The September issue of Motortrend gives the Ford V-10 the performance advantage over the Dodge V-10 despite the Dodge having 25 more hp and 30 lb-ft more of torque.
outside of the passing times in which the Ford downshifted and the Dodge didn't (probably because it didn't have to (grin)), I hardly see a tenth of a second in acceleration as a performance advantage.
The engines simply proved to be properly matched for their chassis, that's all. If you match up the two diesels with the right axle ratios and tires, you'll get a similar result.
I've had my 1999 F-250 ford SC 4X4 lariat V-10 for about three weeks now and am very pleased with it. Coming from a 97 f-150 with the 4.6 was quite a change. The V-10 is a very smooth running motor. Seemed like the 4.6 was always shifting in and out of overdrive. The V-10 has to come on a REAL steep hill to shift down. I'm getting 14-15 mpg hiway which is not much worse than the 4.6. There is an interesting article in the Sept. Motor Trend on the Dodge and Ford V-10's. The smaller Ford V-10 holds its own against the Dodge 0-40 then just edges it out 0-60 and in the quarter mile. Towing the Ford did even better. I'm sure glad I spent that $285 more for the V-10.
The tenth of second difference was when the trucks were empty. The two engines were a dead heat when empty. When pulling the 4,000 pound boat, the Ford V-10 won by three seconds in the 40-60mph acceleration area. Both are good engines, but three seconds is not really insignificant.
The test surprised me. I figured the Dodge would beat the Ford off the line empty because of the extra 25 hp. That turned out to be a dead heat. I figured the Dodge would beat the Ford with a load because of the extra 30 lb-ft of torque, but Ford did better. I didn't expect the difference to be too significant, but I did think the Dodge would win. When I opted for the Ford, I figured the trade-off would be power vs efficiency, smoothness and better mpg. It appears there is no trade-off.
When Ford designed the SD line, they went for a matched system. The other thing to remember is, both Ford and GM use much lower axle ratios than Dodge. The Ram comes with just a 3.54 or a 4.10 wth the V10 and Cummins. Ford we know uses 3.73, 4.10, or 4.30. GM uses a damn 4.56! Dodge also uses smaller tires which affect power under load.
I love my Dodge, I respect the SD - both will do what you want of them if you option them right. If Dodge knew what the test was for, they would have supplied MT with a truck better suited for the comparison.
I can vouch for the low slalom speed on the Ram - the stock suspension needs help. The other surprise there is the braking. We all have heard the touting of the 4 wheel discs with proportioning valves on the Ford, but the normally cheesy Ram brakes (Delco units, incidentally) were only off by 7 feet.
kcram maybe they should be buying the Delco parts that has the Chevy's stopping 25 ft shorter.
i've said it alot, but this is a perfect example of what i've been trying to say. i think the fact that the ford matched the dodge in the test, despite a large displacement disadvantage, has a lot to do with the fact that the ford has a very flat torque curved compared to the older dodge motor. Dodge gets the power from shear displacement, while the ford uses well engineered induction and ignition properties. the shape of the torque curve is obviously more important than the max hp and torque numbers, this test shows that to a tee.
re the brakes: This is exactly why GM just had a strike. Chrysler outsourced theirs at low bid, GM is still going internal to Delco/Delphi. Now if Chrysler, thanks to some assistance from their new owners, could get some good brakes... Brembo maybe?
you can run down the chevy's and dodges, but my new f250 has such a bad vibration the dealer e-mailed ford and recommended that ford buy the truck back from me. the dealer's service director said that, due to non-standard modifications done at the factory before it was shipped, ford obviously knew the truck had a problem and shipped it anyway. when i asked the dealer if THEY would refund my money, they refused, saying that then THEY would be stuck with the truck. i guess its ok to stick me with instead. after all, i just spent $27,000 for a truck i can't use. the dealer took my money, but now they claim its not their problem. anybody got any suggestions?
Stick to your guns. Document everything. Get it in the shop at least three times for the same problem and SOMEBODY WILL end up buying it back. Don't be afraid to get a lawyer. The dealer ended up buying mine back. Just curious - does yours have the esof.
Just picked up my ford F-250 super duty. After being in an accident with a small car, I knew I wanted a big vehicle...this sure fits the bill. Although I had a terrible time convincing salesmen that a WOMAN was serious about buying a truck. My concern is that the color is deep blue metallic and am now reading a couple of posts which mention Ford having a problem with this blue paint. Anyone else have a problem with this paint color?
yes, it does have the esof, but i've never engaged it. what kind of problems did your truck exhibit? mine has an oscillating harmonic vibration between 52 and 60 mph in overdrive, around 1700 rpm. when i take overdrive off, the rpm's go up and the noise goes away; i can hear the noise at 1700 rpm in other gears, but it is constant then, not harmonic. because it is rpm dependent, this leads me to believe the source is the transmission or the motor, but since ford would have to pay for new and expensive parts, they are trying to tell me it is caused by the exhause and that the noise is normal. i've gone to other dealerships and test driven their trucks, and none make this particular noise (although they ALL vibrate in different areas.) maybe we should have waited for the year 2000 models....
When you guys say its vibrating what do you mean? Where do you feel and/or hear it?? In the floorboards? Also when your ordered truck comes in can you take it for a test drive before paying them, to make sure everythings alright?? Thanks Vaughn wolf@enter.net
You can still back out if you want and they will keep the deposit you gave them to order the truck. When it comes in, take it for a test drive and look it over good and point out anything that you think may be wrong and have them fix it. I'm not sure what type of vibration they are talking about. I have a vibration that I can feel in the steering wheel at 60 to 65 mph, but it started after I switched to 265/85 buckshot mudders. These tires are harder to balance than ATs, so I think my vibration is coming from the tires.
I don't think they can get away with keeping your deposit unless they claim that there is nothing wrong with the truck. If they are unable to deliver the product you ordered in acceptable condition, they would have to give you your money back.
I plan to tell my dealer that I want him to take it out for a spin before I fly up there to get it. I will specifically ask him to check for the vibration and I will make sure he uses the ESOF. Those are things that I will test before I pay, so if there are problems, he might as well fix them before I fly up. I might even recommend that he drive it home one night. I'd rather pick up a truck with 100 miles on it that I knew had been thoroughly tested, then to get up there and go home empty handed.
I've got my fingers crossed that they have gotten most of the glitches cleared up. This has been an advantage of having to wait so long. My biggest concern is the ESOF. I would have definitely not ordered it if I thought the problem had not been resolved.
Well, I won't have to worry about the deposit. I never gave them one. They said they would order it sans deposit. If there is ANY vibration they can keep it!! I had enough rattlely steering column, tapping on floorboard problems with my 95 Ram....I'm not going through that again!! The two 99 F250 SC SD's I test drove had a little "kinda" vibration thing going on that I could feel in the floorboards but it was nothing that alarmed me. My test drive with either vehicles did not include major highway driving, but the driving I did do seemed OK..... I'd like some more "vibration info" on this truck if possible so I can know what to look for before dropping the dough!!!!
I have read all the posts on both these Super Duty topics and have learned a lot. To those lucky enough to take delivery, keep up the reviews! They are much appreciated. I have ALWAYS been a Chevy man, and will take ALOT of abuse for it, but I have done a lot of research on this truck, and have decided on the F250 SD, LWB, 4 x 4, SC, Lariat, 7.3ps, with all the toys. Die hard Chevy or not, I guess I will be a trader, but this truck just has everybody beat. I am looking for the dealer giving the best deal in NJ or surrounding states, and I don't care about the wait. I have only talked to one dealer via email, and he wants $1200 over invoice. Car dealers have to feed their kids too, but this guy is nuts. I'm looking to pay $300 above kelly blue book or less. Anybody gettin good deals out there? I did most of my research before I found this page, but I learned most from all these posts. Glad I found it!!!
Does anyone out there own this truck ? I am interested in it and would like to know more about it from an owner. I also am interested in the V10 engine option and need information on buyer satisfaction pros/cons
I've had my F250 for about a month now and have been extremely happy with the new truck and the PSD...glad i made the choice....One problem to report though. After playing under the hood yesterday I went to close it and heard a rattle as if it did not close tightly....after inspection I found that the U-hook that locks the hood had one bolt missing and the other was on its way out....had I lost the other bolt while doing 70 mph on the Interstate I can only imagine the results....I found an identical bolt in my garage (from my old truck) and replaced the lost one as my service department is closed on Saturdays...I WILL be stopping by my dealer on Monday to make them aware of the problem and have THEM relplace and torque the bolts.
My wife noticed a creak or vibration in the floor pan of my F-250 SD. It turned out that, like ALL RUNNING BOARDS, they were causing the creak. A few quick turns with a 13MM socket appears to have solved the problem.
The interesting thing is that there are 4 brackets to hold the running boards onto the truck. Each bracket has 4 holes matching with 4 holes in the truck. The front and rear brackets have three bolts and clip nuts whilt the center two only have two nuts and bolts. Production line issues? I don't know.
FORD MAKES PASSENGER AIRBAG STANDARD ON THE F-SUPER DUTY
Effective with units built July 27, 1998, passenger side airbags will be standard on all F250/350 Super Duty pickups excluding the chassis cab models. The passenger side airbag continues to be standard on the F150/250 light duty pickup models.
I stopped by my dealer today to report the problem with the hood latch....it turns out that mine is the third or fourth SD that has come back for that same reason.
The vibration I had in my first truck came from the front drive train. The same vibration I have in my new truck (without esof) with the front hubs locked in. The problem I had was that (apparently) the esof was not dis-engaging at times. When I dis-engage the manual hubs - wala - the vibration is gone. The esof hubs had the manual override for locking them in. Guess what - no difference at all in the vibration, transaxle noise, etc with them locked in.
I have never owned a DOMESTIC truck that did not produce some sort of vibration or excessive noise with the front driveline engaged. It appears that tolerances are much greater in the front drive train. I can deal with it as long as I (not the truck) make the decision when to activate it.
An additional note. Both of my SD's have/had the 265 AT tires. These tires do produce some "road noise/vibration" that can be aggravating if you are very sensitive to it (which I am). This caused some "conflict" between the dealer and I because they had a hard time "seeing" past the tire issue.
front ends aren't supposed to make noise at all. tolerances for front ends are no different than rear rend tolerances. if it makes noise, something is wrong.
I would like to know more about the $750 discount on the XLT package. How is it figured into the invoice prices offered by Edmunds? Do you add all the separate invoice items including the invoice price for the XLT pkg ($1593) then subtract the $750 or do you just use $1125 as the true invoice price of this package? I would also like to know if electric shift on the fly would be a problem with the snowplow package. A dealer says it is not recommended.
The base price of the XLT includes certain options as standard equipment. Since that equipment is factored into the base price, there is a discount when you order the premium package as an option. The price listed for the package is net of the discount. You should not add the cost of options that are included in the package.
If you want to do a double check, take a look at the Kelley Blue Book site at www.kbb.com. I found the kbb site to be a little less confusing. When you click on the XLT model, it will not list a price next to option that is part of the XLT package. For example, it may list the option of Air Conditioning, but next to it, it won't list a price. Instead, it may say N/C, meaning no charge for this option since you are already paying for the XLT package.
My understanding of the XLT and for that matter the Lariat package is this. If you ordered all the items in the XLT package separately on a basic non XLT truck it would cost you $750 more than if you just order the XLT package. Usually the invoice will show a total price and then a negative adjustment for the package.
Tom18- more on the XLT package. I just looked up the F250 XLT 2WD Super Duty Regular cab in Edmunds. If you look at option 607A they total up all the items for the XLT package and it comes to $1593 invoice and $1875 MSRP. Then they show a rebate of $638 and $750 respectively. I believe that if you order a vehicle you should be able to pay no more than 1.5% above total invoice for the vehicle.
Singer2 or anyone- Per #209 on Aug 5th, I had my dealer (California) call Gary in change control at the Kentucky plant, who I guess confirmed that The 99 F250 SD V10 4X4 could be had with limited slip. The dealer then called order processing (I think in Kansas City) and they said no. Is this a California deal? If so what the hell does LS have to do with air quality? Has anyone heard of or taken delivery of the above mentioned configuration in California? Help!, my truck is already on order and I would really prefer LS.
Probably a suggestion would be to recall Gary and state the answer regarding what the personnel said in KS. Then it should evolve into an interplant communication remedy---when it comes to these matters, the right hand definitely needs to know what the left hand is doing. When I spoke to Gary, he specifically stated that LS was available with the 3.73 rear, 4X4. Don't sit on it!!! Though!! You take the initiative to place the call, otherwise, you might stay in a state of limbo----like a lot of other customers. Get Gary, or one of the other personnel I previously mentioned, to call the Rep. in KS. Someone is obviously not on the same page. Good Luck---keep us posted!! There's a right way and a wrong way to deal with and service customers!!! This s..... got to stop!!! JB
Thank you for helping with the explanation of the XLT and the discount price of $750 - does anyone know the pros/con of having electronic shift on the fly with the snowplow package. Dealer does not recommend. I live in Wisconsin.
I have the F-250, auto, v8 and have noticed no vibration or noise at any speed up to 80. I haven't gone that fast with the 4WD engaged so I don't know if that is a factor but it is very smooth and quiet all the time so I don't know what others are experiencing. The ESOF works flawlessly also. Maybe I just got lucky but I did have an early build date also. The only problem I had was a loose radiator nut.
I just went and test drove one of the 1999 Chevy 1/2 tons. I know that my 1999 F-250 4wd psd truck isn't in the same class as the "Z71", but the "Z71" is pathetically smaller than my truck. The"Z71" looks like a s10 compared to mine. The idiotic salesman was asking a higher price, than for my super duty. Isn't this idiotic. I think we could be seeing the demise of Chevy in Texas. GM shot themselves in the foot. How can the 3/4 ton version of the 1999 Chevy truck hope to compete against Ford and Dodge? Chevy is dead to me.
It appears that my oil leak has stopped. The dealer said that it may have been a ring not seated and that it has seated itself. It was using 1 qt. of oil per 300 miles and I have driven over 600 miles now without using any oil. Time will tell if it is really fixed.
I'm seeking further information of the SD vibration problem. At the risk of sounding stupid or possibly insulting someone, which is not my intent, could someone answer the following questions?
1. The vibration problem appears to be associated with ESOP is that correct? 2. Does the vibration occur in both 2WD and 4WD or just 4WD? 3. If it's just 4WD where are you driving in 4WD, on pavement, off road or what?
the vibration problems are not isolated to one particular problem. mine is in the driveline at 1700 rpm; now the dealer wants to replace the torque converter. someone else is getting his entire rear end replaced, there have been several exhaust vibrations, and the sof is still suspect. i talked to a new owner in a parking lot the other day, and his sof would randomly engage just driving down the highway. ford appears to be having a lot of quality control problems with these trucks. good luck with yours.
I know this gets complicated but I would like to know when the vehicles with sof problems were purchased. I ordered mine on 5/4 and it was on hold for esof for almost 5 weeks. It would be interesting to see if Ford recognized the problem and fixed it around the May/June time frame or if the still have problems.
It's my understanding that Ford did correct the problem. There were hundreds, probably thousands of trucks that had already been given build and delivery dates when they decided to fix the problem. They continued to make the trucks, but instead of delivering them, they put them in an outdoor lot a couple miles from the factory. Once the fix was available, they changed the assembly line and then sent mechanics to the truck lot to install the new part on all the trucks sitting there. I heard it took a little less than 30 minutes per vehicle, but still, if you were waiting on a vehicle, it was a pain.
It's my understanding that Ford only tracks a truck until about 30 days after it's projected delivery date, or something like that. When the trucks in the lot passed that period, the dealers weren't able to check the status of the vehicle. In other words, you would only know when your truck would arrive after it actually did arrive. During the delay, while the part was being installed on your truck in the lot, trucks that had delivery dates later than yours were rolling off the assembly line with the new part and being shipped ahead of yours.
Although they supposedly fixed the problem, I'd still be interested to hear if additional problems have arisen. I heard that they had a particularly tough time with the duallys and the ESOF. That is what I have on order.
When Ford tells my dealer to inform me that electronic shift on the fly is not recommended with the snowplow package, is this an indication that this item is imperfected, weak, not beefed up enough etc. and that all the vibration discussion might be related? Shouldn't this make you wonder? Could you use esof with a plow on the '97 F250 or F350 or was this always a no, no? It seems very inconvenient to have to manually go into 4 wheel drive when not plowing.
The '99 sd esof is the only one Ford recommends for snowplowing. It is totally different than the older automatic hubs. The new esof hubs are engaged in the same way manuals are, they just use vacuum to do it. If the vacuum does not work you can lock them in manually. They are not center disconnect. They do not require you to back up to unlock. A servo motor engages the transfer case instead of the manual shift lever.
Just wanted to let everyone know that at present I have 2,000 miles on my f250 4x4, 7.3L ESOF, Auto and have had a great ride. No problems no concerns and hopefully it will stay that way. The only thing I miss is chatting with professor Rich , Brutus and the rest of you guys!
I was about to ask where you had gone. I was hoping you weren't staying away because you disliked the truck. Glad to hear things are going well. I continue to wait. I'm working directly with my dealer at this point, and am hoping that my order will be pulled tonight. I have my doubts. The duallys and the Lariat seem to be the biggest obstacle, now that I have my dealer working to get my order pulled ASAP. I was able to verify that my order was the oldest one at his dealership and he has 24 orders pending.
There was another advantage of the delay. My credit union is celebrating the recent passage of the credit union legislation. In celebration, the lowered the interest rate on my preapproved loan by 1.5%, which will save me close to $30/month on my payment. The rate is only good until the end of September, so my order needs to get pulled in the next week or two.
Does your order have the overhead marker lights listed seperately on it? Mine does not, and while they're supposed to be standard on the DRW a lot of other 'standard' equipment is listed (aero headlights, etc).
Singer2 or anyone- I just got off the phone with the Ford Customer Assistance Center. I was trying to get any confirmation or denial of the rumored availability of 3.73 limited slip with a 99 F250 SD V10 4X4. They have no bulletins, notices or documentation of any kind to support Gary in change control (Kentucky plant)who emphatically states it is available as of 7/13/98. I have seen other postings in this room where some dealers have told customers that it will be available starting in September. Others have said their dealers said you can get it now. My dealer was told by order processing that it was not available in California (where I unfortunately am). I don't know if that is based on some weird emissions requirement or supply shortages or what. Can anyone either tell me the name and number of any of the dealers who have either received bulletins or source code numbers or any information on how to get this option ordered. Or at least if it can't in fact be ordered, why not? I'm starting to feel like it would be easier to find an honest politician than a definitive answer to the elusive 3.73 L/S question! Help!
Check out www.kbb.com. I found it easier to identify what is standard and what is not. When you click on the F-350 DRW 4x4 Lariat, it will clearly list the options that are standard. For example, it may list an option that is standard, but it won't list a price. It will indicate something like N/C in the margin if it is standard equipment instead of price, which means "no charge". If I recollect, the roof lights are standard on all DRW trucks.
Comments
many thanks for some long awaited real info.
Thanks,
Ryan
outside of the passing times in which the Ford downshifted and the Dodge didn't (probably because it didn't have to (grin)), I hardly see a tenth of a second in acceleration as a performance advantage.
The engines simply proved to be properly matched for their chassis, that's all. If you match up the two diesels with the right axle ratios and tires, you'll get a similar result.
about three weeks now and am very pleased with it.
Coming from a 97 f-150 with the 4.6 was quite a
change. The V-10 is a very smooth running motor.
Seemed like the 4.6 was always shifting in and out
of overdrive. The V-10 has to come on a REAL steep
hill to shift down. I'm getting 14-15 mpg hiway
which is not much worse than the 4.6.
There is an interesting article in the Sept.
Motor Trend on the Dodge and Ford V-10's. The
smaller Ford V-10 holds its own against the Dodge
0-40 then just edges it out 0-60 and in the quarter
mile. Towing the Ford did even better.
I'm sure glad I spent that $285 more for the
V-10.
The tenth of second difference was when the trucks were empty. The two engines were a dead heat when empty. When pulling the 4,000 pound boat, the Ford V-10 won by three seconds in the 40-60mph acceleration area. Both are good engines, but three seconds is not really insignificant.
The test surprised me. I figured the Dodge would beat the Ford off the line empty because of the extra 25 hp. That turned out to be a dead heat. I figured the Dodge would beat the Ford with a load because of the extra 30 lb-ft of torque, but Ford did better. I didn't expect the difference to be too significant, but I did think the Dodge would win. When I opted for the Ford, I figured the trade-off would be power vs efficiency, smoothness and better mpg. It appears there is no trade-off.
I love my Dodge, I respect the SD - both will do what you want of them if you option them right. If Dodge knew what the test was for, they would have supplied MT with a truck better suited for the comparison.
maybe they should be buying the Delco parts that has the Chevy's stopping 25 ft shorter.
i've said it alot, but this is a perfect example of what i've been trying to say. i think the fact that the ford matched the dodge in the test, despite a large displacement disadvantage, has a lot to do with the fact that the ford has a very flat torque curved compared to the older dodge motor. Dodge gets the power from shear displacement, while the ford uses well engineered induction and ignition properties. the shape of the torque curve is obviously more important than the max hp and torque numbers, this test shows that to a tee.
re the brakes: This is exactly why GM just had a strike. Chrysler outsourced theirs at low bid, GM is still going internal to Delco/Delphi. Now if Chrysler, thanks to some assistance from their new owners, could get some good brakes... Brembo maybe?
mean? Where do you feel and/or hear it??
In the floorboards?
Also when your ordered truck comes in can you
take it for a test drive before paying them, to
make sure everythings alright??
Thanks
Vaughn
wolf@enter.net
You can still back out if you want and they will keep the deposit you gave them to order the truck. When it comes in, take it for a test drive and look it over good and point out anything that you think may be wrong and have them fix it. I'm not sure what type of vibration they are talking about. I have a vibration that I can feel in the steering wheel at 60 to 65 mph, but it started after I switched to 265/85 buckshot mudders. These tires are harder to balance than ATs, so I think my vibration is coming from the tires.
I plan to tell my dealer that I want him to take it out for a spin before I fly up there to get it. I will specifically ask him to check for the vibration and I will make sure he uses the ESOF. Those are things that I will test before I pay, so if there are problems, he might as well fix them before I fly up. I might even recommend that he drive it home one night. I'd rather pick up a truck with 100 miles on it that I knew had been thoroughly tested, then to get up there and go home empty handed.
I've got my fingers crossed that they have gotten most of the glitches cleared up. This has been an advantage of having to wait so long. My biggest concern is the ESOF. I would have definitely not ordered it if I thought the problem had not been resolved.
I never gave them one. They said they would order
it sans deposit. If there is ANY vibration they
can keep it!! I had enough rattlely steering
column, tapping on floorboard problems with my 95
Ram....I'm not going through that again!!
The two 99 F250 SC SD's I test drove had a little
"kinda" vibration thing going on that I could feel in the floorboards but it was nothing that alarmed me.
My test drive with either vehicles did not include
major highway driving, but the driving I did do
seemed OK.....
I'd like some more "vibration info" on this truck
if possible so I can know what to look for before
dropping the dough!!!!
Vaughn
I have ALWAYS been a Chevy man, and will take ALOT of abuse for it, but I have done a lot of research on this truck, and have decided on the F250 SD, LWB, 4 x 4, SC, Lariat, 7.3ps, with all the toys. Die hard Chevy or not, I guess I will be a trader, but this truck just has everybody beat.
I am looking for the dealer giving the best deal in NJ or surrounding states, and I don't care about the wait. I have only talked to one dealer via email, and he wants $1200 over invoice. Car dealers have to feed their kids too, but this guy is nuts. I'm looking to pay $300 above kelly blue book or less. Anybody gettin good deals out there?
I did most of my research before I found this page, but I learned most from all these posts. Glad I found it!!!
The interesting thing is that there are 4 brackets to hold the running boards onto the truck. Each bracket has 4 holes matching with 4 holes in the truck. The front and rear brackets have three bolts and clip nuts whilt the center two only have two nuts and bolts. Production line issues? I don't know.
Rich
FORD MAKES PASSENGER AIRBAG STANDARD ON THE
F-SUPER DUTY
Effective with units built July 27, 1998, passenger side airbags will be standard on all F250/350 Super Duty pickups
excluding the chassis cab models. The passenger side airbag continues to be standard on the F150/250 light duty pickup
models.
So I guess that settles it.
Cheers,
Ryan
I have never owned a DOMESTIC truck that did not produce some sort of vibration or excessive noise with the front driveline engaged. It appears that tolerances are much greater in the front drive train. I can deal with it as long as I (not the truck) make the decision when to activate it.
An additional note. Both of my SD's have/had the 265 AT tires. These tires do produce some "road noise/vibration" that can be aggravating if you are very sensitive to it (which I am). This caused some "conflict" between the dealer and I because they had a hard time "seeing" past the tire issue.
If you want to do a double check, take a look at the Kelley Blue Book site at www.kbb.com. I found the kbb site to be a little less confusing. When you click on the XLT model, it will not list a price next to option that is part of the XLT package. For example, it may list the option of Air Conditioning, but next to it, it won't list a price. Instead, it may say N/C, meaning no charge for this option since you are already paying for the XLT package.
Don't sit on it!!! Though!! You take the initiative to place the call, otherwise, you might stay in a state of limbo----like a lot of other customers. Get Gary, or one of the other personnel I previously mentioned, to call the Rep. in KS. Someone is obviously not on the same page.
Good Luck---keep us posted!! There's a right way and a wrong way to deal with and service customers!!! This s..... got to stop!!! JB
Somebody please give some insight.
1. The vibration problem appears to be associated with ESOP is that correct?
2. Does the vibration occur in both 2WD and 4WD or just 4WD?
3. If it's just 4WD where are you driving in 4WD, on pavement, off road or what?
I appreciate your answers in advance.
What (approx) was the build date?
Was it immediately apparent or did it develop
over time?
I just drove a recently released 4x4 with ESOF and it had no noticable shudder. It also had less than 50 miles though.
harold
It's my understanding that Ford only tracks a truck until about 30 days after it's projected delivery date, or something like that. When the trucks in the lot passed that period, the dealers weren't able to check the status of the vehicle. In other words, you would only know when your truck would arrive after it actually did arrive. During the delay, while the part was being installed on your truck in the lot, trucks that had delivery dates later than yours were rolling off the assembly line with the new part and being shipped ahead of yours.
Although they supposedly fixed the problem, I'd still be interested to hear if additional problems have arisen. I heard that they had a particularly tough time with the duallys and the ESOF. That is what I have on order.
Still wishing you all the best,
Mroffshore
There was another advantage of the delay. My credit union is celebrating the recent passage of the credit union legislation. In celebration, the lowered the interest rate on my preapproved loan by 1.5%, which will save me close to $30/month on my payment. The rate is only good until the end of September, so my order needs to get pulled in the next week or two.
I just got off the phone with the Ford Customer Assistance Center. I was trying to get any confirmation or denial of the rumored availability of 3.73 limited slip with a 99 F250 SD V10 4X4. They have no bulletins, notices or documentation of any kind to support Gary in change control (Kentucky plant)who emphatically states it is available as of 7/13/98. I have seen other postings in this room where some dealers have told customers that it will be available starting in September. Others have said their dealers said you can get it now. My dealer was told by order processing that it was not available in California (where I unfortunately am). I don't know if that is based on some weird emissions requirement or supply shortages or what. Can anyone either tell me the name and number of any of the dealers who have either received bulletins or source code numbers or any information on how to get this option ordered. Or at least if it can't in fact be ordered, why not? I'm starting to feel like it would be easier to find an honest politician than a definitive answer to the elusive 3.73 L/S question! Help!
Check out www.kbb.com. I found it easier to identify what is standard and what is not. When you click on the F-350 DRW 4x4 Lariat, it will clearly list the options that are standard. For example, it may list an option that is standard, but it won't list a price. It will indicate something like N/C in the margin if it is standard equipment instead of price, which means "no charge". If I recollect, the roof lights are standard on all DRW trucks.