3.5 Eco boost regret?
10-27-2016, 09:01 AM
#661
Senior Member
I am majorly regretting my purchase. Purchased a used certified 2011 F150 FX4 with the 3.5L Ecoboost and 61,000 miles on in. 1.5 years later, I am at 112,000 miles. On Friday my check engine light came on. Drove it about 20 miles Saturday due to a work emergency. The Sunday right after, I decide to get it looked at. On the way, I am accelerating from a stop sign and hear a quiet clank. My oil pressure drops completely and my truck immediately shuts itself off within two seconds. Have it towed to the dealership I purchased it from and Ford takes 3 days to even manually try to turn it over. Long story short, my engine is locked up and has to be completely replaced after only 112,000 miles. Oil was changed by Ford regularly and their was oil in the truck when they checked it. Thats crap to have an engine lock up at 112,000 miles. Probably my first and last Ford.
10-27-2016, 09:03 AM
#662
Senior Member
Learned in 2001 that extended warranty on Fords pay for themselves. My 2012 F150 ECO is covered 125000 miles, 7 years and it's paid for already with 4wd fixes.
Here is a $7-10,000 repair that should never be required.
Did you know Fords reliability is so low Consumer Reports doesn't bother to report it any longer?
Here is a $7-10,000 repair that should never be required.
Did you know Fords reliability is so low Consumer Reports doesn't bother to report it any longer?
10-27-2016, 10:42 AM
#663
20 miles is less than it takes most people to drive to the dealership to get the codes checked. In fact, it was less than 20 miles but whatever. I was on my way to the dealership less than 20 miles after the light came on. Once again all vitals were in tact. I had oil, oil pressure, temp was fine, trans temp fine, no leaks, no odd noises, no change in how it was running. Had I driven all week with my check engine light on thats one thing but pulling over immediately and having your truck towed every single time that light comes on is a little bit improbable as well. My light has been on for everything from a spark plug to emissions sensors getting moisture...
Last edited by Catdiesel76; 10-27-2016 at 10:46 AM.
10-27-2016, 11:27 AM
#664
Now that I've had my EB for a few years I absolutely love it.
Took me a while to get past the idea that I gave up my 5.0 for a V6 but in the end it has been well worth it.
If and when I trade this in it will be for another EB 3.5 F150....unless they come out with an EB 5.0.
I can dream can't I?
Took me a while to get past the idea that I gave up my 5.0 for a V6 but in the end it has been well worth it.
If and when I trade this in it will be for another EB 3.5 F150....unless they come out with an EB 5.0.
I can dream can't I?
Last edited by Fabman; 10-27-2016 at 11:29 AM.
10-27-2016, 12:16 PM
#665
Senior Member
Lose my job and possibly put somebody's life on the line because I did not want to attend a trauma surgery for somebody who broke there neck in three places or check all vitals, fluids, leaks and take the chance.... tough choice.
20 miles is less than it takes most people to drive to the dealership to get the codes checked. In fact, it was less than 20 miles but whatever. I was on my way to the dealership less than 20 miles after the light came on. Once again all vitals were in tact. I had oil, oil pressure, temp was fine, trans temp fine, no leaks, no odd noises, no change in how it was running. Had I driven all week with my check engine light on thats one thing but pulling over immediately and having your truck towed every single time that light comes on is a little bit improbable as well. My light has been on for everything from a spark plug to emissions sensors getting moisture...
20 miles is less than it takes most people to drive to the dealership to get the codes checked. In fact, it was less than 20 miles but whatever. I was on my way to the dealership less than 20 miles after the light came on. Once again all vitals were in tact. I had oil, oil pressure, temp was fine, trans temp fine, no leaks, no odd noises, no change in how it was running. Had I driven all week with my check engine light on thats one thing but pulling over immediately and having your truck towed every single time that light comes on is a little bit improbable as well. My light has been on for everything from a spark plug to emissions sensors getting moisture...
10-27-2016, 01:05 PM
#666
I doubt the two were related. For one thing if oil pressure were to drop while running, there would be other indications on the dash. Are you 100% sure the engine is actually seized and not jammed? If say one of the cam gears were to fail, it could also cause the engine to bind. 2 seconds without oil pressure will not seize an engine, it takes much more than that, and the result wouldnt be a quiet clunk but a prolonged clashing, grinding and hella noise that would then result in a total lock up, if not a clang as a rod shoots through the block.
BTW what was the code for the CEL, or did they even both to pull a code and just tried to start the engine and diagnosed it as locked? From how you described it, sounds like something that relies on oil pressure failed, broke, came apart, or whatever and caused the oil pressure to drop, and then the PCM shut it down. When all the moving parts came to rest, the part that failed could be jamming the engine up, and my guess is its the timing chain that failed.
BTW what was the code for the CEL, or did they even both to pull a code and just tried to start the engine and diagnosed it as locked? From how you described it, sounds like something that relies on oil pressure failed, broke, came apart, or whatever and caused the oil pressure to drop, and then the PCM shut it down. When all the moving parts came to rest, the part that failed could be jamming the engine up, and my guess is its the timing chain that failed.
10-27-2016, 01:15 PM
#667
Fords and Hondas.......
EcoBoost no regrets
I had a 2013 Explorer Sport with the ecoboost and it was awesome in the SUV. My 2013 Limited has the same EB drive train and it is awesome in a truck. The only thing is you will never have the exhaust sound like a V8. That doesn't count as a regret.
10-29-2016, 04:35 PM
#668
Senior Member
Honestly I see Ecoboosts everyday, for how many are out there and how many we see in our shop with serious issues is minimal. We've replaced three turbos since the 3.5 Eco made its debut in the Taurus in 2010 (None on the 4cyl eco's or 2.7) . No they didnt grenade, the waste gate failed and caused the turbo to overboost (toasted the bearings), did nothing to the engine, we switched out the turbos and it was like new. But we have seen them in for the same issue that the old 5.4 had, stretched timing chains caused by people using the stupid oil life monitor (too long oil change interval)oil sludges up and stops cam from turning, this causes the chains to stretch and loss of power/stumbling is produced (along with a lot of ticking). Change your oil every 5000-6000miles, its cheap insurance to make sure your engine lasts. Turbos very rarely grenade, they are inherently simple machines, its just two fans that run off a big central bearing, thats all they are. When they do fail its usually just the bearing slowly going bad. There are lots of high mileage gasoline turbo engines out there (Audi's, SHO's, Porsche's, Boats (which run full boost almost all the time)) As for the V8 guys, ask a Hemi owner or someone with a new ecotec 5.3L about issues (electronics/injectors/timing chains/high oil consumption/throttle bodies/total failures) The problem with new engines is not mechanical, its all the electrical/emissions crap that makes them seemingly unreliable, In an old carb engine if is sucked in a bit of moisture/water the engine just blew it out the tailpipe, it probably wouldnt even stutter, because there were no electronics retarding the timing and such.
10-30-2016, 12:28 PM
#669
Well you know what they say about helichoppers, a box of parts flying in many different directions trying to shake itself apart. I think the F150 will hold up a bit better.
10-31-2016, 09:05 AM
#670
The thing was so fidgety I am not sure. Sometimes driving it in heavy rain would cause it to come on. Not even kidding. Dealership told me it was emission sensors getting moisture and it would go away after 3 lengthy trips which it did