Government changes fuel, we foot the bill for this car problem

Ayr_Rage

False knock readings mean that the sensor isn't working properly with E10 and the "software" will be to recalibrate it.

Entirely down to Ford, their sensor supplier and whoever wrote the software.

If all EcoBoost engines had had the issue there would have been outrage.

Ibrahim5

If you have an ecoboost engine you have plenty more important things to worry about.

Grey_Critic

Have you had the vehicle from New?

If so and it has been serviced by Ford then you should not have a problem - BUT - Ford (just like other manufacturers) issue regular technical updates for updates of software and such. The dealer will carry them out during routine services - Technical Service Bulletins are not issued to other than Ford dealers which can be a problem if people use their rights not to have services done by athe franchised dealer.

If you bought the vehicle second hand then the above may possibly be the reason.

Goudy

I believe this is just a software issue.

Your car's engine is meant to run on E10, but the conditions the engine runs under vary.
Things like altitude, external air temperature, load, engine wear etc all have a bearing on how it runs and the cars powertrain software is meant to be programmed to work it all out.

It takes all the variables and looks up a solution from a table of data (a map).

It seems certain Ecoboost engines have had trouble with "engine knock" on E10.

E10 octane rating is lower than E5, so E10 has a tendency to prematurely ignite under compression sooner than than higher octane rated fuels, which causes the "knock" under certain conditions.

This is the main reason turbo engines respond better to remaps.
The cars base table of data is usually quite conservative as it's written for all conditions and markets.
But you can usually push the envelope and turn up the boost and alter the ignition and fuelling closer to the point of knock.

The 1.0 Ecoboost is available in different forms of power, 100 and 125PS.
It's basically the same engine but the software is different to get the different levels of output.
Obviously this software is tweeked to get the higher outputs, so it's nearer to the point of knock anyway.

Normally the knock sensor on the engine would detect this knock and alter other settings, like altering ignition timing and fuelling to compensate.
But if there is a mistake or hole in the data it looks up to reduce the knock, it has a problem. It hasn't the right "map" to reduce the knock.

As already mentioned, if Ford release a software update and that would usually be done when the car has a service at the dealers. 
The update is just a revised table of data for the powertrain module to look up when certain conditions are detected.

There is little pressure here in the UK to force manufacturers to recall or contact owners and offer free updates unless it's safety related than some other, more litigious markets elsewhere.
This usually means you pay to have them done.

Mildly_Miffed

Quite why the knock sensor wasn't detecting the knock, and the lambda wasn't detecting that the combustion was lean, is another question entirely...

Grey_Critic

If the OP has the engine remapped do they not have to inform the Insurance Company? A remap would change it frpom manufacturers specification.

Mildly_Miffed

Grey_Critic said:

If the OP has the engine remapped do they not have to inform the Insurance Company? A remap would change it frpom manufacturers specification.

If the manufacturer updated the software to correct an issue, no.
If it's been remapped by a third party to provide a (claimed) benefit over standard, yes.

Grey_Critic

Mildly_Miffed said:

Grey_Critic said:

If the OP has the engine remapped do they not have to inform the Insurance Company? A remap would change it frpom manufacturers specification.

If the manufacturer updated the software to correct an issue, no.
If it's been remapped by a third party to provide a (claimed) benefit over standard, yes.

But then you are paying for something you could have done FREE. At one time the Ford system would tell the dealer if a TSB of this nature was outstanding long after the warranty expired - Why not just contact Ford and see what they say.