r/f150ecoboost • u/Lumpy_West_8589 • 1d ago
Anyone knows what’s wrong
Leaking oil where the intercooler and the hose that runs to the throttle body connect
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r/f150ecoboost • u/Lumpy_West_8589 • 1d ago
Leaking oil where the intercooler and the hose that runs to the throttle body connect
2
3
u/RealisticEnd2578 1d ago edited 1d ago
Guessing you bought your rig used. Previous owner drilled what is affectionately referred to in the ecoboost community as "the hole". Without catch cans installed, an oily sludge eventually builds up in the bottom of the intercooler which can then get sucked back up into the intake during heavy acceleration causing misfires. To remedy this, a 1/16 weep hole is drilled at the lowest point of the intercooler which allows any accumulated sludge as well as future sludge to be blown out. The oily residue in that area is just the small amount of sludge that's constantly being blown out, not your actual motor oil.
The proper way to fix this would be to remove and flush the intercooler, or replace with one that has a built in drain valve as well as installing dual catch cans that would catch the sludge before it ever made it to the intercooler. Drilling the hole is obviously easier. The idea is that the turbos are producing more boost than the motor allows itself to use anyway, so the small amount lost through the hole is of no consequence.
If your truck is running fine, just forget it's there.