Ecoboost low oil pressure

[nashdm2]

That's quite strange for a belt to be inside the oil chamber?

[iantt]

Solenoid or switch? 

Either one , they are near to the oil filter. 

The switch needs removing and a pressure guage fitting to check the pressure, if the pressure is that low for the oil light to come on, it's a case of removing the sump to check the oil strainer and pump. 

[iantt]

36 minutes ago, nashdm2 said:

That's quite strange for a belt to be inside the oil chamber?

Not any more it isn't. Ford have been doing that since around 2008 with the 1.8tdci engine  And ecoboost since 2011. 

[Allison grooms]

After reading through all the chat here I felt have cured my same problem I would let you know my findings.  

So oil changed new filter low pressure warning ! Warning comes on with the drepression of the clutch and goes out with when pressing gas peddle.

it turned out that it was a faulty oil filter.  Easy fix put your old one back in it the problem disappears you have the culprit.  

[Youngryan7]

Hi 

 

im having the same issue with my Ford Focus ecoboost 1.0. The garage want to take the engine apart and most likely to say it needs a new engine... the oil light used to take some time to go off after start and now it’s always on with the engine sounding rough and reduced power. After reading the posts it seems nothing fixes the issue other than a new oil pump.

The garage tested the oil pressure and it was next to nothing. I’ve took it to another garage and said I just want the oil pump doing. Am I making a mistake? The engine light is not on, codes coming up are camshaft related.

To me it feels the oil pump has been clogging up over time and now failed. 

[siggy_7]

Quite probably you have an oil pump issue. Changing the pump will solve the problem; the risk is that you may have worn other engine components badly in the process. I changed mine promptly and got away with it - you may not be so lucky. It's a judgement you need to make based on how long you've been running the car with the problem and how bad your symptoms are.

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[Jody123]

I’ve got the same problem on 1.0 ecoboost

About to fit oil pressure tester.....

but how on earth do you get the wiring to unclip on the pressure sender unit!?!?

Anyone know what thread it is for the pressure gauge, and what pressures to hope for?

 

thanks

[Jody123]

I finally managed to unclip the electrical connection to the oil pressure sender, thought was going to break it in process!

It is so awkward to get to. Almost gave up but eventually I managed to get pressure gauge connected.  But, around 8psi is all I got on it, even when revving.

I think either the connection I managed to get wasn’t good enough or the gauge is faulty.

Given I only get a low oil pressure warning for a few seconds when the car is first started up, I’m sure there’s no way the oil pressure can be that bad.

 

Im just going to fit a new oil pressure sender, for less than £10, got nothing to loose.

 

btw, I struggled to find out the location of the oil pressure sender from googling lots, so for info. Access is from below car and, it is directly above the oil filter.  Only way to see it is with a mirror.  Had to use a spark plug socket (minus the rubber insert) to undo it, it’s bigger than the largest 21mm normal deep socket I had in my set.

 

[deanotvr]

hi guys how bad was the knocking ive got same prob fiesta 1.0 2013  and not sure if it soo far gone can only hear knock abouve 2k rpmscan you see crank bearings with sump down thanks in advance 

[prawny1]

This is "caused" by the belt being in the engine, and can be made worse by overheating and neglected oil changes both of which will overheat the belt (degas pipe prone to failure is a common cause of overheating).

 

The crud is  actually fibres from the belt building up on the oil pick up, they will all eventually do it, neglected cars will reach about 50-60k miles with infrequent oil changes or the wrong grade oil,

 

well looked after ones will last longer but they will ALL eventually suffer this problem because once the fibres start to build you have to dismantle the pump to clean them out, flushes which are designed for sludge etc have no effect on the belt fibres.

 

the oil pick up gauze is pressed into oil pump and cannot be cleaned from the outside otherwise the fibres would just be pushed into the main oil system with the possiblity of blocking oil galleries and any fibres that make it past the filter and oil pressure control and release valves will just get sucked back into the pick up gauze.

 

the correct oil is supposed to be ford spec 0w20 or 5w20 depending on climate.

 

You can disassemble the pump to blow the crud out from the inside which should be enough to return oil pressure to normal, the pump is a vane type with a spring loaded outer pump chamber, 

 

They aren't difficult to disassemble but you do have to take care not to lose the small spring that sits between the two halves, also you have to hold the pulley under tension to ensure the vanes and washer seat correctly, there are no gaskets or sealer to worry about on the pump.

 

The trouble is once you've done all that you are still likely to have a ruined turbo and possibly big end shells if the car was driven with low oil pressure. Top end and main bearings seem to survive ok judging by the ones I have repaired.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

It really does make you wonder why they extended the service intervals on the Mk 8 Fiesta which (unlike the Mk 4 Focus) is still using the wet belt.............

[prawny1]

So is the MK4 focus 1.0l ecoboost a chain?

Does that go for the Mondeo and grand c max as well?

 

Any idea if it can be retrofitted to a belt engine? Or whether the newer engine is compatible as a direct replacement.

 

I know there is a kit available for the 1.8 lynx engine to convert belt to chain in the bottom end

 

[isetta]

"I know there is a kit available for the 1.8 lynx engine to convert belt to chain in the bottom end"  yes there is, but that was probably quite easy to devise because Ford originally made the 1.8 lynx with a chain and then after a few years changed to a wet belt. So it was probably easy to make a chain conversion kit as the engine was designed to have a chain originally. Luckily I have a 1.5tdci with a dry belt. I would be worrying every day if I had a welt belt ecoboost.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, prawny1 said:

So is the MK4 focus 1.0l ecoboost a chain?

So I understand. Don't know about the others but I doubt they would have fitted it late in the model life. I think the C-Max is already only available from dealer stock.

[Jeipii]

On 9/7/2019 at 9:34 PM, Jody123 said:

I finally managed to unclip the electrical connection to the oil pressure sender, thought was going to break it in process!

It is so awkward to get to. Almost gave up but eventually I managed to get pressure gauge connected.  But, around 8psi is all I got on it, even when revving.

I think either the connection I managed to get wasn’t good enough or the gauge is faulty.

Given I only get a low oil pressure warning for a few seconds when the car is first started up, I’m sure there’s no way the oil pressure can be that bad.

 

Im just going to fit a new oil pressure sender, for less than £10, got nothing to loose.

 

btw, I struggled to find out the location of the oil pressure sender from googling lots, so for info. Access is from below car and, it is directly above the oil filter.  Only way to see it is with a mirror.  Had to use a spark plug socket (minus the rubber insert) to undo it, it’s bigger than the largest 21mm normal deep socket I had in my set.

 

Hey, could you give some instructions on how to get to the oil pressure sender. I would like to test my oil pressure at some point. Any pictures would also be nice. My engine doesn't have any problems but I want to catch the low oil pressure before it's too late.

Or are there some good signs to catch it before engine gets damaged ? Is the oil pressure light taking too long to disappear a sign that this is happening? Currently the light goes away instantly when engine starts to run. (Fiesta mk7.5 1.0 Ecob. 125bhp, 100 000 km).

[siggy_7]

With my issue, the engine pressure light started not going out instantly (think something like a 2-3s delay). I think the car was like it when I bought it, hence I didn't take action. It was like this for several thousand miles before it got to the point where I suspected an issue.

 

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[Jeipii]

1 hour ago, siggy_7 said:

With my issue, the engine pressure light started not going out instantly (think something like a 2-3s delay). I think the car was like it when I bought it, hence I didn't take action. It was like this for several thousand miles before it got to the point where I suspected an issue.

 

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Okay, thank you for this information. Now I know if/when I need to get worried. For now it's been all good for the last 70 000 km/2 years I've had it. Frequent oil changes and maintenance but not much else. I'm hoping the car lasts for 1-2 years more and then I'll sell it and get something else.

[Zac SA]

Hi.

I am hoping to get some clarity. 

Focus 1.0 EcoBoost 2015. Issue I am experiencing is that the oil level light is on and rumbling sound coming from somewhere around the top of the engine. I was travelling at 120km/h and suddenly a loss of power, moments later the oil level light appears and then about 3 km's later my brake pedal becomes rock hard, no brakes. I use my handbrake to get myself home. 

oil levels fine and the brake pedal remains rock hard. Fast forward to the next morning, I start up and there's a rumbling sound coming from the top of the engine at around 2500rpm upward and oil level light remains lit.

Any suggestions gents. 

Many thanks in advance.

Zac Cape Town, South Africa

[Eng_Ahmad1986]

1 hour ago, Zac SA said:

Hi.

I am hoping to get some clarity. 

Focus 1.0 EcoBoost 2015. Issue I am experiencing is that the oil level light is on and rumbling sound coming from somewhere around the top of the engine. I was travelling at 120km/h and suddenly a loss of power, moments later the oil level light appears and then about 3 km's later my brake pedal becomes rock hard, no brakes. I use my handbrake to get myself home. 

Oil levels fine and the brake pedal remains rock hard. Fast forward to the next morning, I start up and there's a rumbling sound coming from the top of the engine at around 2500rpm upward and oil level light remains lit.

Any suggestions gents. 

Many thanks in advance.

Zac Cape Town, South Africa

brake booster in ecoboost engines is operated by a vacuum pump , that pump is mounted on top of the engine where its is driven by one of the camshafts, I think there is something wrong with that pump, since you are experiencing hard brakes " which means the brake booster isn't getting its vacuum from the vacuum pump" , and also the rumbling sound you are experiencing from the top of the engine " where the vacuum pump is fitted " , so may be there something wrong with the pump or its tab that the cam operates. thats my opinion , I'm just thinking beside you 🙂 

[Zac SA]

Correct Eng_Ahmed. Dropped the sump and found the oil pick up mesh clogged with sludge and filings. Cleaned out the mesh, new oil and oil filter. Oil light disappears, but the brake pedal remain rock hard and the car is missing it's turbo. Stripped the vacuum pump and the internals are in pieces. I mean like a 10mm steel snapped off. 

I am wondering if anybody else experienced this and what could be the course. Oil starvation? Weak vacuum pump internals?

I am just lucky the cam side wasn't effected. The way I see it, it was either the vacuum pump or the cam....ouch. 

Will post pics later..

[FatHead1979]

On 3/10/2019 at 3:37 PM, iantt said:

Not any more it isn't. Ford have been doing that since around 2008 with the 1.8tdci engine  And ecoboost since 2011. 

And it worked out just as well with the 1.8 TDCi, give me a chain or dry belt any day of the week.

[FatHead1979]

On 10/30/2019 at 7:36 PM, isetta said:

"I know there is a kit available for the 1.8 lynx engine to convert belt to chain in the bottom end"  yes there is, but that was probably quite easy to devise because Ford originally made the 1.8 lynx with a chain and then after a few years changed to a wet belt. So it was probably easy to make a chain conversion kit as the engine was designed to have a chain originally. Luckily I have a 1.5tdci with a dry belt. I would be worrying every day if I had a welt belt ecoboost.

Personally I wouldn't touch any used car that has a wet belt, IMHO they're too much of an unknown ie even if a car has service history you can't be sure the correct oil was used etc and even if it has been I'm not convinced about the durability of a wet belt in terms of not degrading and shedding fibres.

 

At least if the engine has a cam chain you know that as long as the oil has been changed once in a while it should be fine and nothing should have degraded to the point when mesh filters start getting blocked.

[Coop644c]

I know this post is a bit old, but my 2014 1.0 ecoboost fiesta with 104k just had the dreaded low oil pressure light issue. Thankfully, it came on just as I pulled in the driveway, and only ran (hopefully) with low oil pressure for a few moments. I pulled the sump and also found the screen heavily clogged. This will apparently be an ongoing problem with these wet oil pump and timing belt engines. I tried to upload pictures with no success.

[isetta]

Relatively easy to unclog strainer, but what state is the belt in now? Not so easy 

[Coop644c]

I'm no mechanic, but the belt looked fine. Seemed to have good tension. It looks alot more involved to tackle the timing belt, may just get rid of the car or put a motor in if it goes.