Ford ecoboost engine problems/coolant/fires etc

[T5R92011]

Ford Ecoboost engine failures: customers to receive refunds
Issues with Ford's 1.0-litre and 1.6-litre Ecoboost engines can cause them to fail and in some cases go up in flames, according to reports

Anyone experienced issues with their 1.6 Ecoboost (petrol) Volvos low coolant warning/bursting into flames?

Early V40 T2/T3/T4 cars up until about 2015 used the 1.6-litre Ford Ecoboost. I think the S60 and even S80 have this engine (seen a couple of 1.6 T4 S80's floating about)

I believe the 2.0-litre ecoboost (237bhp) doesn't have the same issues. This engine is branded 'T5' in S60 and S80.

Did Volvo make some improvements in their use of the engine? I guess these engines weren't massively popular compared to the D2/D3/D4 but still something to beware of.

We know the 2.3 ecoboost in the current Focus RS was blowing head gaskets left right and center... I'd be rather peeved if this affected my car.. Perhaps Volvo had a lucky escape rolling out the VEA engines when they did?

[pettaw]

I have a 2013 V40 T4 with the 1.6 Ecoboost engine.


I had a recall for this problem back about 2 years ago I think.
The fix was the replace the exhaust manifold gasket and take out the innards of the coolant bypass valve so that it was open all the time and also able to flow much larger volumes of coolant. Apparently the cause is 'spirited' driving from cold when the coolant flow is very low causing localised boiling and overheating?



I did note from looking around that Ford's solutions were different, I think they replumb the entire cooling system so that the coolant level sensing is more sensitive and fit some extra cover plate to the rear of the engine in case anything leaks so that hot fluid couldn't leak onto the hot manifold. I'm not sure whether they replace the manifold gasket too.

[AndyJudge]

Funnily enough I watched an episode of 'Inside Out' which covered these issues with the smaller EcoBust (tm) engines & the problems with them.

2 Day's later driving down the A1 witnessed a Ford Fiesta having BBQ moment (occupants were out of car) followed about 100miles later with a Focus having the same issue.

[Welton]

I'd have thought the coolant flow would be very fast when the engine's cold because it doesn't have to flow through the restrictive radiator, the engine should heat up quite fast and then slowly allow some circulation through the rad using the thermostat which'll open and close down slightly according to temperature, once stabilised (say on a motorway) the thermostat will remain mostly open to allow full cooling.

Sounds like these ecoburst engines are getting too hot too quickly and before the thermostat can detect what's going on.