So I just spent some time looking through the service manual and couldn't find anything. A search of EGR and exhaust gas recirculation yielded no results. I also browsed the exhaust system, emissions and evaporative system for good measure but didn't see anything.

 

No EGR.

 

For twin cam or DOHC engines, VCT was used on either the intake or exhaust camshaft. (Engines that have VCT on both camshafts are now designated as Ti-VCT.) The use of variable camshaft timing on the exhaust camshaft is for improved emissions, and vehicles with VCT on the exhaust camshaft do not require exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as retarding the exhaust cam timing achieves the same result.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_Cam_Timing

 

Excellent. Thanks for the reference. This is what the Ford Escort ZX2 with the 2.0 Zetec engine had: variable exhaust cam timing.

For some reason, the Focus ZX3's with the 2.0 Zetec did not have variable exhaust cam timing.

 

No EGR. No fuel filter either from what my dealer mechanic told me. Don't know if anyone has seen this video of how the Variable valve/Cam works. It's a 1.6L in the video but the same system as our 2.0L. Pretty fascinating how it works. Mostly all done with oil pressure.Pretty complicated system really. It's surprising it works as good as it does. Or works at all for that matter. Variable valve timing is how our cars can use just about any octane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNvD_rRXsww

 

Um.....please tell me our engines have timing CHAINS, not belts.

 

Oh shit, don't bring octane into the discussion, you'll get members posting on how the DCT "runs less efficiently" (with no mention of less efficiently than what).

 

Chains indeed.

 

GOOD! The engine in that video had a belt, that's why I asked.

 

Don't look at the new small engines out now, belt in the oil bath.

 

D'oh! But are the belts intended to be changed at specified intervals like dry belts?

 

Actually not, supposed to have "life of engine" durability matching a good chain system.

 

Actually not, supposed to have "life of engine" durability matching a good chain system.

I don't plan to be a beta tester for that new technology.

The original rubber belts never seemed like a good idea to me, especially when the one on my wife's Camry spun a few teeth off. (Luckily it had a "non-interference" engine.) At least they were easier to change than chains. They were supposed to be replaced if they got any oil on them, so what you describe has to be some totally different material. I don't care how much testing it has been through, the real world always brings surprises.

Do you know whether the TiVCT 2.0L engines have "a 'good' chain system" with actual "life of engine" durability? What would make it a "bad" chain system? I haven't read any reports of premature failures, at least.

Another thing I do not miss with this engine is EGR. Good riddance. I hated that stuff from the first time I read about it. Cleaning and replacing a few gunked up EGR valves over the years confirmed my original skepticism.

 

I'm with ya Bro, having memories of cog belts going from 30,000 to 120,000 mile change intervals I'm wondering what that "life of the engine" really will add up to for the new tech..

Chains give up for tensioner problems more often than any other cause, the duratecs didn't have a notable problem there & hopefully the TiVCT version won't either.

EGR systems are generally a PITA, as is anything else 'extra" we'd rather not have to deal with!

 

EGR systems are generally a PITA, as is anything else 'extra" we'd rather not have to deal with!

Yeah, they generally introduce their own set of problems with time.

People who have been trying to remove it to eliminate recurring problems (e.g. stuck EGR valve) had 50/50 success because of the engines being calibrated for it.

 

No free lunch

Although, one thing the nasty old EGR valves had in their favor was that they were relatively cheap, simple, and easy to replace. I hope I never have any problems with the camshaft phasers or solenoids that we have now instead of EGR. Definitely more involved to troubleshoot, repair, or replace any of that stuff.

 

Resurrecting this thread as I do some research about the Ti-VCT...

Given the oil control solenoids that direct high-pressure oil into the phaser cavity of the camshafts, given the high compression ratios in the Ti-VCT (it's kinda like a diesel engine with spark plugs!), would it not make a whole lot of sense to go with full-on synthetic oil.

Seems to me like neglecting an oil change on a highly-strung little mill like this one would be relatively worse due to the additional complexity.

Does anybody have any thoughts on this. Thank you for your time.

 

o god. the great oil debate.

there are millions of threads on oil. one for each persons opinion i think.

oil for the VCT is more in the hydraulic sense (filling a cavity). so its properties for protecting against wear on moving surfaces does not apply.

hence I don't believe synthetic will affect VCT.

as to whether you should use it because direct injection. there are too many threads on that subject to count, so i wont delve into it here.

 

Yeah, sorry I'm new here. Probably a great debate no matter what make or model of vehicle you drive...

I guess my thoughts were exactly that the GDI Ti-VCT uses the engine oil for hydraulic pressure in order to fine tune the cams, also that the compression ratios are higher at 12:1, so the forces inside the mill are somewhat more violent than in some other engines; it's a high-strung little powerplant.

My next thought was: going too long between oil changes might be a bad idea for the Ti-VCT. It's always bad, but it would theoretically be even worse with this engine.

My next, next thought was, maybe the extra longevity of a full synthetic (or premium blended oil from synthetic basestock) might be worth the extra margin of protection in this case.

Overall, probably just changing the oil more frequently might be a good idea for this engine. It's a good idea with any engine, but it's even more of a good idea when you're dealing with something this mechanically complicated that needs oil to keep the thing from knocking when you get a bad tank of gas...

Thoughts?

 

As thenorm said, that theory doesn't apply.

The engine isn't more mechanically complex in any manner that loads the oil more, including those VCT items. The hydraulics involved don't stress the oil, no relationship to high compression or needing to move the cams to prevent knocking as you suggest.

There are OTHER reasons for a good oil, but plenty of oil threads already to discuss that where you can see it printed out & debated already. Oil Change 101 stickie ended up being debate more than a how to for a simple oil change as originally written.

 

Lol. Germans and Japs have been running VvT for nearly 30 years with no issues.

 

Lol. Germans and Japanese have been running VvT for nearly 30 years with no issues.

And earlier Focus & Escort models used it as well on certain engines.....

Just to stick with immediate predecessors.