Somewhere, I read that Ford requires no special treatment of the turbocharged EcoBoost engines. Things like letting the engine idle for 30 seconds or so before you turn it off not required, etc, etc. I don't remember where I saw or read that, but I know I saw it somewhere.

In the past (several years ago), I had always heard it was wise to let the engine idle for a short time before you turn it off, presumably to let the turbos slow down and keep lubrication before you shut off the engine (which unless the manufacturer provided some special pump to keep oil or coolant flowing to the turn after the engine is turned off, the turbo keep cooking with no lube and no coolant - depending on the setup). I also thought I heard somewhere it's not a wise idea to rev the engine up while driving and then let off the gas so all that built up compressed air has to be forced out of the waste gate (?)/ Blow-off valve? The idea being that it puts a lot of stress on the system when doing that? Or maybe in the modern design, Ford accounts for that and it's no big deal? You tell me :-)

Anyway, I'm just curious if you all have found any info about how Ford actually handles the turbos in the 3.5 EcoBoost as far as how their own cooling system works and best practices knowing that.

Also any special tips, if any, for driving/operating the EcoBoost. Obviously, I would think revving the engine and then turning it off immediately would be a bad idea....since the turbos would be spinning very fast when the engine was stopped in that situation. So...what no-no's would be at the top of your list for this modern twin turbo V-6 engine? (disregarding myths and info from the 1980's turbo engines, unless it really does apply to these modern engines).

I'm not paranoid and not concerned about my EcoBoost longevity, so please don't get too worked up over these questions. Just looking for any general good advice that I may not already be aware of....anything that's relevant to these particular engines. I do plan on using premium full synthetic oil and changing maybe every 5k-6k miles, which would be about every three months for me.

And again, if you've seen any specific info with regard to the 3.5 EcoBoost designed for the F150 (not the Taurus) and what Ford did to keep the turbos cool and so on, please point me to that. I've love to check it out.

Thanks :-)

 

Well, with some deeper searching I found that the turbos are cooled via convection using the coolant after the engine is turned off. So that takes care of that question ;-)

 

You found the answer about the cooling. If you were towing heavy and in a hilly area and the temps were high, and immediately pulled off the road then it could be beneficial to let it idle for a minute or two to bring temps down. Is is specifically stated to do so? NO

As for daily driving etc, it's good to drive it like you stole it from time to time. A good heat soak is a good idea if you have short commutes. I have a 6 mile commute, one way, daily. I often take the long way home to get the temps up and keep them up to burn off condensation, etc. I also stand on the go pedal a few times a week to help keep things clear.

 

I rarely haul/tow anything. I mainly buy a 4x4 truck for not getting stuck in the snow in winter and also for the occasional purchase of large items at the store. Oh and for the bed space for vacations (BakFlip type cover).

Yes I've heard that before...that you should get on it now and then to help keep it cleaned out. My daily commute is about 35 minutes. About 15 minutes of back roads/50 MPH and 20 minutes of highway at 70 MPH or so. I'll be sure to 'clean it out now and then'...and if my wife complains, I'll be sure she knows it's necessary for proper care ;-)

 

Boosted engines like boost.

Frequent throttle exercise is a wonderful way to keep it running well.

Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup

 

40K on mine with no issues. It's my daily driver with a 32 mile round trip commute. About half freeway and half mixed. I stand on the go pedal once a day if traffic permits, if not, then I don't.

I have been in a 6K mile dump cycle using MC 5W-30 oil and MC filters with all service provided by the dealer.

Since I've never pulled anything and rarely haul, I don't worry about let it sit to idle for a few minutes to cool down. I've spoke with some who do pull heavy who have stated that they do let it sit when pulling but otherwise they drive normal.

I burn 87 octane all the time. If my truck were a workhorse then I would experiment with higher octane gas.

I check the oil every two weeks, the level has never changed during my dump cycles which tells me that I have little or no fuel dilution and little or no burn off.

Just remember, in the time frame that gas turbo engines became popular in the 80's and then failed, turbo diesels thrived and gained in popularity. Clearly the gas turbos were poorly designed, not so with the ecoboost. This is a purpose built truck engine and not some retro fit.