Ford F-250 Owners

llegg

Thanks so much to everyone who shared their experiences with me; it has really helped in picking out a truck!

mullins87

snowjump

Power chips..anytime you add performance you lose longevity. Also they WILL shorten your torque converter life. $2500 trans HD upgrade will help. If money isnt a problem, the more power the better. Mild chips will improve your mileage and towing ease w/o too much loss of life.
  Dont buy a F-250/350 crew w/o the diesel. 1 performance 2 resale!! short mileage V10 ok. The 7.3 is proven, good luck to the 03 04 6.0 guys, till they get the bugs out. If you are unlucky enough to enjoy a 7.3 repair bill open your wallet its going to hurt.
  I recommend a long box for towing any 5th wheel.
  Bring on the Duramaxs and the Cummins, they'll never be #1..
This is my 3rd diesel, 84 F250 328,000, 94 F250 211,000, 2002 F250 crew 65,000. still own them all.
good luck with your super D you'll love it!!!

snowjump

Although the 7.3 is a Navistar/International Engine. It carries the patented Caterpillar unit injector system. HEUI

Love my unit injectors

Miss my ol pump

mullins87

And dang those things are expensive to replace!!! What oil do you recommend? Around here, Rotella is priced about the same as everything else.

jf067

I have an '04 250 SD, 6.0L Diesel Automatic. Just the other day it got pretty warm around here and as I moved the thermostat all the way to the cold position for the first time, I noticed that my vent was throwing chilled air. My switch was set in the 1 o'clock position which is a split between the floor and chest level, but not anywhere near the A/C label at 7 o'clock. It was not near Defrost either. When I popped the hood, I noticed that the A/C unit was kicking in and out, just as if you were using the A/C? Anyone had this problem? As usual the dealer has no clue.(Can't imagine the amt. of fuel I must have been wasting all winter long)

mullins87

The compressor will run when the selector is in that position. I can't believe the dealer didn't even have a clue!?!?! Geez, find a new dealer. What's gonna happen when you have a real problem? Don't worry about that "extra fuel." I have never been able to establish a fuel mileage difference between A/C on and A/C off. And believe me, I keep very detailed records. That engine is sooo strong that the A/C compressor doesn't even affect it.

trykerboy

I'm considering using Amsoil on my f250 Powerstroke Deisel. Any suggestions about what weight I should be using?

hdrider

Trying to find a good oil filter for the 6.0L. I was considering the Amsoil but can't find anything that designates the part number for the engine. Does anyone have that? Are there any other recommended oil filters out there? Thanks in advance! -Dave

mullins87

I use the recommended 15w-40 year 'round. The manual says to use 10w-30 below something like 30 degrees, but since I keep mine in the garage and plugged in during the winter, I don't need it. I am using Rotella-T and change every 5k. If you're thinking about going with the Amsoil, I'm assuming for extended change intervals, I'd still use the 15w-40 since it should flow better at colder temps.

Dave, got your email just now. I use the Motorcraft filter, part no. 1995. Just under $10 here at WallyWorld. Since I don't do extended changes and always change the filter, I don't see any reason to buy the more expensive filters. Also, I have a Jeepin' buddy that works in a paper factory. He produces the paper used in air and oil filters. We got into a long discussion one day about oil filters. He told me that his company does extensive testing of all the various filters that their paper is used in. He told me the Motorcraft oil filter performs well in both a single pass test and a multi-pass test. He didn't comment on the Amsoil filter, so I don't know anything about their performance.

hdrider

Jim, thanks for the info! I had just heard good things about Amsoil, and was not necessarily looking to extend the oil change period. I honestly don't even know what they cost since I can't find anything to cross-reference the owner's manual with the Amsoil part number. If the Motorcraft works great, I can handle the $10. I already use Rotella and have been pleased with it. Plus it's easy to find. Thanks again Jim! -Dave

jf067

Jim, thanks for the info on the A/C compressor. Only after the dealer had my truck for a day, did they figure out that the comp is supposed to run when the outside air temp is above 42 degrees. I wish they picked a higher temp! I have another question that I'm hoping you can answer; After the truck has reached normal operating temp, if I back up into a parking space, then go to pull out, there is a distinct "snapping" noise from under the truck. I can produce the noise easily once the truck is warm by backing up, then putting it in drive and lightly accelerating forward. It seems to be a lot less noticeable when cold. It's not u-joints, because you can hear too much slack in the noise, not just the quick clank that they're known for. It seems like something is making almost a whole revolution and then hitting. The truck has already begun moving when you hear it. Best I can place the sound, is in the area of my tranny or T.C.? I have the '04 6.0 PSD w/automatic. Any thoughts? Thanks-

mullins87

Oh man, I haven't a clue. Maybe Walt or someone with personal experience will chime in.

wpalkowski

Long shot. Could it be the brake pads shifting in the calipers as you go from reverse to forward?

jf067

Maybe? But doesn’t that usually occur when you are on the brake pedal for the first time in the opposite direction, and the rotor is pulling the pads in the other direction? This noise happens as you begin to accelerate. If you could imagine something "winding tight" as you back up, then releasing and hitting with a “slap” as you move forward again? I know that's kind of vague, but it's the only way I can describe it. Of course the dealer can't find anything wrong (but they never can). I'm afraid it's something within the transmission or transfer case. The automatic transmission is a new design I'm told? Maybe it's a bug in the design? I'm just guessing. Thanks to you guys for your time anyway.

mullins87

Hey, just a thought. Is there any place where you could back up a hill? Then you could place the tranny in neutral and let it roll forward for some distance. I believe that would isolate the noise to either the tranny or other rotating hardware in the drivetrain/chassis. If it still does it, I'd say Walt could very well be onto something. However, if it doesn't make the noise, then the tranny could be the prime suspect.

alvarez

I have been reading the posting in the site. I have learned a great deal about the Ford Powerstroke engine.

I recently purchased an '04 F250 SD, Lariat Extended Cab, 4WD Off Road, SB. I am very happy with my new truck. I am also glad to have found this board. I did very detailed research about this vehicle and the competition. In my research, I learned that current diesel fuel will change to what is called a "low sulfur" diesel in the near future. My question is whether I will have to do any modifications in my engine in order to use that type of fuel. I imagine that the change will be gradual, but I am interested in knowing. I will greatly appreciate any comments.

If I do not reply immediately, it is because I had to step away. Thanks.

Manny

Kirstie_H

Ford will offer the new TowCommand System in '05 F-Series Super Duty pickups:
http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosconsumer/0406/09/g03-177987.htm

What do you think about this safety feature?

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

lutey

We're looking at a '94 F-250 4x4 with 102k miles on it - have had good reviews through family on a '93, just want to know if much changed between those years and if this is the right truck to tow a 7000lb trailer? Or should I hold out for a newer model (they're not getting any cheaper)?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

hdrider

I posted back at #44 about looking for nerf bars. We ended up going with WAAG wheel-to-wheel, frame-mounted black bars. We LOVE them! They have a bit of flex in them when I stand on them but they bounce right back up. We got them for about $350, mounted, at a local shop. Great bars for anyone interested!

Now it's on to a bedliner... torn between the smoothness of Line-X and the strength and durability of Speedliner...

ljohnson

I purchased my first diesel engine truck, an 04 F250 6.0L last Dec. At 3800 miles, it started accelerating spontaneously. These episodes last about a second. Sometimes the truck will do it once or twice, sometimes many times in a row. Most of the time it will recover and then run well, and sometimes it will falter and stall. It starts right up again after stalling and then runs fine until the next episode, which may be a few seconds or a few days. It has happened when the truck was first started up while still in Park, and at every speed going down the road. It is especially disturbing when it happens at a traffic light, as the truck will leap forward a couple feet. Its like riding a bucking bronco! When the truck isn't doing this acceleration thing, it runs great. But therein lies the problem in getting it corrected, because of course it hasn't done it for the dealership when I take it in to be repaired. They found the injection pressure regulator out of range one time when I took it in, and the truck didn't do it for a month after that was replaced. I felt that we had this problem behind us until it started doing it again a week ago. The diesel mechanic at the dealership is at a loss. He has reprogrammed the PCM, TCM, and FICM, but that hasn't made a difference. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this and know what to do about it? I'd really prefer to get the truck fixed rather than go through the lemon law process.

harperchad

I understand you fellas are the gurus on F-250's which is exactly what I'm after. Let me explain my situation. I'm a sales rep for a paint company. My territory covers 4 large, rural counties and occasionally driving a couple of hours to large cities to job sites. I live 25 miles away from the closest store in my territory. I need a fullsize truck that can handle the distance, driving through construction sites, and occasionally hauling some serious weight. On the whole, it'll mostly be driven empty. That being said, I'm very seriously looking at buying a used F-250. I would love to have a Lariat trim but I can live with XLT. I'd love to have Crew Cab but Extended Cab will be fine. Doesn't have to be 4WD but that too would be nice. I want the diesel engine for its durability and fuel economy. Also, I only have to pay for gas on my personal trips, the company reimburses me for any travel that is work related. So, that being said, any insight from you guys would be great. I'm in no hurry to buy as there are only two in my family right now and my two door Frontier is fine but when that babies start coming, I'll need something with a little more room and that will be at least 9 months away.

tbalon

current on-road diesel is low sulfur at about 350-ppm compared to off-road fuel at 3,000-ppm sulfur. on-road fuel drops to 15-ppm around June 2006, typically called ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). Most major transit bus fleets have been using ULSD for about a year with no issues. ULSD does require additional lubricity additives to make up for the lost sulfur lubricity but the fuel providers appear to have it under control. Your engine will not need any adjustments.

wpalkowski

Sounds like the diesel engine would be the way to go. Diesels run best when driven a lot. Diesel would definitely help you out as far as mileage goes,and motor can easily last 300K miles before it needs an overhaul. 7.8L Powerstroke engine was in trucks through '02 - very strong and reliable - not very many bugs - Cam position sensor (CPS) can fail without warning (though infrequently) and could leave you stuck. Some trucks had a problem with #8 fuel injector resulting in a problem called the "cackle" - you can actually hear it - sounds noisy even for a diesel. Watch out for the early '03 6.0L diesels, they had some birthing problems with it when it first came out - fixed most of the flaws in 2nd half of '03.

  Diesels have a few maintenance issues to be cognizant of: 16 qt oil changes & expensive oil filters; need fresh fuel - water, algae, another contaminants are a showstopper. Carry a spare fuel filter, and learn how to drain water separator. Need to add anti-cavitation additive to coolant on 7.8L. Need to add fuel additives to prevent gelling in cold weather. Some consider this work, others a labor of love.

  One other note. Diesel motor is very heavy - some 600 lbs heavier than a gas motor. This eats into your available payload capacity. Surprisingly the "legal payload" of an F250 with a diesel is relatively small. Available payload could be as low as only 1200 lbs for some truck configurations. If you think you're gonna need upwards of 3000 lbs, look into stepping up to an F-350.

   If you're planning on carrying your future family with you, the crew cab is the way to go. The inside of crew is immense - I think it's got more interior volume than a Town Car (but don't know that for a fact.) Definitely go with a Crew if you're gonna have a baby seat in the back. Lifting a baby carrier out of the back of an extended cab can be a test of upper body strength. Trying to maneuver it out through the half-sized back doors will not win you any prizes for gracefulness either. The full sized back doors of crew cab make traveling with infants much easier. Also considering all of the extra stuff you need to carry when traveling with a baby, it makes having a full back seat a real plus. Besides, most normal-sized adults will hate you if they have to ride in the back of an extended cab for any length of time.
   How much stuff do you have to haul? I prefer having an 8 foot bed, but many folks differ. Eight foot bed gets you a 39 gallon fuel tank, short bed I think is only 26. A Long Bed, Crew Cab truck ends up being almost 22 feet long. It doesn't fir int he average garage. You get used to driving and parking it fairly quickly, but you usually can't park it at a meter on a city street. It's also too long for a standard parking space at a shopping mall, so you end of parking in the boonies. Also forget about 3-point turns, they usually turn into at least 5 or 6 point turns.
  Whatever, you decide, you'll find the Superduty a tough, dependable ride.

ryrysride

Hi I just bought a 99 f-250 with a 7.3 psd. I have a 6" lift with 35" mud-terrain tires, a 80hp power chip w/pyrometer and boost gauge and aftermarket hi-flow exhaust. I was wondering were to go from here I have a turbo charged sports car and I put a blow-off valve on it and its great I would like to put one on my truck but I can't find anyone who has done this or anyone who has one for sale. Maybe there is a reason why noone puts blow-off valves on the trucks. Is this a good idea or should I try something else. Thanks Ryan

wpalkowski

Nitrous! ;-)

glpil

I'm considering buying a 2000 F-250 Lariat w/auto transmission and the powerstroke diesel. Is there any problems with this year anyone is aware of. The truck appears to be in excellent shape, except that it has 131,000 miles on it. Should I be concerned with this high mileage on the engine? The truck will be driven daily to and from work, approximately 85 miles. Thanks for any advice.

wpalkowski

130K, the truck still has plenty of life in it. Have you got a mechanic you could take it to to have it fully checked over?

As far as issues: Ball joints are probably getting tired if they haven't been replaced already. Don't think front ends in '00 had Zerk fittings for lube. Could put those in. At ~100K, truck should have had tranny flushed, and fluid in rear differential changed as well. If not, then do it. I believe that since 00, Ford upgraded the transmission cooling - (was truck used for towing?)

Diesel is probably good for another 175K miles. Motor will probably outlast the body and rest of the drivetrain. Though it wouldn't hurt to change coolant and set proper levels of anti-cavitation additive. Forgetting if '00 had problems with loose Turbo bolts - if it did these probably have been remedied by now - but it wouldn't to check them.

  Hopefully Jim Mullins can chime in here with the stuff I've overlooked.

glpil

That's good to know, thanks for the info.

mullins87

Walt pretty well covered everything. However I'll elaborate a little on one issue. Is this truck a 2wd or 4wd? The 4wd's are bad about the ball joints. 2wd's, in my experience and listening to others with them, don't seem to have this problem.

The mileage is NO PROBLEM for this age truck. I have a '99 with over 150k on it. Aside from a nagging little skip at idle, caused by bad fuel and not Ford's fault, I've had no problems at all. Overall I love this truck and would recommend one to anyone with a need for one.

glpil

I appreciate the input from you guys. The truck was a 4wd. I say was because being the procrastinator that I am, it sold before I did anything! I do agree about these things being great trucks after having driven this one. Oh Well... there will be others! Again thanks.

jes

I just purchased an 04 Lariat F250 with nearly every option available. It suffered hood and roof hail damage in the recent storm in Denver, so the price was right. It's my first diesel and I love it. I tow a 25ft travel trailer about 5K miles per year with frequent mountain pass crossings and average 18K per year total mileage of mostly high altitude driving. The dealer wants to sell me extended warranty coverage to 100K for $1,700. Do you think it would be a good investment?

wpalkowski

Congrats on your new truck! Diesel power train is already warrantied to 100K miles by Ford. So the real hideously expensive repairs are already covered. Also Bumper to Bumper warranty goes 3yrs/36K.
  So is $1700 to cover the rest of the truck for a few more years worth it to you? To me, it's not.

mullins87

Walt: Is the entire drivetrain covered to 100k? Or is it only the engine? The gassers do not have this 100k warranty, do they? They share all the same drivetrain parts with the Powerstroke. I'm pretty certain the factory 100k mile warranty only covers the engine itself, and nothing else. If I'm wrong, please correct me. But I do agree that the extended warranty is not worth it. In my opinion that is.

wpalkowski

Ooops, my mistake. I thought the whole powertrain was covered. Only engine is covered 5yr./100k miles.
Still wouldn't spend $1700 though.

mullins87

you could work a deal with the dealership where they throw the warranty in free or at a significantly reduced price. My wife bought a Windstar last year. The dealer wouldn't come down to meet our price, so she proposed that they throw in an extended warranty. Since the warranty would have cost her about $1,800, I figure they probably are charged less than half of that, she actually came out ahead by bargaining on the warranty instead of arguing over that last $1,200. Turns out she made a good choice as the power locks are acting up, the engine has a very distinct "knock" on startup and the ABS light came on.

dewars

I think it's time to replace the shocks on my 01 F-250.
  What brand of shocks have you guys been happy with?
  I pull a 3 horse trailor quite often. Thanks for your help.

dewars

mrjjgittes

I've been seeing some unbelivable deals on f150s in the paper lately. "9 grand off every f150 supercab", and the like. However, I am really interested in an f250 supercab, 4x4, w/ the powerstroke. I've seen stickers at $40k for an xlt f250 supercab 4x4, which I'd love. Anybody have any opinions on what a good ultimate price would be on one of these? Or is hoping for a geat deal on a diesel just too much?

homebrew

Bought my F-250 4X4 Diesel SLT Sport at end of June for $6000 off the sticker. I ended up financing it with my own bank. Was shopping around for a long time. The 2004 inventories are getting low, unless you want a white or red truck. (Why is it they make so many white, red or black trucks when they have some pretty colors? I got Shadow Gray).

Have driven over 3000 long distance miles and am very happy so far. Put the 4WD to the test on jeep trails in CO and it climbs like a goat...a big wide, long goat on those narrow trails.

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jdkb2004

Need a truck that will tow a 14,000 lb 5th wheel in the mountains. Looking at a great deal on a F-250 diesel. Does anyone have information that would help me make a good decision? Or do you think the F-350 would be better? Any advice will be appreciated.

wpalkowski

Is this the empty weight of the fiver from the manufacturer's brochures, or is this the weight of loaded rig, complete with water, and waste in the tanks? Regardless, this rig is way too big for an F-250.

   You don't say what type of F250 you want - Short Bed, Long Bed, Regular, Extended or Crew Cab? 4x2 or 4x4? Manual or auto transmission? What's the axle ratio? It all has effects on towing capacity.

  The F250 has a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 8800 lbs. As you put options on the truck it subtracts from the rating. A short bed regular cab, 4x2 diesel F250 has a payload of ~2,495 lbs. A long bed, crew cab, 4x4 diesel only has 1100 pounds of available payload capacity. A fiver puts about 20% of its weight on the pin. With your fiver, you have 2800 lbs right there - you've overloaded all F250s.
This is before you've even filled up the fuel tank, loaded passengers, coolers, and misc. stuff into the truck.

   The GVCWR (gross combined weight) of truck and trailer for F-250 is about 20K pounds. F250 w/ Diesel can easily weigh 7000 lbs plus. So your combined weight of the two vehicles wouldn't be too far over. But you'd still be in trouble with the weight on the back of your truck.
   The F250 truck with the diesel can pull this weight without breaking a sweat. The problem is controlling this much mass reliably in all traffic situations. You may be fine tooling town the highway at 60 mph, but try panic stopping with the 14000+ lbs behind you. Even with properly set up trailer brakes things can get away from you pretty quickly. Having truck overloaded also makes it much more difficult to control oscillations caused by cross winds, or getting passed by tractor trailers, etc. Sudden lane changes or panic stops can be real scary.
   My recommendation: if the 5ver weighs 14K lbs unloaded. Do not use the F-250. Are you willing to risk your's and your family's lives over a "good deal." Also, note if you have an accident - your insurance company can leave you hanging out to dry if it is proved that you were overloaded and towing unsafely.

 Look at an F-450. It can pull a 5ver up to 18K pounds, and will give you a sufficient margin of safety.

rtucker

I need your advice on my next truck. I will be towing a 5th wheel unloaded weight of 10,440. Thinking about an F250 Diesel Automatic. Need information on 6.0 and 7.3. Also which rear end will be better?

wpalkowski

rtucker,
  See my previous post about F-250 payload capacity. Your 5ver can easily be over 12K lbs wet. F-350 will be better for you to be "legal" on payload.
  7.3L Powerstroke is a great engine. Ford had a while to work out all of the bugs. 2000 through 2002 were all "relatively" trouble free. Will barely know your 5ver is back there.
  6.0L Diesel was new for 2003. Had a lot of birthing pains. Engine either ran almost flawlessly, or put it's new owner through the wringer with all sorts of maddening problems. Halfway thru '03 Ford did a redesign on the engine, changed injectors, programming, turbo, etc. and solved most shortcomings. However they couldn't fix some of the problems on the early engines in a timely fashion so they ended up buyingt a bunch of these trucks back from their owners under the Lemon Laws. (Unfortunately, some of them are being resold now for really cheap prices, so be careful.) A good 6.0 however, will leave a good 7.3L in the dust. Another Plus for 6.0L; it comes with redesigned automatic transmission - can handle more torque, and has superior cooling than one that's attached to the 7.3L.
     Single rear wheel diesels only come with 3.73:1 axle ratio. Diesel Dooleys come with choice of 3.73 or 4:10:1 ratios. Higher number gives your more torque and power. Also engine revs a little bit higher at a given speed, and may get a little less mileage. Dooley gives more stability towing a big load.

tulirox

I bought the new 2004 6 Liter Diesel...WOW! This truck has all the power of a race car! I test drove it and squeeled the tires..this is a Diesel? I couldn't believe it, next thing I knew I was going 100+ mph! Not what you would expect from a Diesel. I will never own anything less!

tulirox

BUY THE 6.0! I BOUGHT THE 2004 6.0 AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW HAS THE 7.3.
I HAVE SO MUCH MORE POWER WITH THE 6.0 AND HE EVEN HAD A POWER CHIP PUT IN HIS 7.3 AND HE STILL CAN'T TOUCH THE POWER I HAVE. I PULL HORSE TRAILERS, BOATS AND ANYTHING ELSE I CAN HOOK ON TO.
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE 6.0!

71maverick

i pick up my new f-250 4x2 crew cab, diesel tomorrow. a friend says his dad put the banks system and a chip system in his and brought it up to an estimated 700hp. his dad also is a partner in an auto shop. does any of these mods void the warranty. does this hp seem high. it does to me but i don't know much about diesels. not looking to hop it up but he says he really improved the gas mileage when towing.

alexander77

A 1990 F250, after a long haul with a 8'6" camper, on the return trip the vehicle started to use excessive gas, any help out there?
Alex

beige_tony

I have a 1999 F250 Super Duty Super Cab with the V10 engine and towing package. I purchased the truck brand new and have put over 135,000 (mostly commuter) miles on it. Towing use has been light, usually a 5,000 lb bobcat/trailer. At the 100,000 mile check up, the dealer noted that the tranny fluid looked "burnt - probably the result of heavy towing". Recently hooked up a 7,900 lb fifth wheel and lost all forward gears. The dealer is replacing the OEM transmission with a brand new tranny. I usually run the the truck with the overdrive "on" and am wondering if this is a contributor the the failure of the trans?

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