Ecoboost low oil pressure

[morton61]

Just bought a 12 plate 1.0 125 Focus Titanium with 69k miles with FSH. No issues as of yet but reading this thread has got me thinking maybe it would be prudent at its next regular service (December) to drop the sump and check the oil pump and replace it if it has the crud build up on the pick up strainer? The cambelt and oil pump belt can also be checked for condition, as with the sump off they can be inspected for damage.

[yozzer]

On 2/2/2018 at 8:39 PM, siggy_7 said:

Well the car is now back on the road. I took the sump off the engine, and found the oil pump looking like this:

The inlet has a mesh which is completely clogged up with some form of black debris. This is some of what I removed from the pump inlet:

It's not magnetic. My best guess is that the previous owner used either the wrong oil or didn't change the oil as frequently as they should - odd as I bought the car with a full history. My other theory is that it is some RTV silicone broken off from overspill from the sump gasket.

Having fitted a new pump, the car now drives normally. Oil pressure builds straightaway - noticeably faster than it used to. The turbocharger is still delivering plenty of boost having monitored the inlet manifold pressure during a short drive. I did find about 50ml of oil in the intercooler pipe, so the seals may have degraded - I'll keep an eye on it.

Having had this issue, I'm tempted to get a fibre-scope to check the condition of the oil pump inlet through the sump plug at future service intervals. Given its proximity to the sump plug, I'm toying with the idea of making a thin tube up to facilitate cleaning of the pump inlet without having to drop the sump.

Learning points:

1) Based on the crud I found, it's possible that these engines are not very tolerant to being poorly maintained. Regular oil changes with manufacturers spec oil probably the way to go to prevent this!

2) If your engine oil pressure light doesn't go out immediately, and if the low oil pressure alarm occasionally comes on momentarily when starting the engine, then this is indicative of the oil pump becoming clogged up. Get it sorted before it gets worse

The turbocharger water pipes cleaned up ok with a wire brush on a die grinder:

I've now coated the pipes with some VHT enamel paint, so I'm expecting further corrosion will be prevented.

When you fitted it all back together where did you get torque settings from? 

[DucatiDave]

Just had the same oil warning on mine, so I am about to drop the sump to inspect the pump.

Can I inspect the cam belt (not the oil pump drive belt) from underneath with the sump off, or do I need to strip the top of the engine to inspect the belt for damage. Thanks, great thread.

 

[unofix]

Hello Dave, well your the third today with an Ecoboost that has oil pressure problems. If the warning light has been coming on for more than a few minutes then your engine will already be suffering damage.

Inspection of the cam belt from underneath is very limited and difficult to see. The truth is, if you find the oil strainer pick-up is clogged up with bits of belt then you need to replace both belts ASAP. This is not a job for the DIY mechanic. In fact many independent refuse to even try to do the work since it is a major event.

 

[VaporTrail]

On 1/16/2018 at 12:58 PM, siggy_7 said:

Hi all, having some issues with my Ecoboost engine (apparently I'm in good company). The car was built in April 2013, it's the 99BHP manual with 84k on the clock and according to ETIS the engine code is probably SFJA (the car is currently with a garage so I need to confirm this). I bought the car as a private sale last September, so no comeback on the seller for the issue.

A little over a week ago, the car started to report low oil pressure for a prolonged period on startup (a few seconds), then on a return journey the pressure warning would sound intermittently when driving; most notably associated with roundabouts and hill descents. Also accompanied by a very occasional and brief increase in engine rattle that made me think definitely not a sensor problem. Obviously checked the oil level when the issue started and it was healthy. Had I had my way we would have stopped and had the vehicle recovered, but SWIMBO was in charge of that decision and we had a youngster with us so nursed the car home instead as mostly it appeared to still be running healthily.

Since recovered the car to a garage, who have confirmed the car has low oil pressure but want a day and a half's labour just to strip it down and investigate the cause. They are recommending fitting a new engine rather than rectifying the fault - a new engine being nearly £3k, plus £600 to fit. I don't fancy that, considering that's pushing three quarters of the car's value. So I'm thinking of getting hold of a low mileage engine off a breaker and fitting it myself (I'm a competent home mechanic with garage space to do the swap). They appear to be readily available and sensibly priced as the car is quite popular. I can then either sell on my engine as spares/repair or refurbish at my leisure and keep a spare. My questions:

1) Is anyone else aware of oil pressure related failures of the Ecoboost? I've heard a lot about turbo pipes and water leaks, but not seen anything on oil pressure

2) Engine codes - there are four variants of the 99BHP engine with codes SFJA through D. I know the A/B are Stage V and C/D are stage VI. I presume from ETIS (above) and the MY that mine is a stage V SFJA. Can, and should, I try and fit a later stage VI engine - I presume there are a number of modifications that Ford will have made through the production run to iron out earlier problems? I am guessing also that the A/C are for manual gearbox and the B/D are for the Powershift - I've never seen this confirmed though

3) Is there anyone on here who has done an engine swap on one of these, and do they have any particular bits of advice for me?

Thanks in anticipation,

Chris

Incredible that the vehicle remained driven with a red dash light. This is classic Ecoboost-incorrect-oil-service issue. The sump needs taking off and the gauze cleaned. Ideally the timing belt replaced but thats a £1000 job that requires a £5000 Ford tool or £800 laser tool. The oil flush before oil service with correct -945B Ford spec oil.

[unofix]

28 minutes ago, VaporTrail said:

The oil flush before oil service with correct -945B Ford spec oil.

I very much doubt that "siggy_7" cares anymore, that post is 4 years old now.

Also 1.0 Ecoboost engines with wet belts should never be flushed, other than by doing repeated oil changes with the normal engine oil. The use of any flushing oil will cause the wet belts to deteriorate.

[Eatonm112]

The timing belt tool is around 100 if you know where to look.

[Ecoboom2015]

2015 1L Fiesta, 82k

oil pressure 2 second audi warning on first start up of the day Nothing thereafter No lights on dash

Advised oil pressure sensor 

Had this replaced next day same audio warning.

4 days later Engine coolant system warning light on dashboard Took it straight to Ford 0.8mile

Full service history last stamp may 22,

Ford advised wetbelt failure to be replaced and new oil pump £2k

Spoke to Ford head office Ecoboost Subject to Ford field service action 4S615 

Vin number checked Ford confirm the vehicle is one affected as manufactured March 2015

Ford agree to cover all repair costs and book into garage 

Vehicle taken same day to Ford garage as per headoffice advice 

24 hours later garage ring to advise wetbelt failure and oil pump not covered on field service action 4S615 so I now owe them 2K For repair 

Questioned fact Ford state wetbelt good for 15000 or 10 years as My vehicle is 2015 with 82k & Full service history 

Told at Garage they are not getting into it pay 2k or collect vehicle 

Ford have also confirmed via email they will not be completing Field service work as this is not reported by dealership as the Fault

Any advice please 

[unofix]

I'd not waste my money having any work done on your engine. It is already beyond repair as well the Ford dealer knows (and most probably Ford UK). Once the Ecoboom engine has suffered oil pressure failure the engine is just a pile of scrap. It may well be still running now but spending £2000 on it will be money down the drain. It's not a question of whether it will fail in the future it's just a question of how quickly will it fail.

Have a look on the PumaSpeed website and contact them to check availability of the supply and fitting of a brand new engine (Genuine Ford). They offer a supply and fit starting at around £2889 inc VAT for a number of the Ecoboost 1.0

https://pumaspeed.co.uk/product-Brand-New-Ford-Service-10-EcoBoost-Engine_18898.jsp

[TomsFocus]

18 hours ago, Ecoboom2015 said:

24 hours later garage ring to advise wetbelt failure and oil pump not covered on field service action 4S615 so I now owe them 2K For repair 

This FSA only covers damage caused by coolant loss.  They are correct that a blocked oil pump or damaged wetbelt is not covered.

Collect the car and consider your options for a few days.  Brand new engine is the best value for money option, but obviously not cheap in the short term.  An indy garage might be able to replace the oil pump and wetbelts for around a grand, but as above, we don't know how much internal damage might have been caused now.  Worth noting that with any engine replacement, you could then find that things like the turbo or vacuum pump need replacing at additional cost.

It may be worth just cutting your losses and selling the car for spares/repair through a car buying service or auction.  There is no cheap solution here unfortunately.

[Ivor Mondeo]

Hi, Has anyone considered the effect of Stop start on the belts. I know some people press the disabled button. But each start in a stop start operation strains both belts. Also, I see mention of 12000 and 18000 mile oil changes alongside notes to change oil every 5000 to 6000 miles in some Ford Dealer's notes on Fiesta service schedule 

[unofix]

14 minutes ago, Ivor Mondeo said:

Has anyone considered the effect of Stop start

Shhh !! don't mention S/S it's like saying Macbeth to a play actor 🤣

[Ivor Mondeo]

The reason I was reading this topic is my daughter bought a 2020 Ford Fiesta 1.0 Titanium 4 months ago. We were not aware of the oil pressure issue on the Ecoboost engine at the time. It had an oil change at 7000 miles, then 6100 miles later with previous owner using Ford parts. We have just done an oil and filter change at 9800 miles since last oil change. I let out the oil through a kitchen strainer and there were no bits. We will do future oil changes at 6000 miles. Thanks all for the info in this thread.