The 4 Most Common Ford 2.0 Ecoboost Engine Problems

The Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine can give off certain frustrating issues. Some may be due to its design; some are generic motor problems. Whatever it is, negative engine symptoms aren’t something you should take for granted.

The following are the most common Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine problems:

1. Defective Pressure Fuel Pumps
2. Fissured Exhaust Manifold
3. Failing Wastegate Hose
4. Carbon Deposit Build-up

While the above-highlighted problems are common, the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine is not immune from other general issues associated with car engines. The prevention and fix of these issues aren’t complicated or unaffordable.

What Are The Most Common Ford 2.0 Ecoboost Issues?

1. Defective Pressure Fuel Pumps

A defect in the proper functioning of the pressure fuel pumps is one of the major problems common to the Ford 2.0 EcoBoost engine. Because the engine runs on a direct injection system, it features two pressure fuel pumps, the high-pressure fuel pumps and the low-pressure fuel pumps.

Once the gas tank-bound fuel filter is clogged, the low-pressure fuel pump tends to overwork in an attempt to transfer needed fuel to the high-pressure fuel pump. After several tries, the low-pressure pump will fail to work, leading to the collapse of the functioning of the impeller-controlled high-pressure pump.

What Should You Look Out For?

Failed pressure fuel pumps can cause a greater problem for the overall performance of the engine and the proper functioning of your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost.

Here are the signs that accompany fuel defective or failed fuel pumps:

• Engine Sputtering: Because of the inability of the fuel pumps to send gas to the engine to meet the vehicle speed need, the engine will threaten to stall and start to sputter.
• Increased Fuel Consumption: Typically, direct injection engines are exceptional for their high fuel economy. However, there’s a chance that you’ll burn more gas when surplus fuel is sent to the engine. This abnormal situation causes you to visit the gas station more often than normal.
• Engine Stall: Engine stalls might be the last thing you’d ever want to happen to your car. Once more than needed fuel is pumped into the engine and burned by it, the starter, alternator, or battery may be affected alongside the low-pressure and high-pressure gas pumps.
  If this happens, your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost might not respond. In that case, there won’t be fuel pushed into the combustion chamber to ignite the engine to start.

What Should You Do?

Different symptoms require different fixes. Overall, you may need to replace the fuel pump. However, whether it is a direct injection or a port injection engine, you’ll need to first run a scan on the vehicle and read the DTCs.

Sometimes, the problem might be electrical; at other times, it might be mechanical. Call your mechanic to help you fix the fuel pump issue.

2. Fissured Exhaust Manifold

The location of the exhaust manifold of a car comes down to the manufacturer’s design. Typically, Ford vehicles come with an exhaust manifold located in the front.

Specifically, the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine is designed with the exhaust manifold integrated directly into the cylinder head. Such a design implies that the exhaust gas will tend to generate a lot of heat and thus cause an inconsistent rise in temperature, at least relatively, as you drive the car.

The combined effect of the fluctuating temperature, the heat cycles, and the vibration of the engine will cause the exhaust manifold to expand and contract intermittently.

When this happens, some hairline cracks will form on the exhaust manifold, causing a change in the direction of the exhaust fumes. So, instead of exiting through the exhaust, the fumes will go through the cracks.

There are negative mechanical, operational and environmental effects of this issue. First off, you’ll notice a dip in drivability and the performance of your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine. In the process, the turbo will be overloaded due to the loss of the rear pressure needed by the turbochargers to perform efficiently.

What Should You Look Out For?

Below are signs you should be on the lookout for when you suspect hairline cracks on your exhaust manifold:

• Lack Of Acceleration: When your exhaust manifolds fissure, one of the earliest signs is the loss of acceleration. Your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost car won’t respond when you attempt to increase the output of the engine’s internal combustion.
• Poor Engine Performance: Fissures in the exhaust manifold will result in a rough running engine, low engine power, and engine misfiring. A cracked exhaust manifold may result in fumes clogging the system and increase the chance of an engine misfire.
• Chirping Engine Sound: You may also suspect a cracked exhaust manifold when you hear a whistling, chirping, or whining sound from the engine.
• Unpleasant Exhaust Smell: With a cracked exhaust manifold, you may start to perceive the usually unpleasant smell of the exhaust right inside the car.

What Should You Do?

If you observe cracked exhaust manifolds, carry out the following operations:

• Locate the exhaust manifold.
• Detach the temperature buffer around the manifold.
• Check for the fissured part of the manifold.
• Apply thermal metal repair paste to the damaged part (spread it evenly around the cracked section of the manifold.
• Sand the dried paste to rid it of lumps.
• Replace the heat buffer.

3. Failing Wastegate Hose

Bad wastegate hose is one of the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine problems. Also called the boost solenoid or control valve, the wastegate hose is an essential part of your engine’s electrical and mechanical constitution.

Essentially, it’s performs based on an open-and-close mechanism. When the hose opens, air flows through the turbo; when it closes, it shuts off air from getting into the combustion chamber. What this implies is that it can effectively control the flow and amount of exhaust fumes that get into the turbo turbine.

While the turbo is responsible for generating boosts and spins; a functional wastegate will regulate how much spin or boost the turbo produces. Secondly, the hose also takes off the amount of pressure the turbocharger manifold carries.

However, once the boost solenoid gets bad, the wastegate will not be able to control the amount of boost needed by the turbocharger. Hence, the turbine will receive more than enough air pressure and that will cause a malfunction of some parts of the engine.

What Should You Look Out For?

• Check Engine Light Illuminates: One of the visible signs of a failing wastegate hose is that the check engine light will come on. Plus, the P0299 engine code will come up. The reason is that the turbocharger is producing a surplus boost that the wastegate is supposed to take off.
• Dramatic Increase In Fuel Consumption: As a turbocharged engine, the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine is impressively popular for its excellent fuel economy. However, once the boost solenoid damages, leaks, or breaks, more unburned fuel will escape from the exhaust system.
  The immediate effect is the significant loss of fuel. If you notice decreased fuel economy, your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine wastegate may need to be replaced.
• Rapid Change In Turbo Boost Pressure: If the pressure builds up due to the inability of the wastegate to relieve the turbo, you’ll notice a rapid change in the turbo boost pressure. Normally, the turbo boost will climb when you press the gas pedal and slow down when you take your leg off the pedal.
  However, if the turbo rises or drops down rapidly and pressure starts to oscillate, then your wastegate hose is likely blocked, broken, or damaged.
• Poor Engine Performance And Power Loss: Generally, an electrical or mechanical fault in any part of the engine naturally causes it to malfunction. However, a bad wastegate hose will result in poor engine performance and power loss of the engine.
  Since the wastegate hose is linked with the Electrical Control Unit (ECU) through turbo and vacuum pressure, the vehicle may refuse to start.
• Engine Turbo Won’t Boost When Accelerating: Another visible symptom of a damaged boost solenoid is the engine turbo’s lack of power to boost or spins when accelerating. If you press the throttle and the turbo fails to engage, the first culprit is the wastegate. Likely, it is not working properly or there is a clog.

What Should You Do?

Previously, forced induction systems were responsible for the surplus pressure build-up that led to some internal components of the auto engine breaking. However, with the introduction of the turbocharged engines, the pressure is taken off the turbo, thanks to the integrated release tube called the wastegate hose.

You must do everything possible to fix a defective or broken wastage hose, replace it if it’s or damaged.

Step 1: Check If Wastegate Gives Off Pressure

Turn on your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine and spool up the gas pedal. Allow the throttle to come to rest and check if the wastegate relieves the turbo of the pressure. Also observe when you accelerate, if there’s any sound of waste discharge. An irregular whistling sound indicates a cracked hose.

Step 2: Replace The Wastegate Hose

Park your car on a hard, flat surface (for an automatic car, the transmission should be in the park while the manual should be in first gear) and chock the front wheels. Lock the rear tires with a parking brake and jack them up completely off the ground using your floor jacks.

Step 3: Disengage The Wastegate Hose

Detach the mounting nuts and brackets, the turbos before you can remove the wastegate hose from the turbo.

Step 4: Replace The Wastegate Hose

Install the new wastegate hose onto the turbo and controller. Replace all mou8nting nuts and brackets, including the hose clamps.

Step 5: Test Drive And Observe The Dashboard

Once you have completed the process and returned the vehicle to the ground, try to test drive the car. Check if the check engine light will come on. Also, monitor the fuel gauge. If everything is in order, you’re good to go. If not, you may need your mechanic to carry out further diagnosis.

4. Carbon Deposit Build-up

Carbon deposit build-up is a common issue associated with engines that operate on the principle of a direct injection system.

As a direct injection gasoline system, the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine is designed in such a way that fuel doesn’t pass through the intake valves. The implication of this is that the carbon deposit in the fuel doesn’t get purified before it reaches the cylinders.

What Should You Look Out For?

While the fuel has bypassed the intake valves to allow carbon to get deposited in the valves and cylinders, there are a few signs of your engine performance signals.

You must watch out for the following:

• Engine Misfires: The engine will start to misfire in the cylinders due to incomplete internal combustion in these parts. Three things suggest an engine misfire: your car may (1) start to shake; (2) hesitate; (3) give off stuttering noise.
• Missing Acceleration: Ideally, when you press on the throttle, the vehicle should accelerate; however, a carbon deposit will cause a reduction in or complete lack of compression to speed up.
• Rough Idle: Rough idling is a direct consequence of a carbon build-up in car engine cylinders. Once the fuel bypasses the intake manifold and transfers directly to the combustion chamber, a lean fuel-air mixture occurs. Consequently, your Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine won’t run steadily, causing a rise-and-fall performance.
• Loss Of Power: Your 2.0 Ecoboost engine will lose power if there’s a carbon deposit build-up. The issue starts with a high combustion pressure that gradually results in stalling, overheating, and sometimes engine knocking.

Other issues to be wary of include poor engine performance, check engine light illuminates, and lean air-to-fuel ratio.

What Should You Do?

When you notice these signs, the first suspicion is the possibility of carbon build-up. Should you panic? No. There is a way out. The interesting thing is that with the walnut blasting, you can resolve the issue connected to Ecoboost carbon build-up.

Get a shop vac and some walnut media shells and follow the procedure for wiping off carbon deposits in your engine cylinders or intake manifolds. Here’s the thing: make sure your engine has hit a mileage range of 70,000-90,000. Don’t forget, defective spark plugs can also cause engine misfire.

FAQs

1. Should I Go For The Ford 2.0 Ecoboost Engines?

Save for technical specifications that come with certain vehicles, the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine is one of the best engines your car can run on. Although it has gone through a few modifications since its launch over a decade ago, the engine still ranks atop the best motors out there.

Yes, they have their issues like every other engine; the Ford 2.0 boasts high-performance features that should make it your preferred engine.

2. What Are The Specs Of The Ford 2.0 Ecoboost Engine?

Final Thoughts

There is so much you can do to prevent or fix the Ford 2.0 Ecoboost engine problems. These issues occur mostly when using the vehicle for towing. If you consider things from a broader perspective, the engine has an overall high rating. Its reliability is not in question, either.

The truth is that if you pay attention to these problems and take steps to resolve them as soon as you suspect or observe them, there may not be any chance to experience any severe effect on your car. Yet, the decision is yours to make whether or not you’ll go for the engine.

Don’t forget, the symptoms you notice might be due to other causes. I recommend that your mechanic carry out a proper diagnosis of the vehicle to determine the exact reason why those signs pop up.