Common Ford 6.2 Engine problems are due to problems with the engine itself, issues with oil consumption, and cracks in the internal pipes.
Ford, or what is known as Ford Motor Company, is one of the biggest American automakers. It has been and still one of the top U.S. selling companies with approximately 2.5 million car sales in the last year.
Ford improved its vehicle durability and reliability over the years. Therefore, most Ford vehicle owners say that you do not have to worry much about high maintenance costs as before.
While there have been many improvements in the Ford vehicles, some Ford vehicle with 6.2 engine owners still reports common problems. In this article, we will walk you through the most common Ford 6.2 engine problems in addition to the best ways to resolve these problems. Besides, we added some expected costs to repair Ford 6.2 engine problems.
Ford 6.2 Engine Problems
Ford is working very hard in advancing technologies that allow owners to detect vehicle’s issues very early. Some of these technologies can be linked to the owner’s smartphones for better tracking.
It is important as a Ford 6.2 Engine owner to understand the different problems that might face your vehicle. This way, you will have an understanding of how to fix the problems to avoid very high future repairs.
Most Ford 6.2 engine problems can be linked to one of four categories: issues with the engine itself, problems related to oil, faulty spark plug, or problems with the intake pipe. In this section, you will find the most common problems related to each category along with suggested repairs by expert mechanics.
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Engine issues
- Engine misfire
Every combustion engine consists of a group of cylinders. In each cylinder, a specific amount of air-fuel mixture is ignited to produce the necessary power for the vehicle to move.
In engines with faulty cylinders where the engine was not able to burn the air-fuel mixture, your engine has engine misfire.
Engine misfire can happen due to many reasons including issues with the oxygen sensors, faulty fuel cap, problems with the catalytic converter, issues with the mass airflow sensor, failed ignition coils, issues with the charging system, failed gasket, low compression problems, piston head failure, and more.
Solution: Unfortunately, there is no clear answer for how to fix an engine misfire. In most cases, you need to have an experienced mechanic inspect the vehicle and determine the main cause for the engine misfire.
Once you determined the cause, you can either replace the faulty part or, in a worst-case scenario, replace the entire engine.
Repair cost: the cost of engine misfire repair depends on the cause of the misfire. For instance, if the misfire due to problems with the oxygen sensor, expect to pay around $150. If the issues are due to problems with a purge control valve, expect to pay around $200. More severe problems can increase the price significantly.
- Engine noise
In any Ford vehicle with a 6.2 engine, you might start hearing a loud noise, especially when you reverse.
Loud engine sound can be due to simple issues like disconnected ignition wires or coils after the previous repair.
On the other hand, the engine might start making loud noises due to a cracked exhaust manifold at the driver’s side. Another cause of the engine’s loud noise could be a worm shaft roller or camshaft.
Solution: Check the ignition wires and the coil connections and tighten them if needed. Once you fixed connection issues, if you could not get rid of the loud engine noise, then you must get the vehicle checked by a mechanic to replace the faulty shaft roller or camshaft.
Repair cost: on average, shaft replacement can range from $530 to $620.
- Engine overheating
Engine overheating is one of the worst scenarios that a Ford 6.2 engine, or any engine, might experience.
There are several symptoms of an overheating engine. You can feel the car’s hood; if the hoot is very hot till the level that it might burn you, then this is a clear sign of engine overheating.
Another way to check for an overheating engine is to check the temperature gauge on the vehicle’s dashboard. If the warning gauge is illuminating, it indicates that the engine has reached or exceeded the maximum allowed temperature.
Finally, an overheating engine might start smelling strange burn smell where some of the internal rubber and plastic starts melting.
Engine overheating can happen due to several reasons:
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- Leaking cooling system
- A blocked cooling system during extremely cold winter days
- Low oil level
- Malfunctioning engine’s water pump
Solution: in general, if you noticed that your engine is overheating, you MUST stop your vehicle immediately to avoid a self-destructed engine. You do not need to panic, however.
The only solution for an overheating engine is to tow the car and have it checked by an experienced mechanic. There are some best practices you can do to prevent the engine from overheating including:
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- Consider oil change in your regular maintenance
- Check your vehicle’s water pump, radiator, thermostat, and any related parts that can cause engine overheating.
- Consider checking under your vehicle for any coolant leak and make sure to check the coolant level every oil change.
- There are certain periods where you must flush out your coolant system. These periods should be identified in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
Repair cost: Depending on the specific cause of the problem, the cost can vary. For instance, fixing a coolant leak can cost you about $400. Replacing a radiator is much cheaper, which is about $40 to $70. All of these repairs’ costs can also vary by the locations where you get the work done (e.g., dealership versus local repair auto shop.)
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Oil issues
The engine oil is responsible for lubricating the engine’s internal part as they move to reduce friction heat. Engine oil must be at a certain level to maintain the best engine performance.
Every engine has a specific level of oil consumption that is noted in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.
- Oil leaks
One of the first Ford 6.2 problems related to oil is the oil leak.
If you see a fluid puddle under your vehicle, it does not necessarily mean an engine oil leak. You can check the color of the fluid to confirm the source.
For instance, if the fluid color is red, then this is a leak in the transmission fluid. If the color is orange or green, this indicates a leak in the coolant fluid. Finally, if the fluid color is brown, then this is an engine oil leak.
Low oil level can cause the engine to overheat and therefore, self-destructed in severe scenarios. The engine oil is responsible for reducing a great portion of the engine’s temperature.
Solution: it is important to note here that despite the source of the fluid leak, you must get the leak fixed as soon as possible.
Fluids are put in the vehicle to provide smooth performance, avoid tear and wear, and some are involved in providing the power needed to move the vehicle.
Experts suggest applying some Stop-Leak additive to the oil. These additives can help seal the rubbers and stop the leak.
Other solutions can be by inspecting for leaks around bolts and connections. Simple bolt tightening can resolve the leak.
Repair cost: depending on the location of the leak, repairing the oil leak can be as low as $150 and can get as high as $1,200.
- Oil consumption
In some cases, the Ford 6.2 engine might consume more oil than usual. This is a sign of problems with the valve cover on the right side.
Solution: problems with the right valve cover can be solved by replacing the entire valve. Besides, you must install 16 plugs. Once you have the valve replaced, check the engine’s oil level and top it up to the required level if needed.
Repair cost: on average, repairing the engine valve can range from $250 to $400. This repair depends heavily on the labor cost as the price of the actual part is not very expensive; it just takes time to get fixed.
- Oil burning
Another issue that could be related to excessive oil consumption is an oil burn. Some of the oil burn symptoms is a cloud of blue smoke coming out of the vehicle’s tailpipe.
Engine burning oil means that there is an internal leak, and oil is getting inside the engine. This problem is one of the worst scenarios that you need to hope not to get to. If you did not fix such a problem immediately, your engine could be completely damaged to the level that you cannot repair.
Solution: if you noticed that your engine is burning oil, it is recommended that you do not attempt to fix it on your own. This is because the more time you waste before getting it fixed, the higher the chance that you lose your engine.
In general, any DIY might not work for the first time, unless you have very good mechanical experience.
If you decided to delay fixing the engine burning oil problem, expect one of the following outcomes:
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- Engine not running properly
- Polluted spark plugs
- Failing catalytic converter
- Complete engine damage
Repair cost: burning oil can be fixed with changing the piston rings, or it might get to a complete engine replacement. Therefore, to fix the engine burning oil problem, expect to pay between $1,000 to $5,700, depending on the severity of the problem.
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Issues with the spark plug
Other common issues with the Ford 6.2 engine can be related to the spark plug.
The spark plug is responsible for igniting the air-fuel mixture through electrical energy. There are many causes for a spark plug not functioning. For instance, the spark plug can go bad if it got covered by a lot of oil or carbon. Sometimes, dirt can affect the spark plug performance.
The spark plug might start breaking off every time you try to charge it. The main cause of this problem is that you forgot to charge the spark plug after 100.000 miles.
Solution: experts suggest that a spark plug must be charged every 30,000 miles.
Repair cost: engine issues related to spark plugs are very easy to fix and considered to have the cheapest repair cost—the typical spark plug repair cost range between $16 to $100 on parts only. The labor cost depends on the location where you get the repairs.
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Issues with the intake pipe
A faulty intake pipe can cause the engine to overheat. Some of the common symptoms of a cracked intake pipe is a cloud of black smoke coming out of the tailpipe.
Solution: if you noticed a cracked intake pipe, you need to get the pipe checked, repaired, or replaced by an experienced mechanic.
If the intake crack happened before you get to the destination, you can simply find the crack, add a heating resistance tape, and finally clamp the pipe.
Experts advise that you use a metal or silicone pipes as a replacement to the regular rubber pipe. If you have a level of mechanical skills, you can replace the cracked intake pipe yourself. This way, you can save a lot on the labor cost, especially at the dealerships.
Repair cost: intake repairs costs can range from $400 to $600. This is one of the types of repairs where the cost depends heavily on the labor cost. It is one of the very complicated repairs to be done.
Conclusion
Ford is one of the biggest automaker companies in the United States and abroad.
Every year, Ford improves the vehicles to reduce the amount and costs of repairs as much as possible.
Despite the great improvements, Ford 6.2 engine still experiences common engine problems that might lead to engine failure in some scenarios.
Most of Ford 6.2 engine problems are related to the engine itself, the oil level and consumption, problems with spark plugs, and issues with internal cracks due to wear and tear.
It is recommended that you monitor your engine’s performance and keep an eye for critical symptoms. In general, any problem related to the vehicle’s engine must be fixed as soon as possible to avoid high repair prices in the future, and sometimes complete engine failure.