New Warning To All Ford Ecoboost Owners! 

this guy is a great mechanic,i don't know if he still works in a ford shop or not but either way he knows his business,his vids have helped me a lot.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your response to questions!

Thanks for keeping us in the loop on this. I am very concerned about the long term ramifications with/without catch can.

You got yourself another subscriber from another fellow Tech. Very happy that you put this out there because the induction services are wanted by everybody. And my father just got an F-150 2.7 so I will be very pleased to tell him you never ever get that done

You explain things very well. I felt like I was in a mechanics class! Thanks!

Here I am in 2020, just got a 2014 Taurus SHK and was debating on this, thanks for the timeless knowledge man lol

You do great videos sir. VERY informative, and I appreciate the time you take to do this. Keep it up!

Thank you for the video and confirming my correct choice to order another 2019 5.0 v8 on trade for my 2013 5.0, since I couldn't get what I wanted on the lot since they were mostly 2.7 and 3.5 EcoBoost. Hope they never stop making the v8 because that will probably be the end of my Ford ownership.

Also see my all new video on this subject with the latest information- Ford Ecoboost Engine Carbon Deposits: What You Need to Know ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--ynGWxzJHjA.html

You're a very well spoken technician! Thanks for the very valuable information!!!

Went with the 5.0 in my 2015 F150. I am very happy with the motor. It sounds great and has PLENTY O POWER!

Hello, love your Video. I worked in an BMW dealership as a Master Tech, back in the 80"s and this was a big problem with all vehicles of idle miss-fire. Excessive carbon build up on the Intake valves. BMW came up with a procedure of removing intake and exhaust manifolds and actually sand blasting the back end of the valves with crushed Walnuts from both directions. A long and expensive process, but effective. Preventive maintenance was to add Techron in gas tank with every other full tank. This problem will continue to be an issue until they find a better way to introduce fuel injector application and locations. I found the only way fight this right from the start is to apply a teflon additive to your fuel every once in a while. Chevron gas has it's additive of Techron, but to add more to your tank will diffidently help in the long run. Again, thanks for the Video, and good luck. OH, BTW, Don't replace the heads, dumb move, you'll just have the same problem again.

Can you post a update to this video, maybe address owner maintenance request, or Ford service options to keep the buildup in check. Thanks I really like your channel and the great advise you offer, keep it up! MJ in MN

The solution to this is to take the intake off and blast the back of the intake valve with crushed walnut shells or similar media. This was developed in the early 80's by mercedes to fix this very problems on their turbo-diesels. VW, Audi, BMW, all have the same issue and need this service at 80-100k miles depending on the driving. Dealer approved procedure for them

Great info I watch all your stuff and I really appreciate your time to make these I plan on watching all your stuff and I love the first do no harm perspective of this clip thanks

Thanks for sharing this info. Brian. I'll be sharing this with friends who own these. I still have the 5.4 3v and have had very good luck so far. I think I'll be hanging on to it for a while longer too.

Interesting video series. Thanks Just bought an F150 FX4 with 3.5 Ecoboost yesterday. Found a dealer that warrants engine, drivetrain AND turbos for the entire time I own the truck (no warranty transfer on future sale). With only a $100 deductible, I now feel lots more comfortable with the Ecoboost decision. Personally....I LOVE the quiet from this engine !! I am not a guy who needs the deep sound.

The carbon build up is still very common on turbocharged petrol BMW's

Wow, this brought so much clarity! I have a Ford explore 3.5 eco-boost and I ran Duralube’s engine enhancer and Duralube’s catalytic converter cleaner. My suv performed like a champ at first but now the turbo sounds like it is struggling only boosting in sporadic winds.2 weeks later after the induction.

Great video thanks for taking the time to record the process. Doesn't matter who came up with the idea all that matters is that it works. Good job, very clean.

Thank you for a very clear explanation. I personally am averse to turbo chargers because of their high temperatures, often exceeding 600 to 700 degrees C. This is also a challenge for the turbo lubrication. A possible alternative could be an engine driven super charger which is much cooler.

CBU (Carbon Build Up) is a huge problem with newer diesels too. Reliability seems to go way down as the ethnology advances.

Appreciate the info Brian.

great discussion i learned alot thank you now on to part 2

Would be interesting to see the BTU output of an induction cleaner vs the fuel you'd normally run anyway. Turbos deal with WAY more heat at 5000rpm than it would probably ever see with an induction cleaner. Towing a boat up a hill should get that turbo nice and toasty too. So the turbo would have to get extremely hot to cause any seal damage. The logic seems somewhat flawed to me.

Thank you for this video! You're the man.

VW, had this happen on the 06 to 08.5 GTI's. They remedied it by placing injectors before the values as well as directly into the port. Luckily the intake is fairly easy to get off on the older ones, normally three values are closed with one open. normal procedure is to tape off the open valve, soak the gunk in a cleaning agent and scrape and vacuum the gunk out and rinse and repeat until clean. It's a pain, however it's only needed every 50-100k depending how the car is driven. Some drivers have also added meth injection not only as a octane booster but to have the ability to clean the values without manually cleaning them. Hope this helps.

I've done 2 induction services on my service managers 3.5 ecoboost and haven't had any problems. I've used the BG products system.

You can reduce the issue by regularly changing your oil using quality oil and only using the top brands of fuel like BP, Shell, Mobil and so on because they put in quality additives, detergents and lubricants.

You do great work! Thanks for all the great info! Leasing a ranger right now and originally had the intention of buying it out. Looks like the F-150 5.0 is a safer long-term investment.

thank you for this post-- new owner of 2015 ecoboost mustang.

Thanks for sharing such an important piece of intel.👍. I'll make sure to share it with my "boosted" friends.

Thank goodness I opted for the non-Ecoboost engine in my Escape!

I think the CATCH CAN is the best thing you could do for early eco-boost engines. The newer style engines have the dual injection systems. One injector sprays gas right in the cylinder and the other injector sprays the back of the intake valve and keeps it clean.

Same thing my 335i had. Easy fix! Walnut blast of the intake valves and you're good to go!! Recommended every 40k. But far more fuel efficient. The 335i is 300 hp stock and with my tune 380hp and I still get 26 mpg on the freeway and 19 in town. I'll take that anyday!! Love the new ecoboost Fords, a turbo car is so much fun.

Thanks so much for this info!!!y wife's 2014 escape spews a lot of carbon out of the exhaust in the winter (gets down to - 30f here) so I thought using the seafoam products that sprays into the throttle body would help but I'm not going to risk it thanks to you

would using the lower octane gas create more carbon buildups? i use a mimium of 91 octane gas here we have in canada in my ecoboost

I love my escape eco boost its fun sporty and powerful for the little engine it has. And very fuel efficient I find. But I also run high test gas in it so maybe that’s why I get great results. Just added a k&n cone filter to replace the paper cone that it came with so I’m going to see if it makes a difference on fuel savings

I just got an F-150 10 days ago. I hadn't heard of this issue until now, but I never did like the idea of trying to squeeze a lot of HP out of small engines. That's why I went with the 5.0 L V-8. Now I'm even happier that I did.

Thankyou for this tip, know I know what to tell all my friends. I can understand exsalst valve but not intake hope all is well with you and keep up the good work

I am looking to buy a 2017, 2018, or a 2019 F150 XLT Super Crew 4X4. When I go to any dealer I always inquire about the V8...turbos fail and are expensive to fix. There is no replacement for cubic inch displacement!

I went back and forth about whether to buy the 3.5 eco boost or the 5.0 V-8. I’m old school so of course I went with the V-8 for my new 2020. Nothing beats the rumble of a V-8. Thanks for video bud.

Great video. Makes so much sense! Thank you.

The in laws just got a new 2017 Focus after having problems with their 2012 Fusion and other 2014 Focus. It had a Bad slipping in take off like a stuttering. They were told it was something to do with the Transmission. Hope they have luck with the new one. Thanks for the Heads up. Well done

I love my F-150 2.7 Ecoboost, but I love that I leased it even more.

very informative thank you

Back in my mazdaspeed 3 days we all had this issue. They run pig rich and those intake valves are cakes up nice. A lot of my friends took the intake manifolds off and did media blasting, manual brushing/scrubbing and a few other home made backyard remedies. They actually media blasted the intake ports with walnut media or something and vacuumed the excess out. They made it work, no issues some how but with direct inject turbo engines, it just comes with it. oil catch can is a life safer but not the total fix. Great video though. I will be watching for more. Im looking at a mustang ecoboost. Loved my old 2.3 DISI turbo. Feel like it'll be a good ride

I had a 2014 1.6 Ecoboost Escape and then a 2017 2.0 Ecoboost Escape (that ford had to buy me a new short block for) when I started hearing and seeing the valve problems. I traded in the 2017 and bought the the only Escape without GTDI. I love my 2021 Escape Hybrid, it is amazing.

cold start missfires are textbook symptoms of gdi engines having carbon buildup

This is the reason I stuck with normally aspirated engine in my 2015 F150.

I think one of the main problems that people cause themselves is using the aftermarket tuners that you can plug right in and change your settings according to what you're using the vehicle for. Causes carbon to build up on the engine performance is going to be altered. The shifting RPM placement will be different and there will be more an issue with the carbon buildup according to the gas that you use and where you purchase your gas Along with the octane of your gas. Usually have octane booster or just mix it with straight racing gas high octane. 1/4 gallon for each 10 gallons of regular fuel. And make sure you plan on driving for at least a half a tank of gas that day. It will show noticeable Improvement

First of all I used to be a Ford Technician. Back on early 3.8 L there was a walnut blasting procedure for carbon on the intake valves.

This issue has been well known for atleast 8 years in the european car realm. Most BMW/VAG spec shops offer a media blast cleaning as a regualar service. I preform them under the terms of an "induction cleaning" because i also clean the intake manifold out best as possible. Kinda scary that the guys on your hotline didnt really see this coming. Im fairly sure BMW dealers are even offering a service for this under reg mait.

I figured they would do walnut blasting like what BMW's fix to this DI problem is. What about seafoaming it at the throttle body and not the before the turbo. I feel like that'd be a lot safer for the turbo. I just ordered my mishimoto oil catch can the other day. Hopefully it's not too late. I'm at 23k miles on my 2014 Fiesta ST...

I just wanted to say thank you so much for your posting this specific video.I really love your insights.I have had many of the issues you had spoke of with my 2011 F-150 EcoBoost over the last 8 months since 74,000. I really love the truck,It's paid off in full - but I am at the point of just giving up, I have always kept up with maintenance,and the highest quality oil changes. ! But still I have had misfires,cracked spark plugs,coil replacements, numerous problems from brake calipers,( running through 5 sets of brake pads in 2 years,front rotors,and now check engine light is on, and engine coolant was extremely low, but couldn't find any leaks,The oil wasn't cloudy...it has to be going somewhere! Love the truck but to broke at this point to keep going, but at least I can talk to the tech and tell him about carbon build up, etc! Thank you :)

Back in the late 1980s-early 1990s, the tempo/ topaz and 2.3 l ohc rangers also had this issue with carbon on intake valves. Fomoco came up with a blaster that was used with the engine still assembled in the car. It used crushed walnut shells to blast off carbon. We had a ranger that ran like the accelerator pump was disconnected on an old carb, big hesitation on takeoff. Pour in carbon clean was only a bandage to the cure. After the carbon blast, the truck ran like it was new. The big issue was that the truck never seen highway speeds and was just puttering around town. They used walnut shells because if any did get into the combustion chamber, it would just burn up and not damage anything. We on,y used it once after we got it as this wasn’t a big issue for many people as they drove more and carbon didn’t form as bad. I think I remember hearing that Chrysler Corp also had similar issues at that time.

Problem solved at least on the 2.7 in my 2018 f150. They added port injection with the direct injection. Love my little ecoboost

Hi Mike. How do I contact you because my '13 Fusion Ecoboost AWD "blew up" about a week ago. Holes in the engine block. Parts of rods, pistons, seals found laying on the plastic under shield. Oil everywhere. I'm not sure why it happened. #1 cylinder coil pack was replaced the day before and induction service done ... at Tuscaloosa Ford. Engine was having trouble reaching 5000 rpm ... stuttering is how I described it. Hesitating or not revving or poor acceleration, also could be used to describe it. Could only replicate it with pedal to the floor, no matter what speed I was going. My insurance isn't covering it

Thanks for your professional expertise.

im a ford tech as well. my dad has a 15 f150 echoboost. his did the same thing. I did a fuel service on it works great. hasn't had the issue since

You have to manually clean the carbon out of the intake ports and off the valves. I've been a VW/Audi tech for almost ten years now, we have to manually clean the carbon on the 2.0 FSI/TSI engines all the time. If you have a direct injected engine and you start to experience lower performance, poor fuel economy, rough running or misfiring when cold but goes away when warm you need to inspect for carbon build up. Ford may not approve of this cleaning method but it works and you can get about 90% of the carbon cleaned out by manual cleaning. More economical than replacing the cylinder head that's for sure.

dude thank you!!!

I just bought a 2014 Escape with EcoBoost. Thanks for putting this info out there!

In my opinion as a certified Mercury Marine tech for 30 years, a carbon reduction additive like 'Quicksilver Quick Kleen', is essential for preventing and reducing carbon buildup in all internal combustion engines.Especially Marine engines (2 or 4 stroke), as they run much cooler than automotive (143 thermostats)- this is to prevent vapor lock in the fuel system in enclosed engine compartments etc. It is safe for all engines and disolves away excessive carbon build up in valve trains, rigs etc, It is marketed also by other manufacturers- OMC Carbon Guard, Yamaha Ring Free and, Sierra Marine's 'Combustion Clean'. These carbon cleaners also work as fuel system cleaners and help stabilize fuels. imo

According to RU-vid, this is your most watched video of the hundreds you've done. I think it would be great for you to add to this or follow up with this issue on these engines...is it really happening? Is a catch can the solution? Is there a safe way to clean it out?. This would be a good one for an update.

Great Information. I have installed a methanol injection system on my 3.5 ecoboost 2011 F-150 to try to cool it down while I'm towing in the heat. It works. I'm told that this should also help clean off the valves while keeping everything cool. What are you thoughts on that approach?

I went through the same crap with our jaguar 5.0 direct injection V8. I put some Evinrude carbon guard in the gas and drove it like I stole it. Clear the codes and ship it. The customer are happy that it's running nice and smooth and when they come back for there service we just add a half a bottle to the gas tank. Works like a charm.

Egr or oil passing by turbo seals is causing the soot, traditional or non direct injection systems did a good job of keeping intake valves washed with gas.

Wow, it sounds like direct injection on these vehicles are depositing more carbon on the intake valve than the old carburetor days! The older SFI didn't seem to have this problem. Seems like buying a truck with the 5.0 is the best way to bypass this headache or make sure you have a warranty.

this is easy... oil catch can, EGR delete, and get a water-meth injection kit... going on my 6th year owning a direct injection turbo charged car and this is how you prevent carbon build up. Scheduled cleaning is also very recommended... NOT SEAFOAM... BMW suggests using walnut media and a media blaster to scrub the valves clean.

Thank you.. I am ISO of a Used Lincoln MKZ (13'-16') or Ford Fusion. and This Tells me to Avoid any EcoBoost Models..Either the V6 or Hybrid..

Great information thank you!

Toyota solved the direct injection by adding Bi injectors to each cylinder. There is a direct injection injector and an above valve injector. This allows the fuel to clean the injectors at 3/4 to WOT throttle. I think Nissan does this to.

This is why i keep my ohv ,not ohc 4.0 ranger. terrible mileage, but simple and reliable.

Started slow but finished strong, nice job!

Thank You !! I was about to dump some Sea Foam in my 2015 Expedition but couldn’t get the flap open on the fill neck

I had the induction service done at Ford at about 60,000 miles on my 2014 Ford Escape 2.0L Ecoboost. It now has 73,000 miles and is coding 0299, Underboost condition. Could that induction service taken out the turbo?

After 20 years of working with aircraft and turbo engines, this is nothing new. Turbo's usually mean trouble somewhere down the line. Aircraft engines which must be overhauled at specific times by FAA regs are a good example. Virtually the same identical engine normally aspired is rated for 1700 to 2000 hours of operation. Turbo the same engines and this is reduced to 1200 and sometimes lower than that. Since the FAA mandated low lead fuels these engines seldom make it to TBO. (Time between overhauls) The comment below in regards to fuel quality is accurate also. Not all fuels are created equal. Find one that works and stick with it.

Good vid. Good info. Thanks!

My sister has a Hyundai and it wasn't running properly. I was redlining it in 1st (auto) and using the back pressure to slow down the car and speed back up. Back and forth, back and forth. Bottom line, grey smoke, which I'm assuming was carbon, was SPEWING from the exhaust and then it started running much better.

I'm wondering if the fact that these motors have so much torque down low, people don't find the need to wind up the rpm at all and that's part of the reason you're seeing carbon issues. Makes me think the old "Italian tune up" every once in a while might stave this off.

As you mentioned... I had a turbocharger fail and Ford blamed it on 3rd party upgrades like my superchips vividlinq. So I've had to pay for the failed turbocharger, a stretched timing chain and now I just got a p0305 in cylinder e. Likely do to misfire and built up carbon. All should have been covered by ford. So much for the overmarketed "torture tests"

Thanks for the info!

Thank you for this video. I have a 2016 Ford Explorer sport with the Ecoboost system. I had my turbo units completely burn up in 2018 just before my extended warranty expired. Now at 105 K and 4 years later it did it again. I have done my usual maintenance on this car but I am not sure it is worth it to fix it again. Sorry, my previous 3 explorers were great but this turbo charged motor has been a disaster. Wish I knew about this before I bought this car.!!

I owned a 2007 MINI Cooper S, and it had all kinds of issues with carbon buildup. I should have done more research before I bought it, but back then I didn't really know how Direct Injection was different from port injection. Every 6-9 months carbon would build up and BMW charged over $800 for a "walnut blasting" procedure which is exactly that- they blast Walnut shells to get rid of the caked on carbon. I used Shell V-Power 93 every time I filled up, but that does nothing to prevent the carbon build up. I will avoid all DI engines and engines with turbos until I'm forced to buy one. By the way, I got rid of that car and now drive a 2011 Ford Fusion with the 3.0L V6. More complications in engine tech=more problems.

I think there is a few more problems here: 1-these cars are being driven straight away without proper warming up, 2-they are driven too slow(too low RPM) and 3-engines are being fuelled by a lower octane RON 90 instead of 95/98. Deposits can be cleaned easily by using a good quality petrol additives.

2012 5.0 been sooty around the exhausts since I got it at 33kmiles . Once a week clean the soot from around exhausts

Thanks for sharing. Now I have a3.5 explorer with left side turbo underboost. Well, several fissures on the elbow. Got 3 different used ones and all have fissures side to side. Found the elbow at ebay for 166$. Still waiting to get the part.

Catch can, ford sells these for the mustang as a factory upgrade. All cars should have a oil catch. I have them on all my cars.

Any thought on walnut blasting the intake valves? BMW uses this method. I had a N54 engine in a 5 series and it was common practice to clean the intakes using this method. I agree a little meth injection should help increase the interval between cleanings.

Thanks great information.

I know this is late in the game but been researching 3.5 ecoboost issues prior to making a purchase. I have a 2007 Audi A3 with a 2.0 Turbo and direct injection. As with all DI engines, has lots of carbon buildup. I added a catch can and have already once done a cold valve cleaning with B&G products and soft bristle brush on a power drill. Others may use walnut shells and blast in the chamber. Obviously, the intake comes off and only one cylinder is done at a time when the valve is closed to keep junk from going into the combustion chamber. Then I vacuum it out and rinse & dry with alcohol. Seems to work for me on this configuration but it’s an I-4 with easy access. The 3.5 EB would be a much more daunting task. Fast forward to 2021, apart from the addition throttle body injectors, what improvements has Ford made to reduce or eliminate this issue?

I said from the outset that the Turbos on the F150s are not worth the added complications they bring. Stick with a naturally aspirated 5.0 and you will have a lot less issues in the long run.

3.5 EcoBoost is a good engine . Put a JTL catch can on it

Nice to see you still at it Makuloco, Been thru 2 fusions and loved being so well informed about em. Was going for a tacoma pro but now im going ranger because of the power and overall ford ride/drive quality ive enjoyed for cheap over the years. I was looking at tacomas and then was in Panama and saw these new rangers before they came out here. I was in love. Knowing how dead honest you always are, would you say the ranger is solid with the ecoboost 2.3? I can literally get anything I want but I need some fuel economy for long cross continental runs and some serious off roading/crossings. Also something I can repair (hopefully not) but everywhere in the world. Toyota used to be my only choice now with the ranger being literally international it looks like a pretty fn solid choice.

I agree with a few comments on here, flooring it once in a while is good

I drive and research Volkswagen and I have encountered the carbon buildup in my 2012 GLI, and the lead tech at the VW dealer I did my internship at told me the way he cleans the intake valves on the VW direct injection engines is with a media blaster using walnut shells. Not sure if that is something Ford has looked into

by using fuel like chevron with techron will ti make a difference keeping valve clean ??

I liked my 05 escape suv...got the 2017 escape WAGON. I'm going to fix the 05 and get rid of this stupid Eco boost I bought it broken. Thank you for your interesting and informative Video

This is great information. I don't think that most of the people who would look at this video know who your company is and your involvement in automotive chemicals. I have been a heavy line mechanic for 40 years and worked through the simular problems that you mentioned back in the mid and late 80s. We also wanted to do a chemical clean, but never found any easy way to do it. We did find a rather extreme way to kleenex the intake valves. I am not going to discuss it here this is not something I think that people would do with success on these economic boost engine. One of the wys we were able to kleenex intake valves was to remove the intake and kleenex the back side, don't forget to roll the engine over and close the exhaust valves to keep carbon out of the cylinder, or we would R&R the head and remove the valves to wire brush on rhe grinder. We did recommend using a better grade of gasoline and use a product named Techton as along term manitance prevention method. I have not worked on and economic boost rngine yet as for the type of work I do at home in retirement is usually 10 year old SUV and light truck engine repair.