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The 6.0-liter Powerstroke was a turbo-diesel engine used in a wide variety of Ford trucks and vans. Until 2007, all Powerstroke engines were made by a subcontractor, Navistar. Unfortunately, Navistar had poor quality controls and all the engines produced by Navistar had numerous problems. The 6.0-liter Powerstroke cost Ford millions in warranty repairs, in addition to the extra cost of redesigning the engines.

Unreliable Variable Vane Turbocharger Solenoid

All turbo-diesels rely on a turbocharger to properly burn the fuel/air mixture. On the Powerstroke, a variable vane is used to adjust the air intake coming from the turbocharger into the engine. A solenoid controls the degree of rotation of the vane. On Navistar Powerstrokes the solenoid detaches easily, in addition to corroding early. Damage to the solenoid prevents the variable vane from changing position. A Powerstroke with a damaged solenoid will suffer power loss throughout the power band.

Carbon Deposits

All Navistar engines, not just the Powerstrokes, suffer from excessive carbon deposits. Carbon deposits are a byproduct of the combustion of carbon-based fuels like diesel. In a well-designed engine the carbon is pushed out during the exhaust cycle of the combustion chamber. Unfortunately Navistar did not get the fuel injection timing right, and carbon builds up with each combustion cycle. A Powerstroke with carbon buildup shows excessive black exhaust smoke as well as power loss at higher engine speeds.

Defective Exhaust Back Pressure (EBP) Sensor

The exhaust back pressure sensor tells the engine how much resistance is in the exhaust system. Excessive back pressure can choke the engine and the turbocharger. In the 6.0-liter Powerstroke, the sensor detaches easily from the exhaust system, depriving the ECU of any data. A detached sensor will lead to exhaust gases flowing back into the combustion chambers, stalling the engine. Additionally, the exhaust gases will flow back into the turbocharger and stop it from spinning.

Fuel Injector Harness Chafing

The most dangerous defect in the 6.0-liter Powerstroke is the easily damaged fuel injector harness. The lines are laid across the engine support struts, which shift as the engine torques. This shifting chafes the fuel lines to the point of leaking. Even though diesel fuel is less flammable than regular gas, it is still a fire hazard. Do not operate any vehicle that is leaking fuel. If there are fuel puddles under the engine, then the fuel lines have been damaged. Contact a Ford dealership for repairs. Ford has bought back some trucks with this issue rather than pay for the repairs.

The Ford Focus is a car that has been available in the United States since the late 90s. Since then, owners have shared common issues with it, along with suitable fixes. Contact switches, fuel gauges, and brake pedals are all parts that have caused repair issues for Ford Focus drivers.

Contact Switch Repair

Interior lights in the Ford Focus may fail to turn off although all doors have been closed. A faulty contact switch in the lock striker is the cause. To repair this issue, you can replace the lock striker with an upgraded one that possesses revised contact switches.

Fuel Gauge Repair

Sometimes a Ford Focus will still give an empty fuel reading even though youve just pumped a full tank of gas. When this happens, a bad fuel pump module is often to blame. To fix this issue, you will have to replace the fuel level sender card assembly with a revised version.

Brake Pedal Repair

Some Ford Focus drivers have had problems with hard braking at the outset of a drive. Youll need a revised brake booster vacuum hose, as this will correct the problem of reduced assistance from the brake booster. Youll also have to reprogram and reset the Powertrain Control Module.