Just Wow!!!

[Tre']

You are talking in the past. The new 2 strokes can be cleaner burning than a 4 stroke with direct injection and computer assisted timing. The only reason you don't see them making a come back in auto's is the marketplace is geared to 4 strokes, the tech and development went that way and there is no reason to spend a bunch of money to change.
Diesel engines are nearly all of a 2 stroke design, by the way, though many also use a valve mechanism as well they still fire every revolution.

 

[RSchneider]

What is so unreliable about the Ecoboost as opposed to other engines? We had a conversation here a while back about pickups and I brought up someone that owns two of them for his business and they have turned out to be extremely reliable. I friend of mine works at a Ford dealer as a mechanic and he has nothing bad to say about them. For him about average on reliability as opposed to past trucks.

If you just gauge from any form on any vehicle made, you can make a case that the particular vehicle in question is riddled with problems because people rarely post, "Owned my (insert car here) for X amount of years and it's been perfect." Same thing will happen here. The top posts will be from people nitpicking the car and making it sound like it's a major issue.

Since this is a conversation about the inline 3, Ecoboost, what are the major reliability issues with it? Might be good to find out now.

 

[RSchneider]

To make a 2 stroke, rotary and diesel emissions compliant, it has become way to complex and expensive to accomplish that. That's why a current diesel is way more complex than a gasser and the last rotary sold in the US was overly complex too. That explains why the 2 stroke is fining itself being pushed out by 4 stroke in the small engine department.

 

[raptor213]

I live ~4 miles from Roush's complex of administrative offices, manufacturing facilities, design studios, warehouses, showrooms, test tracks, etc, and have yet to spot an Elio in the wild on city streets in Livonia. Mind you, I only think to drive by once every month or so and timing is everything. But maybe this new powertrain news will increase my chances of seeing the E1a or E1c cruising around!

 

[booboo]

“We don’t ever rely on a partner to fix things for us,” he said. “We have to get our own house in order first. Partnerships can help with capital intensity and things like that."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/05/business/ford-motor-cars.html

 

[raptor213]

In hunting for potential news nuggets that might confirm or dispell the rumors of the Ford 1.0L 3-cyl EcoBoost engine being the newly selected powertrain for the Elio, Ford currently produces that engine abroad at Ford Germany in Cologne and at Ford Romania in Craiova. Perhaps local news stories may surface announcing an agreement, alliance, partnership, large overseas order, etc?

 

[Bilbo B]

Heck, since we're dreaming here, would a Ford engine mean service would move to Ford dealers (Replace your favorite manufacturer guess for Ford if you want)? That would appeal to me, since the nearest Pep Boys is 3 hours away, nearest Ford dealer 10 minutes.

And, as for reliability, I have to believe any existing engine is going to be more reliable day one that Elio's custom engine. If they've already sold hundreds of thousands of them, they have any design issues worked out.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

You are talking in the past. The new 2 strokes can be cleaner burning than a 4 stroke with direct injection and computer assisted timing. The only reason you don't see them making a come back in auto's is the marketplace is geared to 4 strokes, the tech and development went that way and there is no reason to spend a bunch of money to change.

2 strokes can be cleaner?
Possibly, but I haven't seen any real world products. (Feel free to point them out, I don't know everything)
Make a cheap, simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly 2 stroke for a passenger car and you'll probably be awash in money.

My bet that the compromise isn't worth the effort.

What is so unreliable about the Ecoboost as opposed to other engines? We had a conversation here a while back about pickups and I brought up someone that owns two of them for his business and they have turned out to be extremely reliable. I friend of mine works at a Ford dealer as a mechanic and he has nothing bad to say about them. For him about average on reliability as opposed to past trucks.

If you just gauge from any form on any vehicle made, you can make a case that the particular vehicle in question is riddled with problems because people rarely post, "Owned my (insert car here) for X amount of years and it's been perfect." Same thing will happen here. The top posts will be from people nitpicking the car and making it sound like it's a major issue.

Since this is a conversation about the inline 3, Ecoboost, what are the major reliability issues with it? Might be good to find out now.

First paragraph:
Looking for a single weak point? Honestly not sure. There are injector problems, turbo problems, gasket seal problems, and more than a fair share of recalls.
The trucks with EcoBoost were consistently rated lower than then non Eco engines on the same models. Every owner I've talked to would usually grumble about them using expletives.
Most of the owners I talk to are mechanics.
It may be different with the smaller version, but I'll that I have seen with the 3 cyl Eco is it attached to a track car.

Second and Third paragraph:
I have no idea what you are trying to say here.

To make a 2 stroke, rotary and diesel emissions compliant, it has become way to complex and expensive to accomplish that. That's why a current diesel is way more complex than a gasser and the last rotary sold in the US was overly complex too. That explains why the 2 stroke is fining itself being pushed out by 4 stroke in the small engine department.

 

[Travelbuzz1]

View attachment 22914
I live ~4 miles from Roush's complex of administrative offices, manufacturing facilities, design studios, warehouses, showrooms, test tracks, etc, and have yet to spot an Elio in the wild on city streets in Livonia. Mind you, I only think to drive by once every month or so and timing is everything. But maybe this new powertrain news will increase my chances of seeing the E1a or E1c cruising around!

I have spoken to a member here on this site from Arizona who knows someone who lives near the Elio Plant in Shreveport La. over a week ago. He expressed to me that there is activity at the plant if this helps you out.

 

[RSchneider]

First paragraph:
Looking for a single weak point? Honestly not sure. There are injector problems, turbo problems, gasket seal problems, and more than a fair share of recalls.
The trucks with EcoBoost were consistently rated lower than then non Eco engines on the same models. Every owner I've talked to would usually grumble about them using expletives.
Most of the owners I talk to are mechanics.
It may be different with the smaller version, but I'll that I have seen with the 3 cyl Eco is it attached to a track car.

Second and Third paragraph:
I have no idea what you are trying to say here.

It sounds like it's just what you read on the forums and there's no real idea as to why. Sounds like an opinion as opposed to what it really happening. This leads me to the next paragraph. Forums are the worst place to determine if it's a reliable vehicle. People rarely post about the greatness and only highlight the problems. Thus it seems like a major problem from looking at it from the outside. I find that an official Ford mechanic that is not biased, will give you an honest opinion of the vehicle in question. Then for the people you know that actually own the product. I know both and so far, the Ecoboost twin turbo V6 in a truck or the car is not that bad (the Ford mechanic owns both and if it was a junker, he wouldn't own it). As for the potential future Elio motor, Ford barely sold them in the US, so there's not many out there. Thus, you have to look at what the Europeans think because they sell lots of them there. Look at the German or French Ford forums and you might get an idea as to the real problems with that motor are. Even at that, they will only bring up the problems and not the good things. You have to filter out the information and go from there.

If it's that you just don't like Ford or that anything but a normally aspirated V8 is all that can only be had in a truck, then the Ecoboost is a piece of junk. If you can look past that, then it's not that bad. If the Elio is using to have a twin Turbo V6 Ecoboost in it, then we can talk about that engine and discuss the future problems.

I have a feeling Elio will not be shoehorning that 325hp drivetrain from their sedan into the Elio. If they do, then I have a feeling that the fun factor will override the reliability issues that will happen. A sub 2000lb car with a 325hp motor will make the Elio a supercar in performance. All of that for $7450, would be something they could sell 1M per year.