated.

Just now, unofix said:

That makes a lot of sense. So its just a general purpose drain hole, intended for water to escape from the recesses in the cylinder head.

That's my educated guess without seeing it. 

I wonder if an airline could be blown in the hole and look to see if air can be found blowing out of possible drain holes on the top ?

As Ian already said it is a drain hole. It 's main purpose is to drain water from the spark plug wells.

Leaking fuel injector seals are quite common on this engine. Especially when the fuel rail has been removed/installed without changing the seals.

It would not be the 1st 1.0 ECOboost that catches fire because of leaking injector seals.

16 minutes ago, JW1982 said:

As Ian already said it is a drain hole. It 's main purpose is to drain water from the spark plug wells.

Leaking fuel injector seals are quite common on this engine. Especially when the fuel rail has been removed/installed without changing the seals.

It would not be the 1st 1.0 ECOboost that catches fire because of leaking injector seals.

Or the 1.5 dragon engine in the Kuga so I read in the usa reports 

** update **

As Ian said it is a drain hole. The cause for fuel leaking is due to the rail itself , or the seals on the injectors. I will post my findings on what is actually leaking later today when I've got back onto the car, Thanks.

 

I've attached a picture of the drain hole from the spark plug side, to show.

Apologies for late update , the problem was fixed by replacing number 1 fuel injector as the fuel appeared to be seeping from this injector when the engine was running. Problem fixed.