The Ford Focus RS has been a hit, having won a host of awards and also having a long waiting list, and it's no surprise when you think of the work they have put in. Ford have employed special engine listeners, to make sure that the RS' 2.3 litre EcoBoost engine runs smoothly and passes stringent auditory tests. Let's hope they like heavy metal... Get it? Engine, heavy, made of metal... Ok let's move on.
Like a fine art, the highly trained production workers based at Ford's plant in Valencia, Spain, listen to any faults to the engine in a one minute test which take place in one of the 18 sound-proofed cells. If a fault is detected the engine is removed so that further tests can be conducted as part of continuing improvement and development.
“This team knows what a perfectly calibrated engine sounds like and they know the tiny sounds to listen for in case there is a problem,” said Gunnar Herrmann, vice president, Quality, Ford of Europe. “Think of it like a doctor who has the most advanced diagnostic technology but still uses a stethoscope to gather vital clues to a patient’s health.”
It's not just the performance engine from Ford that sees this treatment though, as the same checks are made to the engines in the Focus ST, S-Max and Mondeo too. Ford's team of engine listeners conduct an amazing 2,000 tests per day, with breaks in between to keep concentration high.
“The experience of hearing thousands of engines allows us to sense straight away when something is not working perfectly,” said Juan Carlos Rosmari, quality technician, Valencia Engine Plant. “Each different engine type has its own unique sound, and from listening to them in the test cells we get to know their individual characters – and the tell-tale signs which indicate a problem.”