EcoBoost Intercooler Condensation

If you drive a 2.7L or 3.5L EcoBoost F-150 in cold weather you may have experienced a problem that feels like a misfire during acceleration. The engine stumbles, hesitates, or blows white smoke. The cause is water being sucked from the intercooler into the engine.

How Water Gets in the Intercooler

The intercooler sits at the front of the truck and cools the compressed air from the turbochargers before it enters the engine. In humid conditions moisture in the air condenses inside the intercooler just like water collects on a cold glass. Over time enough water can accumulate to fill the bottom of the intercooler.

When you accelerate hard the increased airflow can pick up this water and carry it into the intake manifold and cylinders. Water does not compress like air so the engine misfires. In severe cases enough water can cause hydro-lock which can bend connecting rods.

Symptoms

Engine stumbling or hesitating during hard acceleration in cold damp weather
White smoke from the exhaust after hard acceleration or cruising in wet cold conditions
A check engine light with misfire codes P0300 series
The problem usually goes away after the engine warms up fully or after a long drive

What Ford Did About It

Ford acknowledged this issue and released a TSB for some models. The fix involves drilling a small weep hole in the bottom of the intercooler end tank to allow accumulated water to drain out. This is a simple modification that many owners do themselves.

If you are not comfortable drilling into your intercooler Ford also offers a redesigned intercooler for some years that includes internal baffles to reduce condensation accumulation.

Other Fixes

Some owners have installed a catch can in the intake system that catches both oil vapor and water before it reaches the intake. This helps but is not a complete solution for intercooler condensation. A drilled drain hole is the most effective fix.

An aftermarket intercooler with better internal drainage design also solves the problem permanently but costs more.

Bottom Line

Intercooler condensation is a known quirk of the EcoBoost design in cold weather. It is not a defect but it can cause scary symptoms. Drilling a small drain hole in the intercooler is the standard fix and it works. If you live in a cold humid climate and drive an EcoBoost this is one of those things worth knowing about before it happens to you on a cold morning.

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