Any 1999 F-250 owners?

barbwv

I just bought an F250 10 days ago. When I started it on day two, the 4x4 low range light came on, indicating that it was in 4 wheel drive. It does have esof. Is this the problem that you have been discussing with esof?

Even though the light indicated the 4 wheel drive was engaged, we could not get the truck to engage. the light eventually went out and we took truck to dealer, who had a service bulletin on this problem and ordered a part.

dlischka

I just received a voice mail this morning from Gary Gibson in change control at the Kentucky plant. He said that you can NOT get a 1999 F250 4x4 with V10 and a 3.73 L/S rearend, period. This is per Ford engineering. If you want L/S with the V10 on this truck, you either have to get the 4.30 rearend(F250) or get the F350 which offers 3.73 L/S rearend. Nobody seems to be able to tell me why, but it's moot, since Ford says no. Anyway, those of you whose dealers are telling you otherwise, might want to pass this on to them.

stanford

Well...

The F350 SRW may offer 3.73 L/S with the V10. The F350 DRW does not.

Airwolf

I just got off the phone with my dealer friend in Tallahassee and said that the other day he called change control and was jerked around for 30 minutes without an answer.
The dealer in Tampa shows it can be ordered. I suppose I'll order it, and then if it shows up differently, HELL, I don't have to pay for it.

Ryan

checksix

ref:#262
Dave, Ryan & others;
I'm working on an aftermarket solution now. A friend who works for a Ford dealer can install
a Detroit Lockers Lim Slip for me. He says it's
a piece of cake to install. The only hold now is
the concern about voiding the warranty. The sales
manager where I bought the truck says they can do
it there, so i'm guessing they may play games using the warranty issue. I plan to have the l/s
installed elsewhere if I can.
Lim Slip is nice, but not the most important thing in life.
My F-250 v-10 3.73 was built the last week in July
sans l/s. Sundance had his built about a week prior after a 20 week hold for l/s.

There seems to be no logical reason for this issue. It just is!
good luck,

Merle

F250 SD;SC/ V10/auto/4:30 rear. Just com-pleted a 7500 mile trip towing an 8000# trailer 5400 miles of it. This baby is a winner. I was setting the pace for the tractor trailers coming back. Trip was North Carolina to Newfoundland and back. Averaged 9 mpg towing; 14 not towing. Smooth and quiet, super tow mirrors (power), just a dream. Did have one "small" glitch which I am still watching for: the TCIL (OD) indicator light was blinking on 2 separate occasions. Stopped at a dealer and the diagnostics said I had experienced transmission slippage. Note: I was towing in OD. The first time I could not feel any slippage, the second time I did; when shifting up from first to second. Anybody with similar experience???

bigfur

The other day at a Ford dealer in MN I saw a F250 CC LWB. I thought that you could only get a SWB in the F250CC?

harold2

i've got a loud slipping noise in the transmission when backing up an incline in 4wd, in reverse. VERY loud noise. anybody else experiencing this?

howey

I recently put in a order for an f250 SD/CC with the Lariat trim package.I was told there was an extra $600 plus charge for the leather captain chairs. While at a Ford dealer this weekend I saw a 250 SD/CC with the captain chairs and the sticker said "no charge". Anyone know if therwe is a charge or not?

Airwolf

Is the truck you saw Lariat? The Lariat charges extra for captain's chairs, but the XLT will offer the option free of charge (non-leather of course).

Ryan

stanford

Airwolf:

My Lariat has the captains chairs for N/C in
leather. Option 4 (or 4X), cost: N/C

Bigfur:

There's a 250 SD CC LWB SRW sitting in my
parking lot as I write this. Red. Big. Nice.
Wish I knew who owned it... real plates, so it
must be a new hire. Nice not to have the only
CC in the building!

Merle:

Great mileage news! 4X4 or 4X2?

Airwolf

The information I got off KBB and Edmunds a while back, list the chairs as extra costs. Maybe it's changed...

Ryan

stanford

IIRC They are extra cost items (if in Leather) for the XLT.

bootch

Xmas in Aug. "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy"....received a VIN# with a build date of 8/27, with an ETA 9/7. If it holds true, I beat 8 wks. by 2 days!! Not Bad!!
I think I only need to post this item 1 more time!!
Get this straight---right from QC Mgr. at the Plt.---
Bruce---he stated that my unit will be built with a L/S, 6.8, V-10, 3.73, with the GVWR of 8800#.
I hope this posting dispels the other nonsense I've been reading lately. Regarding gas mileage, I'll be reporting to Bruce directly once I am in receipt of said vehicle.
P.S. CheckSix---time for an update!!! Thanks!!

Bootch(formerly Singer2)

dlischka

Bootch or Singer2- The "Nonsense" you have been reading lately in my postings is only the information that Ford has been giving me. When I called the phone number for change control that you posted, I was told this configuration wasn't available. Believe me, I want it to be. Can you please tell me how (through your dealer) you were able to get the order to "take"? Maybe you could pass on your dealer's name and number so that I could enlighten mine? I understand that the QC guy at Ford confirmed your truck will have 3.73 L/S, but how did you get the order to work? I have no problem believing that a company the size of Ford has internal communications issues!Hopefully you will check this site before driving off into the sunset in the only confirmed V10 3.73 L/S SD in the USA! HA! Thanks!

mje

I ordered 5.4 4x4 with 4.10 LS. Just wondering
how much this will affect mileage. I wanted the
3.73,but was told it was unavailable with LS?

checksix

I'll get one going.
There is still no humanoid on this planet that has reported one "in his driveway"; I hope you are the first and we hear it from you here.
Is there a story behind the new handle?(bootch)
Is it as good as pworange? HA!

bootch

First, didn't mean to be sarcastic regarding the
issue of "non-sense"(must be my gradeschool
nun-sense showing up again!!!). Anyway, after several attempts in early July, my dealership in Q-town, Pa. finally submitted the code for LS, 3.73, V-10, 4X4. And it took!! Then later in July and once again on 8/24 I confirmed with Bruce who is QC mgr.(and a respectable person, I might add), that, in fact, Ford does offer the option of LS, with a 3.73 rear, towing capacity of #8800 or more. Admittedly, early on it was somewhat of a rollercoaster ride---in particular with the dealership, simply because they weren't offering the same info that was being posted on this site. Therefore, I went the extra mile, and called Gary, then Bruce, and finally, for the V#, Gwen. They were all very cooperative. In fact, Bruce stated that one of his personnel, possibly in Sales, would be checking out this actual site to look at the feedback the actual customers are sharing with one another----hmmm, not a bad idea!!!!
Check6---no real history---the old name expired--so I picked up "bootch", 'cause when I was a little kid on the block, I wasn't allowed to use dirty language like "[non-permissible content removed]". So, I subbed with "bootch"---and today, one of my buddies still calls me "bootch". A simple story!!.
Again, thanks to all who took the time to contribute to the ongoing info contained on this site. I'm not a mechanic by trade---but at least this site kept me a bit "in sight". Appreciate it!!
JB

longhair

The information that I've seen (including KBB and Consumer Reports) shows that changing from bench to captains chairs is no cost, regardless of XLT or Lariat. Leather is standard with Lariat, $600 option with XLT.
The marker lights have to be included to meet DOT specs on a DRW truck. All trucks wider than (90?) inches must have marker lights. (I'm not sure of the exact number, but I know it's less than the 96" of a DRW. Therefore, they can't be an option (although I guess that a really sneaky dealer could try to bill you extra)

dlischka

Well, at the end of exhaustive research attempting to get the definitive answer on whether or not I could order this combination, this is it. You CAN get this combo in all 49 states EXCEPT California. It figures. I had dealers in other states enter in the concept order on their screens and it goes through, no problem. I had a few Ca. dealers try it and the note pops up "Not available in California". This wasn't good enough for me, so I talked to the lab technician at California Air Resources Board who fields technical vehicle calls (John S.)and he said vehicles under 20,000 lbs. GVWR are tested (by the manufacturer) as complete vehicles. He said that all components (including rear end) have some impact on actual real driving emissions. He said it was the manufacturer's decision as to which components contribute what percentage to emissions, wear, etc. He also said the L/S vs. no L/S with the V10 may or may not have been a Ca. emissions decision for Ford. It could have to to with drive train wear/longevity in California. Ca. lemon laws are tougher than many other states. The liability involved with a higher wear drivetrain setup may have contributed. This particular explanation sounded pretty far fetched to me, but nonetheless, that was the story. Who knows what goes (or doesn't) into these decisions. That's as far as I have taken it. I wasn't willing to try and reach the individual engineering or marketing person at Ford who could rationalize the reasoning. As soon as my warranty expires, I will have L/S installed! With or without L/S, these look to be pretty awesome trucks. Thanks everyone for all the info and good luck with you Super Duties!

bobcat99

dlischka,
I have been chasing my tail on this problem too. The suggestion that "drive train wear/longevity in California possibly being the problem doesn't make any sense. The 3.73 L/S rear end IS available on the SD F350 trucks sold in California. I'm sure the F350 generally receives more working stress than the F250 does. Did the California Resource Board Tech mention anything about a fee that may be charged for EACH vehicle configuration to be certified in California or the time it may take to receive "acceptance" after the "California New Motor Vehicle Fees" are paid? I would think something like this would be more likely. Apparently as it stands as of this writing, a person in California wanting a 3.73 L/S rear end has to pay about $1,000 more for a F350 and accept a stiffer ride. Thanks to our California "protectors from ourselves". I wonder if it would work to order an F250 configured to meet our needs from a dealer in a neighboring state with the California Emissions System option (422) and then register it in California"?

richflynn

dlischka,
The only that I know of to get a L/S in 3.73 in California is with a PSD. That's how mine was delivered.

bobcat99,
At one point I was looking into the adjacent state purchase and registration thing too. I have access to an Oregon address. Every thing can be rationalized until you consider insurance.

The issues are:
If you have a claim, why Oregon insurance in CA?
If you get stopped, Why Oregon insurance?
If you have CA insurance and Oregon registration, Why not CA registration.
The purchase of Oregon insurance for use on a vehicle that is intended to be almost exclusively used in CA would be OK UNTIL you needed the insurance. Then the insurance company could claim fraud and nullify your insurance.

bobcat99

My thought was to order/PURCHASE an F250 with V10 & 3.73 L/S in a neighboring state with the California Emissions System option (422). Then drive home to California and REGISTER (and insure) it in California.

I was NOT considering registration and insuring the vehicle in another state.

richflynn

bobcat99,
There is something to prevent that. CARB won't allow you to import a new vehicle to the state except under some very strict guidelines. On top of that, they'll charge you sales tax and some sort of an emissions fee.

As far as the importing the vehicle goes:
If your vehicle has been registered elsewhere for six months or;
You had not lived in CA and bought, registered the vehicle and moved into CA you're safe.

By ordering the emissions test you may be able to bypass the CARB requirements; but then Ford may not put the 3.73 in the truck. For me, I would drop the L/S and motor on.

Rich

Brutus

I live in Texas and I am buying my truck in Oklahoma. I am not resgistering the truck in Oklahoma or paying any sales tax at purchase. However, I will have to immediately register the truck in Texas, and I will be required to pay my Texas sales tax to my local DMV.

Can't you do that in California? Why not buy the truck out of state with the L/S and without the CA emissions. Then you register it in CA, pay the CA sales tax and, of course, the $300 one time fee for not having CA emissions? Does CA have a unique law that prohibits that? Not that it would surprise me. I sure don't miss those tax or high annual vehicle registration fees.

By the way, when I moved to CA in 3/93, I brought my 92 F-250HD with me. I never had trouble passing the CA emissions test every other year. I did have to pay that $300 fee when I first registered it, though, since I didn't have CA emissions.

dlamastr

Can anyone give me the URL of a good fifth-wheel website or discussion? I would like to read/discuss issues with fifth-wheel shopping, hauling, and vehicle selection. Don't tell me about "happycamper.com" - I've been there and it's weak. I'm looking for more substantial info, similar to what we have here with the Superduties.

I'm going to purchase a SD CC 4WD PSD shortbed sometime next spring, and then a fifth-wheel camper sometime following. There were issues discussed earlier on in this forum about height, etc., but no real resolution as far as I can tell. Anybody pulling a fifth-wheel with this kind of truck? Any suggestions/considerations for me?

We're currently considering a Jayco Eagle-Series 285 BHS "bunkhouse" (we have kids). We'll make up our mind on what we're buying before ordering the truck, just to be sure we get the truck options we'll need. Of course, we'll go to the RV shows over the winter here in Kansas City to do some more comparison shopping.

Brutus

Have you checked with Ford? I've heard they developed a kit to lower the rear of the Superduty to accomodate fifth wheel towing. I've also heard that it may available free of charge. That might be a place to start. RV dealers are also working on it, so some of your bigger RV dealers might have some info. I don't know of any other camper BBS areas other than the happycampers.net.

dlamastr

"Lowering" the rear-end sounds unattractive to me. I guess I want the best of both worlds - to pull a fifth wheel but not give up the height. That's one of the great things about driving a 4WD. Anybody installed one of these "lowering" kits? What's involved, what are the results, and is it something that can be undone once it's done?

I found happycampers.net. MUCH better than happycamper.com. Thanks, Brutus.

foote

dlamastr:
Be careful when you choose a short bed for fifth wheel. A lot of them don't have enough room to make a turn without hitting the back of your cab. That is w/ the plate set just in front of the axle. I just raised my Shadow Cruiser up to match my truck ( short box), because I didn't want the truck lower. Take a look at Shadow Cruisers web site. good luck

jhinman1

Lots of good info at this site! Thanks to all who write. So much conflicting information about the V10 5-speed 3.73 LS issue, though. I have been relying on the Ford web site for configuation info, but I'll hit my dealer in Boise about it and see what he says....

jim2

Foote:

Can you provide the web address of Shadow Cruisers. I tried shadowcruisers.com but it didn't work. Thanks.

philw1

I have a friend who has the same truck as I do (99 F-250 4X4 SC LB) only a diesel. He just had the lowering kit put in and they gave him back the parts they took out so he could reverse it. They remove the riser block and install different shocks, U bolts, brake lines, and swaybar linkage. Parked our trucks side by side put the tailgate down and there was about 5" difference in height. His was too low for me, looked like it was lower in the back than the front.

pworange

Just a word on paint colors. I ordered a "Bright Amber" truck. My wife and I saw one on the lot and really liked it. The other day I saw a two tone Bright Amber and prairie tan. It was one sharp looking truck!!!!

foote

jim2
The address is shadowcruiser.com I think you had it right, just no "s". I pulled it up under that address to check. Worked fine. Good Luck.
foote

rsm

If I get the leather captain's chairs option on the Lariat, does it come with the large center fold down armrest/storage compartment that comes with the 40/20/40 leather bench seats?

I haven't seen the 250/350 with the captain's chairs, but I saw Expeditions with the leather chairs and the armrest/compartment was small. Is it the same setup on the Superduties?

stanford

Nope. It comes with a seperate floor standing center console. Note that the SD is a significantly wider vehicle than the Expedition.

wandrr

Does anyone have advanced intelligence on the colors that Ford will offer for next year's Super Duty trucks? The current selection leaves a lot to be desired.

stanford

Next year? That's going to be in another 12 months you know. They have made some changes -- do you have the old brochure or the new one (new is wider than it is tall and combines the LD and SD lines into one book).

wandrr

I guess I have the old one. It covers only the SD series. The dealer tells me the color choices are different for the two lines. I suppose I am looking at the start of the next model year (early 1999), even though the year designations are becoming pretty indistinct with the 99's being sold almost as far back as 1997!

Based on the delivery times from the other F-250 conference, I am probably going to end up with a next model year truck when I place my order soon. I just wanted to see if there were any indications of color selection changes for the next model year (2000??)

stanford

Huh? You think it will take 12 months for your truck to come in? Mine is taking about 6 weeks.

wandrr

No, definitely not 12 months, but I am expecting a bit more than six weeks, since I have not yet ordered it. Shouldn't be 12 months though. :-) Seems to me the timings in the update done by checksix are more towards 13 weeks (a quarter year), so I think I have the option of waiting until the 2000 models come out, whenever that is. The "new model year" should start eventually, and I would expect Ford to change the paint choices. All I want to know is if some of the folks in this conference (who seem to be pretty well informed and well spoken) have any insider info about possible new color choices. This might influence my decision to buy a camouflage green or fireball amber SD now, or wait until I have a different choice.

Sure hope I don't have to wait 12 months - I'd place the order now, probably for the woodland (camouflage) green.

mharde2

a friend of mine is thinking about getting the SD250 4x4 Automatic PSD and was wondering about the need for the 4.10 rear-end vs. the 3.73. It would be used for both solo and trailer towing in and around the Colorado rockies. Any feedback?

foote

mharde2,
I have the 4x4 psd w/ auto and 3.73 rear. Pulling a 26 foot 5th wheel camper ( which is a smaller one) you hardly notice it is there, power wise. I would say that for general use and trailers not real heavy the 3.73 are the way to go.
foote

PTomforde

I've had my 1999 F-250 4x4 extnd. cab w/ powerstroke for about three months and have 4500mi.logged. My first diesel. I live in CO. @7800'I have been very happy with the fit and finish and overall appearance. I have had no problems except one which I am happy to see has not been mentioned by others. The problem is with the ''shift on the fly'' 4x4 engagement from 2 whl drv. It quite working for no reason right after the purchase. The dealer said the motor that controls this operation was burned out and replaced it. He said he had never had one do this on older models and none reported on the 99's. OK, this was a hassle to drive 2hrs over the pass and then have it diagnosed and the part not in and have to drive back over and have it fixed. Fluke,right? No, because now after two mo. and not ever using 4wd except to check that it was fixed, it has quite working again when I needed it w/o warning. Living were I do it is essential I have 4wd 8mo out of the year and that it works. This isn't what I exspected based on past Fords I've owned. I hope this can be fixed and stay fixed. What is really disconcerting is that I haven't even used the 4wd yet. Even if this is fixed how long is this going to stay working with constant use later this year? Any advice or ideas would be appreciated. Flip T.

cabinets

Has anyone ordered the 6.8L V-10 with the bi-fuel option? Regular gas in one tank and propane in the other with EFI to handle both fuels would be nice. It is mentioned in the old '98 Ford truck brochure but dealers here in the Northwest seem to know little about it. I would like to know the MSRLP of the option and any City/Hwy mileage figures. The 8.0 Dodge V-10 is listed at 13City/22Hwy but a Ford dealer with whom I spoke indicated that there are no City/Hwy mileage listings on the window sticker of his F-250's. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

checksix

Has anyone actually disconnected he system?
I dont care about Ford's warqanty, the DOT, etc,

Brutus

In my 92, the rear brakes weren't exactly along for the ride. When I had to break hard enough to lock the front brakes, you could feel the rear brakes occasionally clunking. The clunking occurs when the rear brakes hit the point of locking up. They adjust so they provide maximum braking power without locking up, so they were certainly contributing to the stopping power, and likely more than the front brakes since the front brakes were skidding. While the front brakes were skidding, the rear brakes were controlling the rear end and continuing to brake the rear end.

I've driven in snow and rain country quite a bit. I'm very use to tapping the brakes on icy and wet services to maximize the braking efficiency. The purpose of tapping the brakes is to reduce lock-up, decrease braking distance and stay in control of the vehicle. The ABS is suppose to eliminate the need to tap the brakes. The hardest part about adjusting to ABS is that you have to fight the urge to tap the brakes, especially when the backend starts the clunking sounds as the ABS is controlling the stop. It almost feels like you are breaking traction when the ABS clicks in, so your natural tendency is to release and reengage (tap) the brakes. This totally counteracts the efficiency of the ABS. When stopping with ABS, you have to step on the brakes and hold them down until you stop.

For me, the verdict is still out on whether or not I like the ABS. I am very use to tapping the brakes, and quite good at it. I suspect the four wheel ABS is the answer, since that would prevent the front end from locking up also. I didn't feel like plopping out the extra cash since I had no problems with the 2 wheel ABS in my last truck.

cdean

driving with ABS is so easy to me. mash the brakes and let the computer do the work. You stop quickly. I don't know what I'm missing here, or why it is an issue. Checksix, it sounds to me like your ABS wasn't working. When you brake hard enough to lock up wheels, you should feel the brake pedal vibrating. that's the computer adding and releasing pressure quickly. if the front brakes were locking up and rears weren't doing anything, your breaks weren't working right. Maybe it was just design characteristic of that particular truck. something sounds fishy to me, though.

checksix

Thanks for the input
I didn't mention that everything works fine
without a trailer hooked up. I can use the "trailer brakes only" and stop on a dime.
My concern is that the front brakes lock up at all.
haven't tried it with the new truck.
am still wondering if the trucking industry
knows something we don't.
maybe I just don't like the idea of a gadget
doing my thinking for me--especially if the
gov'rnment mandated it.

We have had anti-skid systems in aircraft brakes for 40 years. The ogigional concept was to release
brakes when the wheels stopped rotating. This
was designed for after landing rollout on icy
runways. The purpose was not to stop the airplane
better, but to prevent a tire blowout should
you hit dry pavement with the brakes locked.
Later improvements allowed you to brake on a dry runway to get the maximum coefficient of braking,
and release the brakes just short of skidding
the tires.
I didn't like it at first ,but learned to trust
it.

KCRam

checksix,

My Ram 3500 does the same thing all the time, and it doesn't have4 to be wet to induce the "intersection slide-thru" either. All you need is some washboard pavement. Your tech is right, your ABS is working correctly, and that will happen. What is occurring is, the unloaded rear end allows the rear wheels to actually leave the ground (just a fraction of an inch, but that's all that is needed). The ABS sensor detects this and presto, ABS kicks in to keep you rolling (in this instance, something you didn't want to do).

Guys in my Dodge Ram club usually disconnect the fuse that powers the system; this allows easy reinstatement of the ABS when you do need it.

Your Super Duty is supposed to compensate for this with that new proprtioning setup (as is the new Chevy/GMC), but until you try it, you really won't know for sure