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Old 06-08-2013, 06:05 AM   #1
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Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

I was wondering who has one and tows with it. I am in the market.

Some people tell me it is awesome and others say it is underpowered for towing.

You can see by my signature what I tow. Figure 6000lbs total payload when I go on trips.
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Old 06-08-2013, 08:15 AM   #2
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The people I know that own an ecoboost love them and have no issues with towing
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Old 06-08-2013, 08:34 AM   #3
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Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

Plenty of power to tow a reasonable sized trailer. Payload is where u might get hit with a bigger trailer
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Old 06-08-2013, 11:07 AM   #4
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I have the Ecoboost and towed with it for just a few short trips (220 miles the farthest) without any issues. I take out tomorrow (9 Jun) for an approx 3200 mile round trip with the Ecoboost towing my 26BH for a two month trip. I should have a good opinion by the end of this trip. One thing is you don't get a noticeable increase in mpg when towing.
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Old 06-08-2013, 12:23 PM   #5
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Should be OK for your current trailer. I don't think the longevity of this engine has been established. If one of those turbos craps out after the waranty expires you could be in for a serious repair bill. I don't think there is any substitute for cubic inches, especially when it comes to towing.
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Old 06-08-2013, 03:59 PM   #6
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We have the 3.5L Ecoboost in an FX4 SuperCrew with the Max Tow package, Off Road package and 6.5' bed. It's been pretty impressive in the two weeks that we've owned it.

The F150 replaced a 2004 Nissan Titan Crew Cab (5.6L V8, 5.5' bed, trailer tow package). We have an X19H, and even though you are not supposed to tow for the first 1000 miles, the camper has been behind the new truck twice. It feels like the Ford tows better than the Nissan did. That 3.5L has good low end torque and seems to perform pretty much according to the specs. This vehicle is also my daily driver, so I wanted a pickup that got decent mileage in town. We seem to get between 12 and 15mpg (in Colorado) while towing and 17 to 21 with a mix of freeway and side street driving. I expect mpg to stabilize a bit in the next couple of thousand miles. This is probably as much about driving habits as anything else; it is fun to hear those turbo chargers sing.

As far as longevity goes I did a bit of research before pulling the trigger on the Ford. Turbo technology has improved quite a bit over the years, and Ford seems to be putting a lot of research and effort into this line of engines. I did not purchase an extended warranty/service plan, but I will keep tabs on how these engines perform to determine if that might be good risk coverage down the road.

It turns out that the Nissan engines had problems with cracked exhaust manifolds, and our Titan was no exception. That was an expensive and time consuming fix, so I guess it is all relative.

If you have not driven the 3.5, you should. I was surprised. Also, if you are interested in some of Ford's tests, check out the Torture Test (realize that it was Ford that performed the tests and prepared the videos).

Hope this helps.

Jon

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Old 06-09-2013, 10:52 AM   #7
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Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

I've owned our Ecoboost for about 14 months now. I absolutely love how it handles the White Hawk. Would highly recommend the max tow package to get the brake controller, tow mirrors, and the extra payload.

The motor had been controversial ever since it came out. Some despise the fact that it's only a V6. There have been a few EB owners that have had power failures and the Govt is investigating. There are several forums out there dedicated to F150's so take a look.

I have 13000 miles on it trouble free and yes, I would have purchased it again over any other heavy half-ton if I had the opportunity.

Best of luck with your decision!
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Old 06-09-2013, 04:32 PM   #8
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I agree that the Ecoboost is a good engine, but that being said, there is a problem with the engine in humid and rainy conditions.
See this article from Auto Week: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...news/130519889

Do a search on google for problems with Ford Ecoboost, and what you will find is that in humid or rainy conditions in some of the trucks, that when under hard acceleration when trying to pass, the engine stutters and forces you to back off. The problem seems to be caused by a buildup of moisture in the intercooler, which under harder acceleration is sucked into the engine, making it behave inappropriately.

Do your homework before making a decision. If the engine fails when towing a large trailer, do you really want a V6 or a V8?
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Old 06-09-2013, 06:09 PM   #9
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I can only comment on what I've read about them. There is a lot written about this motor in passenger cars, and it seems to do well, but that's a far cry from the rigors of long distance towing. They seem to be OK for towing mid-size trailers over moderate terrain. I think a lot of people have jumped on them thinking it's going to be the best of all towing world, but it remains to be seen how they hold up to heavy duty mountain towing. Those turbos are going to be running full tilt boogie and that's going to generate an awful lot of heat that the engine is going to have to deal with, and bottom line is, it's still a 6 cylinder. Ford may have overstepped a bit with their claims of 11,500 lb towing capacity, but we'll have to wait and see. For this environment, it's still a pretty young engine.
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Old 06-09-2013, 07:51 PM   #10
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Well I drove in the rain for about 3 hrs (East TX) today towing my 26 BH and had no problems with my Ecoboost. Time will tell
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Old 06-09-2013, 09:53 PM   #11
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I have been towing with my ecoboost since August 2012 and have had no problems. It seems to be a LOT more powerful than the 5.4 L v8 it replaced. I absolutely love how the torque is low in the rpm band, allowing you to not have to rev the engine real high to pull a hill. Good engine in my opinion.
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Old 06-10-2013, 02:47 AM   #12
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Re: Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

I towed my 33rlds 2400 kms last year with my 2011 f150 supercrew ecoboost. I adjusted all my weights according to a cat scale and it pulls it with ease. It has more engine then suspension so as long as u adjust where your weight is it is no problem. Most of my towing is on the flat ground but averaging 16 liters per 100 kms while towing and up to 18 liters in the hills. We dont have mountains here lol.Cheers
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Old 06-10-2013, 02:13 PM   #13
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Read this about the Ecoboost problems http://blogs.automotive.com/recall-a...on-139609.html

And this one in more detail:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news...coboost-engine

Affects F150's from 2011 - 2013.
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Old 06-11-2013, 02:32 AM   #14
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Re: Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

I have put 62000 kms on mine in the last year and a half and no issues at all.....
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Old 06-11-2013, 05:47 AM   #15
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Underpowered for towing? First I've heard that one. Mines 2 years old with 30,700 miles on it and pulls like nobody's business. Liquid cooled turbos or not, how many blown turbos do you hear of outside the superstock tractor pulling circles? Piston aircraft engines are often turbocharged for performance at high altitudes. I haven't had the "water in the intercooler" stumbling issue that some have experienced. Would I buy another one...yup I would.

My biggest disappointment is the turbos are virtually silent. If I was a Ford engineer, I'd figure out a way to get them to whistle like an M35A2.
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Old 06-11-2013, 07:09 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcfarmall View Post

My biggest disappointment is the turbos are virtually silent. If I was a Ford engineer, I'd figure out a way to get them to whistle like an M35A2.

Buy a diesel Ram! Well, at least the 3rd generation Cummins under the hood of my '05 "whistles", even with the silencer ring!
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Old 06-11-2013, 07:25 AM   #17
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I think the 3.5l is a great towing engine. I love all the low end power. We have a decently steep hill to climb to leave the trout park and the truck pulls the 26BH up that hill like it's not even there. It gets good fuel economy(for a truck) when not towing and typical gas engine fuel economy when towing.

I've only had the intercooler issue once. That was during a trip from St.Louis, MO to Gulf Shores, AL. I'd been driving non-stop at a steady 65mph in a light rain for a few hours on I-55 in MS, I let off the throttle to let some cars merge onto the highway and when I got back on it to get back up to speed the engine sucked all the water that had been accumulating from the long steady drive and caused the stumble. Now that I've hat the issue and know what conditions cause it and how to correct it I don;t think it will be an issue again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcfarmall View Post
My biggest disappointment is the turbos are virtually silent. If I was a Ford engineer, I'd figure out a way to get them to whistle like an M35A2.
I agree! I've been thinking about getting a "cold air" intake just to hear them better...
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Old 06-11-2013, 10:06 AM   #18
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Thank you all for your feedback. For the trailer I have and where I go and plan to go. I bought the Ecoboost today.
It has 10,700 miles on it already. It was a lease turn in. Even talked to the guy. He was 69 years old and did nothing but go to the corner store to get beer with it. No brainier for me.

I too am looking at a cold air intake. I want to hear that baby scream like a banshee !!!

Thanks again for the feedback.
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Old 06-11-2013, 10:13 AM   #19
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Re: Ford 3.5 Ecoboost opinions

U won't be sorry. Congrats!
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Old 06-11-2013, 10:38 AM   #20
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My opinion: Any TV can tow any TT, the question is how well?

My 2cents: I think it would be okay, on flat lands, but if you have a nice steep grade, like going up the Zilwaukee bridge going up north in Michigan, I'd want the reserve power and torque of a V8, which would guarantee me getting to the crest of the bridge while maintaining speed limit and towing 6k lbs.

My experience: My brother bought one and took me for a drive.. I was waiting for the turbo's to kick in and toss me back in my seat. I was disappointed.. My '06 Durago (5.7L Hemi V8 with K&N FIPK Intake) would throw you back in your seat.

My thoughts: Not worth the $30k for what you get. I think their commercials are correct, "Best in class towing." for a V6 that is.

My wish: I'd personally would go with a Diesel, better gas mileage, more power and torque, if you're going to spend the money that is... Otherwise find a 1 or 2 year old truck and save some cash. :-)
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