2017 Escape with 2.0t Ecoboost engine. The last few UOA have shown high fuel dilution, which bothers me. Please review the attachment and let me know your thoughts. I always use Pennzoil Ultra Plat 5w30. I have an extended warranty through Ford that expires in 2 months, so I want to take it in and have them check the injectors, ECU revisions etc., but I am afraid they will do nothing and say "its normal". One of the intervals was 90% highway, so to hit 3.5 % fuel dilution after only 2300 miles with mostly highway seems unusual. Many of those trips were 50 miles, up to 300 miles one way. Thoughts ?
2017 Ford Escape UOA, high fuel dilution
- Thread starter rubberchicken
- Start date
The KV100 your engine is operating off of would bother me, but not everyone.
The dilution of phos below 700ppm would bother me, but not everyone.
Unsaturates in the oil ought hasten oxidation, and can indirectly put a burden on cleanliness management of the oil.
Oil choice can help cope with this.
RCA and remediation to fuel dilution is king, though.
Might check fuel injector screens and pintles, if you haven't
The dilution of phos below 700ppm would bother me, but not everyone.
Unsaturates in the oil ought hasten oxidation, and can indirectly put a burden on cleanliness management of the oil.
Oil choice can help cope with this.
RCA and remediation to fuel dilution is king, though.
Might check fuel injector screens and pintles, if you haven't
run some extra fuelsystem cleaner with PEA through it and see if that helps. Also, if you have a scan tool with live data try this:
on a cold engine, start it and let it run for 30 seconds, then shut it off and immediately check the fuel pressure. The fuel pressure should be high and not drop, in fact it might even increase if heat from the engine gets to the fuel. if it drops, you have a leak. Either an injector or the high pressure fuel pump.
on a cold engine, start it and let it run for 30 seconds, then shut it off and immediately check the fuel pressure. The fuel pressure should be high and not drop, in fact it might even increase if heat from the engine gets to the fuel. if it drops, you have a leak. Either an injector or the high pressure fuel pump.
Blackstone underestimates fuel dilution. A viscosity mixing calculator suggests around 7% dilution would be required to thin the oil to 7.9 cST, even accounting for some shear thinning. For the previous UOA, it would be well over 10%. I think your engine has some sort of issue. I'd take it to the dealer to at least establish a paper trail.
If you have an ODB scanner, you could check to see if the O2 sensor and MAF sensor readings are normal, and monitor for misfires. Misfires on one cylinder might indicate a bad injector.
I'd also monitor the high-pressure fuel pressure with the engine under load. Low fuel pressure could increase fuel dilution a lot on a DI engine, since the longer injection times required results in more fuel hitting the cylinder walls.
If you have an ODB scanner, you could check to see if the O2 sensor and MAF sensor readings are normal, and monitor for misfires. Misfires on one cylinder might indicate a bad injector.
I'd also monitor the high-pressure fuel pressure with the engine under load. Low fuel pressure could increase fuel dilution a lot on a DI engine, since the longer injection times required results in more fuel hitting the cylinder walls.
Thanks all- I forgot to mention in the title I run PUP 5w30, and have run Chevron Techron many times, although not in the last 5k-7k miles. Running a OBD tool looking at O2 and MAF is a good idea, although I do not know the normal values. There are no check engine lights, and generally I have never had a problem with this car.
And fuel pressure check, another good suggestion
The fuel is what it is. The vis is ok, the wear is low and the air filtration is great! Looks like you could run this combo 4-5 k. .02
The cure on my daughter’s 2014 was a cat-back exhaust system and 15w40.
There’s also a restriction in the exhaust pipe just below the downstream O2 sensor that maybe you could fit your thumb through.
Sold it 2 years ago and bought a 2022 3.6L Acadia.
There’s also a restriction in the exhaust pipe just below the downstream O2 sensor that maybe you could fit your thumb through.
Sold it 2 years ago and bought a 2022 3.6L Acadia.
Take it to Ford, show them the documentation. If they tell you "no, it is normal" and they don't do anything at all like at least monitoring with their own tests, get that documentation and save it. Save all documentation, and if they say there isn't any, don't take that; make them. No reason to not take it in to them for a legitimate concern like this. You paid for a warranty.
Update on 17 Escape 2.0t - its been at the Ford dealer for a week now, and I got a call on Friday with a quick update: They acknowledge the problem, did some diagnostics on it, and they are replacing : high pressure fuel pump, and o2 sensor (unclear which one) . No mention of fuel injectors, screens etc. It never popped a check engine light until I was within 2 miles of the dealer- I did not have my scan tool with me so no idea what the code was.
Edit- I sent in an emergency UOA to Blackstone, and they got back to me in 2 days: fuel was up to 8.5%.
Edit- I sent in an emergency UOA to Blackstone, and they got back to me in 2 days: fuel was up to 8.5%.