Ford recall: 1.6L Ecoboost catching fire

[6SPD_soul]

Mullaly needs to fire some people, there are just too many serious problems with the new models.

[2012silversel]

Originally Posted by JL330

I don't know why they used that engine in those cars anyway.

To replace the Escape hybrid drive train. The 1.6L Ecoboost is supposed to get as good or better overall mileage. When the hybrid system was redesigned for the Fusion and C-Max, the Escape wasn't in the plan.

Originally Posted by micastone

Where are they made? Is the recall just in the U.S?

Bridgend, Wales. So far it's only engines shipped to the US.

Originally Posted by 6SPD_soul

Mullaly needs to fire some people, there are just too many serious problems with the new models.

Damn right he does. Ford Europe standards need to be brought up to US standards. If the plan is for a global, One Ford approach, the shoddy workmanship and arrogant attitude needs to addressed.

[sjdwales]

Originally Posted by 2012silversel

To replace the Escape hybrid drive train. The 1.6L Ecoboost is supposed to get as good or better overall mileage. When the hybrid system was redesigned for the Fusion and C-Max, the Escape wasn't in the plan.


Bridgend, Wales. So far it's only engines shipped to the US.


Damn right he does. Ford Europe standards need to be brought up to US standards. If the plan is for a global, One Ford approach, the shoddy workmanship and arrogant attitude needs to addressed.

Holly , I'm from bridgend, been in the plant and walked around the line too, they make 1 jaguar too, or atleast used too. Wales!!!

[whynotthinkwhynot]

I wonder if AT fluid has something to do with it. The only spontaneous engine fire I've ever had was due to an AT fluid leak on the exhaust. That stuff catches fire quick. Turbo Tom just had an engine fire as a result of AT fluid leaks or PS.... can't remember.

[2012silversel]

Apparently it could be a couple of things. Some frost plugs may be improperly installed causing them to pop out, the coolant leaks on to the exhaust, the water evaporates and the glyco starts the fire. The other thing I read is there is a maze of coolant lines behind the engine, any leaks will result in the same as above.

[nateyo]

My girlfriend got a 1.6l fusion about two months ago. It's a great little car, got 42mpg on the way back from Richmond the other day and that's with winter fuel. Hopefully they'll get this all sorted out, as it's an awesome car. :)

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Surely it's not coolant. I've never had coolant cause a fire, but then-- new coolants are different. It's not ethylene glycol being used any more because that's toxic. I'm not sure exactly what Ford is using now, but some of the new coolants are an organic acid.

I am personally a bit afraid of owning an E-boost engine until these have been out long enough for people to get over 100k miles on it. I know it's not the same, but everyone I know who has owned a turbo engine has had issues with the turbo before 100k.

[Paladin]

simple problem if overheating is making things catch fire and pop freeze plugs out. add a hood scoop and a duct to dump air over the turbo . there is really no place for all of that heat to go besides the firewall

[GhiaFan]

A week after it announced a big recall, Ford Motor says that it has pinpointed the cause of overheating. It says a simple software update will fix the fire risk in the 2013 Fusion sedans and Escape crossovers with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine.

The problem, it turns out, was a combination of two issues, says Raj Nair, Ford's vice president of global product development. "We had a sequence of events that caused the cooling system software to restrict coolant flow," he says. Most of the time, he says that would not be big a deal.

But if the car has another cooling system issue that could result in low pressure, such as a loose filler cap or a pinhole-sized puncture in a hose, the coolant could boil. If the coolant boils over, the engine goes into extreme overheating. Coolant leaks out and comes in contact with the hot exhaust system, catching on fire. Ford said it has seen 12 fires in Escapes and one in a Fusion.

The coolant needs of various parts of an engine vary with conditions, such as cold weather or during warm up. Ford engineers found that in certain conditions, water was being directed into the radiator to be cooled, but a closed valve briefly -- such as for 15 seconds -- prevented the coolant from flowing back into the engine.

That, too, normally is not a problem -- the engine easily can handle the very short time without coolant return. But again, if another issue has resulted in low pressure, the coolant never makes it back.

The software flash will ensure that water is not directed into the radiator unless the electronically controlled return valve is ready to send it back.

Nair says the repair will take about a half day. Mechanics will check customers' cooling systems to make sure they have not overheated already.

This is the third recall of the Escape with this engine for separate fire risks since its introduction last summer -- the first for a defective fuel line and the second for a coolant plug on the engine. The redesigned Fusion just went on sale this fall.

Nair says Ford has full faith in the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, which has been used in Europe since 2010. More than 80,000 have been made in Europe, where there have been no recalls, but where the engine has a different cooling system.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...boost/1759063/

[swagfocuswagon]

My question is why put a 1.6 in a heavy vehicle like a Fusion or Escape anyway? I feel like its being worked to death in those vehicles.