RE: Driven: Superchips tuned Ford Focus Ecoboost
Discussion
Problem is not the turbo in itself - the turbo is always the first thing to break when something else in the engine is amiss. Turbo damage is 99% of times a symptom rather than a cause of engine failure.
The real challenge with engines like this is the combination of high EGR rates and high-pressure, low volume (per 'squirt') direct fuel injection making the engine very susceptible to contamination (compounded by drivers crawling around at low rpm in a high gear in 'modern' traffic conditions) on one side, and 'optimised' low oil and coolant flow in downsized, high specific power engines on the other. When a vicious circle of less than optimal combustion -> carbon deposits -> worse combustion -> et cetera has started, it needs to be diagnosed and rectified PDQ to avoid major lubrication problems and subsequent component damage, where the olden days, low-to-middling output, port injected N/A engine would have slogged on at slightly inhibited efficiency for another 100,000 miles or so.
The real challenge with engines like this is the combination of high EGR rates and high-pressure, low volume (per 'squirt') direct fuel injection making the engine very susceptible to contamination (compounded by drivers crawling around at low rpm in a high gear in 'modern' traffic conditions) on one side, and 'optimised' low oil and coolant flow in downsized, high specific power engines on the other. When a vicious circle of less than optimal combustion -> carbon deposits -> worse combustion -> et cetera has started, it needs to be diagnosed and rectified PDQ to avoid major lubrication problems and subsequent component damage, where the olden days, low-to-middling output, port injected N/A engine would have slogged on at slightly inhibited efficiency for another 100,000 miles or so.
off_again said:
Like the article says - bring on the Fiesta with the same engine and then chip it! The Fiesta is a cracking car and lighter with the higher power - what a combination! Careful ticking of options and get the better wheels etc, and you have a right little belter which driven carefully gets diesel economy!
Sod the fester, I want to see one in a mk II Puma - bring it on Ford! (sans rusty arches this time please!) CHIEF said:
Is this really that ground breaking?
The Daihatsu Charade Gtti was a 3 cylinder 1 litre turbocharged car producing a shade under 100bhp.
This was 25 years ago, it won't have the economy but it was in its day a very very nippy little car.
http://www.torquestats.com/index.php?car_id=96
It was very rare to find one that produced the 99bhp they were meant toThe Daihatsu Charade Gtti was a 3 cylinder 1 litre turbocharged car producing a shade under 100bhp.
This was 25 years ago, it won't have the economy but it was in its day a very very nippy little car.
http://www.torquestats.com/index.php?car_id=96
Most had a minor tweak to give 125bhp
BorkFactor said:
Very impressive, but surely having to be "on boost" almost all the time won't be good for the life of the turbo? I can't see many of these being useable at 10 years old and 120k without needing a new turbo which will cost half as much as the entire car.
Hmmm like my 10 year old E46 320d where the turbo has just expired at 109,000 miles then!If you want a frugal 3 cylinder runabout with a nice soundtrack.Get a Toyota Aygo/IQ/Yaris with the 1.0 engine.It makes a great noise, like a V6.My daughter lover hers (IQ), and she gets between 50 and 60mpg.Small engines in big cars was never a good idea, to many stresses on the motor. Big engines in small cars, that's a much better idea.
MarkRSi said:
I'm surprised by this - A brand new Ford Transit minibus I drove last year would raise the idle to 1100-1200rpm when 1st gear was engaged with clutch down, it made pulling away without any throttle easy and smooth. I thought it was a great feature.
... unless you need 2000+ revs to get it going? That can't be good for the clutch shirely?
I have a 1.0 3cyl car, and yes i dial in between 2 and 2.5k rpms when pulling away. completely normal for this type of car... unless you need 2000+ revs to get it going? That can't be good for the clutch shirely?
t. Steve_W said:
I'm guessing that this is a much more involved/developed/tested (i.e. "proper") remap than some of their old work then?
IIRC, the Superchips "upgrade" for the classic Impreza was a nasty affair that just overpowered the boost cut without adjusting the fueling.
Hope so. I once had my M3 remapped with a Superchips flash and it made the car slower! IIRC, the Superchips "upgrade" for the classic Impreza was a nasty affair that just overpowered the boost cut without adjusting the fueling.
Shurv said:
If you want a frugal 3 cylinder runabout with a nice soundtrack.Get a Toyota Aygo/IQ/Yaris with the 1.0 engine.It makes a great noise, like a V6.My daughter lover hers (IQ), and she gets between 50 and 60mpg.Small engines in big cars was never a good idea, to many stresses on the motor. Big engines in small cars, that's a much better idea.
We found a Yaris 2 years ago for my sister and she loves it. Over 20k miles of city driving she hasn't reset the computer and I looked at the mpg reading the other day - 51mpg, the car cost under £7k brand new (a great deal!), does motoring get any cheaper? Caulkhead said:
So a 177bhp Fiesta Ecoboost is possible.Shame Ford won't build anything that will obviously be popular and sell well.
MarkRSi said:
I'm surprised by this - A brand new Ford Transit minibus I drove last year would raise the idle to 1100-1200rpm when 1st gear was engaged with clutch down, it made pulling away without any throttle easy and smooth. I thought it was a great feature.
... unless you need 2000+ revs to get it going? That can't be good for the clutch shirely?
I noticed a few years back the Vauxhall Corsa does this too (apologies for outbound link to tongue-in-cheek blog: http://www.richardaucock.com/why-bsm-pass-rate-may... ). F30 320d also does it, subtly. OE anti-stall: good or bad thing? ... unless you need 2000+ revs to get it going? That can't be good for the clutch shirely?
Edited by richardaucock on Saturday 4th August 06:29
900T-R said:
Problem is not the turbo in itself - the turbo is always the first thing to break when something else in the engine is amiss. Turbo damage is 99% of times a symptom rather than a cause of engine failure.
The real challenge with engines like this is the combination of high EGR rates and high-pressure, low volume (per 'squirt') direct fuel injection making the engine very susceptible to contamination (compounded by drivers crawling around at low rpm in a high gear in 'modern' traffic conditions) on one side, and 'optimised' low oil and coolant flow in downsized, high specific power engines on the other. When a vicious circle of less than optimal combustion -> carbon deposits -> worse combustion -> et cetera has started, it needs to be diagnosed and rectified PDQ to avoid major lubrication problems and subsequent component damage, where the olden days, low-to-middling output, port injected N/A engine would have slogged on at slightly inhibited efficiency for another 100,000 miles or so.
This is fascinating - particularly as OEMs are encouraging such low rpm, high gear driving with gearchange indicators, etc. It's the best way to deliver good NEDC economy, but as this suggests, it may not be ideal for the engine.The real challenge with engines like this is the combination of high EGR rates and high-pressure, low volume (per 'squirt') direct fuel injection making the engine very susceptible to contamination (compounded by drivers crawling around at low rpm in a high gear in 'modern' traffic conditions) on one side, and 'optimised' low oil and coolant flow in downsized, high specific power engines on the other. When a vicious circle of less than optimal combustion -> carbon deposits -> worse combustion -> et cetera has started, it needs to be diagnosed and rectified PDQ to avoid major lubrication problems and subsequent component damage, where the olden days, low-to-middling output, port injected N/A engine would have slogged on at slightly inhibited efficiency for another 100,000 miles or so.
However, would OEMs benchtest engines using such a driving style to assess longevity? And could the delay in ultra-green petrol engines that are now rolling out be down to firms waiting for fuel quality to improve? Think how petrol motors are only now playing catchup with super-eco diesels of recent years - where, presumably, these issues don't apply.
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