What’s New with Ford?
After coming third in the 2022 FN50 reliability ranking, Ford have made their way back to top position marking them as the most reliable manufacturer of vans, a first since 2016. Not only this but the Ford Transit, featuring the Ecoblue engine, has made it to the 3rd spot for most reliable van.
The Ecoblue Engine
In 2016 Ford released the Ecoblue engine, which is featured prominently in the Ford Transit. Available in 1.5L and 2.0L it was set to replace the Duratorq diesel engines. The aim of the Ecoblue was to create a more efficient and economical engine. By offsetting the crankshaft, installing a wet belt and making use of a clean-burning combustion system, Ford were able to reduce friction and carbon emissions, gaining a 13% improvement in fuel efficiency.
With these improvements the Ecoblue managed to meet the Euro 6 standards introduced in September 2015, 7 months before the release of the Ecoblue.
The Ecoblue can be most commonly found in any Ford Transit diesel from 2016 onwards and is also featured in the fourth generation Ford Focus and Mondeo and the seventh generation Ford Fiesta. Vehicles fitted with this engine can be identified by the Ecoblue badge.
Wet Belt
The introduction of the wet belt is one of the predominant differences you will find in the Ecoblue when compared to its predecessors. The first belt-in-oil system was installed inside of early European-market 1.8L Ford diesels. In 2010, Ford released their Ecoboost engine featuring a wet belt and the Ecoblue came out a few years later in 2016.
If you regularly read our articles you will know that we have picked them apart to death and that the general feeling for them is displeasure. Originally designed to reduced carbon emissions and increase performance, the belt-in-oil system has very quickly made its way to becoming one of the most problematic parts.
One of the biggest factors contributing to belt failure is the contamination of any fluid, such as oil, as the rubber material will soak it up leading it to crack and deteriorate. Introducing the wet belt, which runs while submerged in oil, and now these engines have a higher rate of premature belt wear. Not only that but as the belt wears, the material disintegrates into the oil, leading to a blocked oil sump and overall oil starvation to the rest of the engine.
Fuel Injectors
In 2019, the Ford Ecoblue saw critical failures with the fuel injectors, which supplies the engine with diesel. Ford states this is a quality control issue from their supplier; a failure believed to be related to a coating used on the inside of the injector which comes loose over time and results in it becoming blocked. This will send the vehicle into “limp home” mode and the injectors will need to be replaced straight away.
Luckily, this issue seems to be over and done with. Ford have been working with their supplier to address the faulty materials used and to build up a stock of replacement fuel injectors. With this assurance from Ford it reinforces that any Ecoblue manufactured after 2019 should not have this issue. The affected vehicles were built between 25th February and 13th Septemeber 2019.
Conclusion
Overall, while innovations have been made and the improvements seen in the Ecoblue seem promising, the reliance on the wet belt to achieve this is concerning. At the end of the day it’s hard to see any benefit to wet belts as while it can result in improved efficiency it will ultimately become a burden to the drivers.
With this engine being featured in what is now the UKs 3rd most popular van, rapidly rising from 7th place, it is vital that everyone is aware of the potential issues faced. As Ford vans rise in popularity these faults are likely to be more common.
At GT Automotive we stock a growing range of parts for the Ford Ecoblue.
