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Ecoboost Issues


MarieD
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Hi haven't used any form of forum before but desparate to know how others finding ecoboost feature on Focus. I bought 2012 Focus Zetec last April (2013), and the Eco Stop/Start feature has worked say half a dozen times since purchase. Brought it back to dealer after about 6 weeks to have this looked into but told it was working OK in garage and must be way i drive (sadly, as a woman you have to expect that kind of fob-off when dealing with garages!!!). Still never worked for me and I raised it again when I had car serviced in Dec- and with same response. I drive 4-500 miles per week (so think I know how to drive!), mostly long work commute but have short journeys at weekends. Obviously we've had full range of temperaures and road conditions since April'13 but still eco-stop/Start feature has barely operated. What are others experiences?. Surely this feature should kick in regularly?. Annoyed at this stage both with the car, and dealer treatment

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I'm not sure of what the problem is? Is the car lacking power?

What do you believe the 'Ecoboost' feature is?

A list of symptoms and which engine (1.0, 1.6 or 2.0) you have would be helpful. :)

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Hi Marie,

I think you are a bit mixed up in terms of what "Ecoboost" actually means. Let me clarify this for you, the term "Ecoboost" is not the name of a feature found on your particular engine that kicks in at certain times. It is simply a short description coined by ford to describe the new range of engines developed by ford that are small "Economical" 3 cylinders with turbo charging technology to "Boost" engine torque / drivability through the rev range

This gives the feel/drive of driving a bigger naturally aspired engine without the compromise on fuel!

I hope this helps :)

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Ecoboost is the name theyve given to the engine...the garages told you "its working" as to not make you feel stupid because there is no "on/off" for the engine.not really sure what you beleive ecoboost is supposed to be lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5D4wBfDOcA&list=TLwOLwLxEKC8gtdKcRbLl8TyzdP5XMExl3

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Sorry to say but theyre right ecoboost is just a term nothing more so the ecoboost wont work its not a mechanical feature that gives you more horse power ford name like all manufacturers there engines duratec zetec ecoboost are all ford names

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Could be talking about a stop start function or something?

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Stop Start feature is what I think the OP is referring too! It doesnt run if the battery is too low, or if its cold outside, otherwise it should work as long as its enabled.

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Folks thanks for your replies - realise I have caused confusion all around by mis-use of terms. The problem I am trying to get feedback on is the Stop/Start feature. It has barely kicked in at all as described in my original post. I fully understand that the feature does not operate in cold conditions, when Air-Con is on etc but across all my driving over the 8mths I have owned car it has only functioned a handful of times. [ ...and I promise I did properly desrcibe problem to garage!]

I think I am getting good mileage from car - about 62mpg - but if a car is sold as having a particular function or feature, then I like to think that it actually works. Any advice?

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Here is how I would test it:

1, Make sure stop/start is on.

2, When you park the car after your next journey make sure A/C, stereo, lights ect are turned off (just to be sure) and put the car in neutral. Car should turn off.

3, Press clutch and the car should start before you can get it in gear.

If it doesn't shut off when neutral is selected, demonstrate it to the dealer. If it doesn't work intermittently, ask if a mechanic can go for a drive with you.

I don't have stop/start on my car but my dad does have it on his Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost and I will try to test it when I'm over there this weekend.

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I have a 1.6 Ecoboost 150, and can say that the stop/start feature is a very hit and miss affair. It is very sensitive to battery voltage for example. I fitted a new battery about 5 weeks ago, and virtually everyday for up until Christmas it worked pretty much every time it should have. This is with lights/wipers/heater on. Over Chistmas I didn't use the car for a week, and since then it's worked once and I'm just waiting for some days when the lights etc aren't on to see if the battery charge comes back up. I hasten to add that the car starts fine and otherwise behaves perfectly. I've spoken to other owners with this feature and they report the same issues, and those who have gone to Ford dealers have also been told that there's nothing wrong with their cars.

I'm afraid it appears to be a "live with it" problem with no obvious solution.

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The stop/start really is a hit and miss feature , so many things need to be correct for it to work , mostly the battery has to be peak condition , perhaps Ford set the gate to high with what conditions need to be met , i know mine just never works at all , and thats because all my trips are short distance.

battery

Engine Temp

AC

Car temp setting

Lights

The list goes on , all the dealer say's is that the system is working correctly.

i watched a 5th Gear , where they test a Renalt Megane with stop/start , and as soon as the battery hit a certain condition it stopped working.

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Starting is where the most voltage is used so its just not possible to do it continually or it will drain the battery to me its a fad a good idea in principle but useless in the real world the father in laws has stop start and anytime ive driven it its never worked either he had it work only a few times in 6 months

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Again thanks to all of you who have replied. Its a sort of a comfort to hear that most of you are experiencing issues with stop/start - though perhaps not to same extent as myself. Wonder why Ford bothered with it when it is such a fickle feature - and I believe an expensive one if buying new car.

Will be interested to hear what AgentC finds with his dad's car. Believe me I have tried to make it work - turning off heating, radio etc but as said before it has only worked automatically maybe 5-6 times in total. Occassionally I have seemed to 'force' it to operate when waiting at traffic lights etc, by moving gearstick hard into first gear position and then back into neutral. When I do this and 'make' stop/start work, then it will operate automatically for the remainder of the journey in manner I believe it is supposed to. I know this makes no sense, and again has only worked now and then.

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Again thanks to all of you who have replied. Its a sort of a comfort to hear that most of you are experiencing issues with stop/start - though perhaps not to same extent as myself. Wonder why Ford bothered with it when it is such a fickle feature - and I believe an expensive one if buying new car.

Will be interested to hear what AgentC finds with his dad's car. Believe me I have tried to make it work - turning off heating, radio etc but as said before it has only worked automatically maybe 5-6 times in total. Occassionally I have seemed to 'force' it to operate when waiting at traffic lights etc, by moving gearstick hard into first gear position and then back into neutral. When I do this and 'make' stop/start work, then it will operate automatically for the remainder of the journey in manner I believe it is supposed to. I know this makes no sense, and again has only worked now and then.

They do it to boost its city driving MPG figures,but over time the tech will get better and it'll work well,its all gotta start somewhere.

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Its flawed technology always will be it was proven switching off the engine does not increase economy unless stationary for over 2 minutes which we rarely are add to that it takes a lot of amps from a battery to start a car that has to recovered via charging so you have to drive to top it up the more you keep starting the car the more it uses and degrades the battery so you end up driving longer and further just to charge the battery thats why the system doesn't work all the time it cant or the battery would go flat if the thing switched on and off 40 times a day in a 20 mile journey

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I talked to my dad about his stop/start and in the 3000+ miles (all short journeys <10 miles) and 4 months he's had the car the system has worked fine.

The only times it hasn't worked is when, has he puts it, "when the automatic choke is on" (fast idle) and when he travels a very short distance <1 mile to Tesco (battery level too low for stop/start?)

MarieD, if your stop/start doesn't work most of the time arrange for someone from the dealer to go in the car so you can show them it isn't working.

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It's a great selling ploy for the eco types ;)

I turn it off as soon as I get in the car.

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There's also the point that the engine has to work that bit harder to put back the energy used to start it so that will be offset against any potential mpg gain. I think the main reason for it is to reduce emissions in city traffic but, again, the extra work to replenish the battery will eat into any emission reduction.

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I have the Focus 1.0l ecoboost 2013 and when purchased the salesman was very upfront saying for the stop/start function would only work so long as the engine was warm and the battery was in good condition, fully charged and little drain on it. I.e lights air- con heated windscreen etc. My own experience is that this function works every time even after a journey of 4 or so miles say when I travel home in the evening in the dark with lights and radio on. The way it works for me is stop the car, put it in neutral, release the clutch and apply the handbrake, the car then stops, to restart dip the clutch the engine re-starts.

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Try a hard pump on the break pedal when stopped in natural. It has activated it for me before!

As said above it won't work with heated screens on, cold engine and low battery.

Hope this helps

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks everyone for replies. Reply from rossbclarke particularly helpful. - rather than the brake though, I have been hitting clutch when stopped and in neutral ( and pushing it right back to floor) and Autostart then seems to be work fine!!! (I must have been too light on clutch up to now??). Anyway that seems to have worked great over past few days, so back to being a hapy Ford driver again. Thanks all

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Hi folks

My stop start has not worked since the aa fitted a varta battery (mine started leaking at a seam) (cracked plastic at the seam)

My ford dealer says that its the wrong battery and even resetting the stop start system it still doesent work

Ford recomend a Motorcraft Flooded Cell battery whatever that means, for the system to work

Jamie

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all fords use silver calcium batteries

you sure... the cars with start/stop should have AGM gel batteries fitted, no?

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