The 4 Most Common Ford 6.2 Liter V8 Engine Problems

Given the impressive features of most of its vehicle models, Ford has become the favorite of many modern car owners.

From high-performance engine to incredible rugged body layers, Ford has got no room for manufacturing mediocre cars. But there are design flaws that yet won’t overshadow the great reputation of this brand.

For instance, if you’re cruising around in the Ford E-Series (2017-2019), here are some of the most common Ford 6.2 engine problems you can’t avoid:

1. Rough Idle
2. Oil Leaks
3. Failed Valve Spring
4. Low Fuel Economy

You may also notice a few other issues with the Ford 6.2 vehicle such as water pump failure and oil burning. It doesn’t matter whether your Ford 6.2 is new or used; the engine shows almost similar common problems.

Yet, each of the problems requires an urgent attention. This guide comes in handy to put paid to the recurrent questions about the problems associated with this amazing 16-plug engine.

What Are The Most Common Ford 6.2 Engine Issues?

1. Rough Idle

The crankshaft of your car makes certain revolutions per minute (usually between 600-1000 rpm) and these determine how much the car idles.

Idling refers to a situation in which the four strokes of intake, combustion, compression, and exhaust are complete and the vehicle can power a couple of components but not able to spur the vehicle into action.

Rough idling can be caused a wide range of issues, including wrong idle speed, weak or damaged spark plugs, electrical parts failure, dirty oxygen sensor, dirty throttle, vacuum leak, weak airflow sensor, clogged fuel filter, and choked fuel pump. The most troubling and common of these issues is the dirty air system.

Two of the most common symptoms of rough idling are bouncing sensation and shaking of the vehicle after start. You may also observe a few other signs such as inconsistent rpm counts and odd sounds.

An idling issue may also indicate rise and fall of vehicle rpm, which should be about 1000 rpm. To resolve rough idle, the steps are pretty easy. A DIY approach won’t be a bad thing; at least, it’ll save you some bucks.

Get your tools and materials ready, including the throttle body cleaner:

1. Remove the airbox-bound hose .
2. Apply the cleaner. Before you spray, make sure the engine is turned on and someone is behind the wheel to keep it running as you spray.
3. Keep the engine running as you spray inside the hose to clear out the dirt inside it.
4. Raise the airbox and take out the filter.
5. Disconnect the mass airflow sensor and spray the throttle cleaner.
6. Replace all items disconnected from the airbox-bound hose.

2. Oil Leaks

An oil leak is one of the common Ford 6.2 engine problems. A bad valve gasket is the first culprit when you find out there is an oil leak in your car.

So, replacing the cracked valve cover gasket with a new one is the best shot; the process is simple and does not cost must.

To do this, you’ll need a ratchet and a wrench.

1. Pop your car hood and remove surrounding components (bolts) all over the valve cover gasket. Remove the items in this order: the PCV valve hose, air filter cleaner, brake booster vacuum, using a wrench.
2. Disengage all the bolts around the valve cover gasket with the ratchet.
3. Raise up valve cover gasket and remove it.
4. Replace the old valve cover gasket with the new one.
5. Replace the shim and other components initially taken off the cover and tighten them up.

3. Failed Valve Spring

Valve springs are very vital to the optimal functioning of the engine as well as its life expectancy. It is essentially built into the 16-valve Ford 6.2 engine to offer adequate yet moderate spring pressure to ensure the cam has contact with the tappet. The force is to keep the engine optimally active throughout its speed range, life cycle and at all speeds.

To achieve this optimally, the valve spring is located within the cylinder head. So, any fracture to the valve spring will cause a loss of control between the cam and tappet, making the regulation of the exhaust and intake valves practically impossible. A failed valve spring will cause the valve to needlessly float and bounce.

Symptoms Of Failed Valve Spring

When you observe any of the following signs, the first part of your Ford 6.2 engine to pick on is the valve spring. It may have broken or gone weak.

• Engine Running Rough: A broken or weal valve spring is both bad for engine performance as much for power. If you don’t pay attention to it, it can lead to severe engine damage and force some money out of your budget for costly repairs.
  You’ll notice the valve open once it becomes weak. This will force the piston to move up the cylinder to make the compression stroke work. In some cases, you may notice that the piston make contact with the valve, leading to the valve to twist or get deformed; the piston may also crack in the process.
• Loss Of Power At Engine Speed Range: What you’ll notice is a loss of power at all speeds once the valve spring is broken. The effect might be mild if the valve is weak because the power loss will come on only at high speeds.
• Engine Misfire Codes: You cannot rule out the possibility of an engine misfire once there is a minor or major issue with your engine. Typically, a vehicle engine works with a four-stroke principle of exhaust, intake, combustion, and compression. The valve spring plays an important role in each of these strokes.
  However, once it shuts down, internal combustion in the chamber won’t be complete, and lead to a loss of compression which will cause the engine to hesitates to starts or shakes after starting.
• Loss Of Power At High RPM: The engine revolution range during idling is 600 to 6,000 or more. When it reaches the high rpm, the valve springs open more than 40 times a second, allowing the camshaft to complete a revolution at half the rpm of the crankshaft.
  However, if the valve springs go weak, it will fail to close before valve, causing the valves not to keep up with the high speed. Ideally, the valves should close ahead of the next combustion cycle. The consequence is a misfire resulting from incomplete stroke and loss of compression by the cylinder.

How To Replace broken Valve Springs

The good news is that replacing a valve spring is easy for DIY enthusiasts. If you’re not familiar with simple mechanical issues in a car, don’t start it. You won’t spend much hiring the service of a mechanic. Valve springs for Ford 6.2 V8 engines are both cheap to buy and fix.

Get your tools ready, especially the valve spring test stand. The first step to take is to remove the 16 valve seals. After removing, check if the springs all have equal heights. The springs with shorter heights are no longer useful because they’ve lost tension.

Replace them immediately. To be sure of the condition of each spring, use the spring tester. The springs that are still good will meet up with pressure specification for compression.

4. Low Fuel Economy

Also called high gas consumption, fuel economy is one of the vehicle features that car owners and drivers seek to monitor quite jealously.

If in the past you’ve been mad at your vehicle manufacturer over high fuel consumption, your experience with the Ford 6.2 may make you not want to own a car again. Extreme fuel consumption is one major issue the Ford 6.2 engine comes with.

Naturally, as engines age, they tend to consume more oil than normal. But you should be able to tell quite precisely whether your vehicle consumes more fuel than normal. The Ford 6.2 engine does not different between its used or new engine. You may need to top up your fuel on a quart as you change the oil.

Usually, the configuration of the Ford 6.2 positive crankcase ventilation (Boss PCV) is primarily responsible for the excess oil consumption. As the vehicle ages and covers more mileage, some of the cylinders may be losing compression, burning more oil and causing you to spend more.

While there are no major issues high oil consumption may cause to your vehicle, it takes a deep toll on your budget. You’ll have to allocate and spend more on fuelling and vehicle maintenance.

The truth is that the Ford 6.2 will start experience excessive oil consumption when it’s near 200,000 or 250,000 miles. The signal is that the engine is getting tired.

Before you start to contemplate on replacing the engine, you can perform the following on your Ford 6.2 to lessen its oil consumption rate:

• Avoid Unnecessary Idling: Excess idling consumes more fuel than normal, makes your oil to burn faster, and causes your vehicle engine to produce more emissions.
  You can let the engine run, warm up for a minute or two. However, if you want several minutes of idling, you should switch off your engine to save oil and gas consumption.
• Check For Oil Leaks: An oil leak is the first suspect when you notice excess oil consumption. It is likely the valve cover gasket is cracked. You’ll need to fix it using the steps described above.
• Reduce Oil Change Interval: As vehicle oil ages, it loses its viscosity and becomes thinner. As this happens, you can’t wait for the conventional oil change. Although synthetic engine oils have a high viscosity and is resistant to aging and heat, you’ll need to keep tabs on the oil change interval (OCI) as your vehicle grows older.
• Carry Out Scheduled Servicing Of The PCV: It also important to be consistent with your routine car maintenance schedule. Depending on the manufacturer, you can adopt the 30-60-90 servicing schedule.
  It means you can inspect, replace parts, or change oil after every 30,000, 60,000, or 90,000 mile. The older your vehicle gets, the more frequent you should inspect the engine.

FAQs

1. Is The Ford 6.2 Engine Reliable?

No doubt, these few issues cannot overshadow the reliability, power, and delivery of the Ford 6.2 engine.

As a high-performance engine, the Ford 6.2 is designed for a wide range of high-end Ford vehicles, including F-350, F-250, F-150, such as Super Duty trucks and SVT Raptor. Besides, the engine is strong and can hold out against rough and tough on- and off-road threats.

With great horsepower, torque and towing capacity, the Ford 6.2L engine is amazing. A quick look at the specs and features of this amazing engine shows the following:

• Horsepower: 385 hp @ 5,500 rpm
• Toque: 430 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm
• Engine Family: Ford Boss
• Drive Type: Rear-wheel
• Maximum Towing Capacity: 15,000 lbs
• Transmission: 6-spd w/OD
• Engine Oil Capacity: 7 qts w/ filter
• Engine: 6.2L SOHC 2-Valve Flex Fuel V8
• Engine Block material: Cast iron

Don’t forget, the manufacturer continues to introduce new generation of the Ford 6.2. So, the features and specs are upgraded to meet the expectations of Ford enthusiasts. For instance, the payload capacity of the 2020 Ford F-250 is actually 4,260 lbs.

2. How Many Miles Can The 6.7 Engine Last?

The mileage of the Ford 6.2 engine is extremely great. Typically, a Ford 6.2 engine can last for as long as 300,000 miles before it will need to be replaced.

But here is the thing: for Ford as for any other vehicle engine for that matter, mileage is dependent on the car owner or user. How you use and maintain your car will depend on how long it will last and still stay strong.

3. What Is The Cost Of Fixing Ford 6.2 Engine Problems?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer because there are different strokes for different folks. The type and extent of the damage, the number of parts needed for replacement, and the labor you hire will determine how much you may need to cough out.

For instance, the cost of replacing a tensioner or fixing an oil leak will be different from how much you spend on replacing a failing valve spring or repairing a faulty PCV valve.

If you’re hiring a local mechanic, here is a rough estimate of expected cost on some of the issues associated with Ford 6.2. A DIY procedure will reduce the cost as you’ll only budget for the purchase of the components.

1. Oil Leak

2. Damaged PCV system

On average, it will cost between $40 and $80 to fix a damaged PCV valve. If you can go for the DIY, you’ll only part with the cost of buying the parts which is only between $10 and $15.

3. Rough Idle

Fixing a rough idle of a Ford 6.2 engine is a simple work that you may not need a mechanic for. However, the average cost of replacing the idle control valve ranges from $120 to $500. For a DIY air system cleaning, you may spend less.

4. Failed Valve Spring

The cost of replacing a faulty valve spring for a Ford 6.2 engine is between $700 and $1,200. However, the price on your location and the model of the Ford 6.2 you’re using.

Other things you may also need to pay attention to include cam phasers and tensioner problems. Although Ford 6.2 cam phasers problems are not common, fixing them become important because these parts are very central to the optimal performance of your truck engine.

You’ll have to budget between $700 and $1000 to replace broken cam phasers. For tensioner replacement, you’ll need something in the region of $100 to $150.

The thing is that replacing a tensioner can take several hours, but saving some money off labor won’t be a bad idea. You will also learn in the process of doing it yourself.

Final Thoughts

The Ford 6.2 engine has been around since 2010 and many upgrades have been made to reduce the number of complaints that comes with its design. Many of the new models have seen a dramatic drop in the Ford 6.2 engine problems. You’ll have these issues with your car for long if you don’t take precaution.

However, you may also experience Ford 6.2 cam phasers and tensioner problems; they are not among the major issues plaguing this model of Ford engine.

The Ford 6.2 is a powerful engine with incredible features and specifications that suitable for vehicles with amazing performance. It is designed for a range of Ford models.

Generally, the best bet for a car driver, owner or user is to ensure that routine servicing and schedule maintenance is not overlooked. If you suspect anything wrong in the functioning and performance of your Ford engine, quickly take the car out for diagnosis.

This way, you’ll not be elongating the life of the car but also saving yourself a lot of money that should have been unnecessary spent on repairing or replacement damaged car parts.