Thinking about purchasing a Ford with a wet cambelt? In theory, the idea of a “wet” cambelt makes perfect sense, but we explain the issues with 1.0 Ecoboost powered cars, with the topic even making it onto BBC Watchdog.
What exactly is a wetbelt, or wet cambelt?
The cambelt’s job is to synchronise the rotation of moving parts within a car’s engine, ensuring everything is in perfect timing so that at over 100 revolutions a second, everything stays where it should!
Over time, these rubber cambelts needs to be changed before they wear too much. If you don’t change them, you risk catastrophic engine failure, and a big bill.
Wet cambelts or “wetbelts” are designed to be a solution to this problem. As they are coated in oil, they are lubricated which gives superior cooling and durability compared to a conventional dry cambelt.
So, what’s wrong with the Ford Ecoboost wetbelt?
Thanks to its intended benefits, the idea is that the cambelt with this “wet” setup should last significantly longer. In fact, Ford’s service schedule suggests 10 years before the wet cambelt must to be changed.
However, as the 1.0 Ecoboost engine has been in circulation a while now, more and more people have faced engine failure. As car’s gain more owners, and a less traceable service history, some have not followed Ford’s specified service schedule.
In the US, where consumer protection is far stronger for car owners, Ford issued a recall on the engines in combination with cars fitted with an automatic transmission. The recall affected some 140,000 Ford Focus and Ecosports, built between 2016 and 2022. The automatic vehicles’ oil pump drive belt tensioner arm could break and then destroy the engine.
Can you prevent issues with the wetbelt Ecoboost?
It’s imperative that regular annual oil and filter changes are made. It’s important to also use the oil recommended by Ford (Castrol 5W20 WSS-M2C948-B). It’s also suggested that you should change the cambelt before the 10-year maximum as a precautionary measure – every 5 years is an average interval for most cars.
On the BBC Watchdog programme, a Ford owner managed to successfully get half of their repair bill paid for because they were able to demonstrate a full service history. Ford UK issued the statement that if you can demonstrate full-service history, and the car is less than 7 years old, they will contribute to engine failures.
Should I avoid buying a Ford with the wetbelt Ecoboost?
In truth, we would suggest you always perform an oil service on your car annually, and follow manufacturer recommendations for servicing with any car. The issue is with these Fords becoming older is that it’s difficult to find cars that have a fully transparent service history. You can mitigate risk by checking out the service history before committing.
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