Software fix for blown headgasket?

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I kind of skimmed through the video, but It seems to me that what ford is doing is to change some computer settings to try to prevent the head gasket problems, not fix an already existing problem.
 
Sounds like you need to take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road. We're off to see the Wizard............talk about magic pixie dust🤬. Ford sure outdid themselves with this one.
 
Originally Posted by Cujet
Reducing peak cylinder pressure = lower power at certain RPM's.

Ya but if adjusting the timing and such is enough to prevent problems the engine has a real bad design.
 
Maybe the setting of said sensors controls the stress on faulty engine parts to reduce failures.
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Well so if this software fix lowers performance, don't they end up in VW Dieselgate territory? Not the emissions cheating, obviously. But if the car is not delivering the performance and/or economy the buyers paid for wouldn't they be entitled to compensation?

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hdz12ez
1 day ago
I'm no engineer but I was a Ford master technician for quite a few years. Here's what I'm thinking: These little four cylinder turbocharged engines(and almost all Ford engines these days) have a ton of cylinder pressure at higher loads in order to make the power that they do. That being said, it's possible that the cylinder head is actually lifting off of the block due to the extremely high combustion pressures and causing coolant intrusion through that tiny space that's being created. Now, these engines have what is called VCT(Variable Camshaft Timing), this is for performance and fuel efficiency. This is controlled via the PCM(Powertrain Control Module). I'm thinking that they are reprogramming the VCT so that the intake valve stays open just a bit longer on the intake stroke and into the power stroke thus creating a lower compression ratio due to less air being used for the combustion event and causing less cylinder pressures to be used. It's the same principal as the Atkinson Cycle engine. This will reduce or eliminate cylinder head lift(possibly due to head bolt stretch, (because they are torque to yield bolts) and keep the coolant from entering the combustion chamber. This will cause loss of power no doubt, how much I don't know, but probably minimal. This is the only way that I can think of coolant entering the engine without otherwise being damaged to begin with being that the cooling system is a closed loop system. This is my best guess.
 
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Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Cujet
Reducing peak cylinder pressure = lower power at certain RPM's.

Ya but if adjusting the timing and such is enough to prevent problems the engine has a real bad design.


I think you are mistakenly assuming this is "THE" fix, when it's really just the cheapest fix. Adjusting timing advance affects cylinder pressure greatly (can technically control a 500 psi range, probably), yet is simple and this cheap to do.

Doesn't make it a bad design. It's just all they are willing to do. Apparently, they don't have to adjust it enough to reduce power or increase emissions greatly.

A little too much timing can pop head gaskets in any engine...
 
this just delays the failure enough to get out of warranty.
like the "death flash" as i called it on the dodge trucks.
compensating tor the leaking plate on the intake rather than fixing them right.
i still have 100+ .bin files of customers trucks i pulled in case some stealership did the update against the customers orders.
so i could reverse the update.
 
Update video. Looks like a couple of the guy's viewers are privy to details of the software fix. Appears it's programming of the elec coolant pump to keep cyl temps lower.
 
Originally Posted by kc8adu
this just delays the failure enough to get out of warranty.
like the "death flash" as i called it on the dodge trucks.
compensating tor the leaking plate on the intake rather than fixing them right.
i still have 100+ .bin files of customers trucks i pulled in case some stealership did the update against the customers orders.
so i could reverse the update.


Didn't some of those still "Ping" after the intake plate was resealed. At least I've come across a few 5.2L/5.9L Magnums ping pretty bad in hot weather. Not that it would surprise me if Chrysler went to far on pulling back the ignition lead.

I've always wondered about the lack of Knock Sensors on this system?
 
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