Does anyone know if ford will ever offer different color interiors for the lariet? I own 2k lariet dark torr red 5.4 lt eng.truck has been 12k miles and running great. I just wish ford would offer a darker color interior.
I just got a used 2000 F250 sdcc and am having back problems. I'm sure it doesn't help that I am 5'4" tall. They definitly do not make these trucks for small women. Does anyone else dislike the seats as much as I do?
I'm only 5'5" and my seats seem great.. I have the 40/20/40, but I think the captains chairs are the same basic seat.. The driver has a lumbar support knob you can adjust as well.
i have a 2000 sd sc with the v-10 and only 7,300 miles on it i use only 87 octane as the price of gas is so high anyway. i have a little problem every now and then with my truck when i first start it up in the morning it kind of sputters not a smooth start up, it feels like it's going to stall out, even when i put it into gear it sputters untill i give it some gas then it fine. has anyone else had this problem?? plus any 2001 lariat owners out there with the new heated seats any comments on them as to how there working and if there worth it. plus is there just 1 setting on them or 2? as it's getting cold out here in the boston area my dads jeep has heated seats and they work great. thanks for any help that you may offer.
I have a 2000 SD SC with V10. Built in early May. I've had the same problem you describe regarding the sputter. It's only happened 2 or 3 times in 4000 miles and only at first start of day. I live in Florida, so it can't be attributed to cool weather since it's happened with the outside temp above 80 degrees. It seems to clear up when I give it a little gas so I haven't given it much thought.
It's been a while since I've had anything to say, but I've been monitoring. I saw where there is now an investigation into the Steeltex tires that come as OEM equipment on our trucks. Two questions: 1) Anyone having problems with them? 2) Anyone know where I can find info on this beside the Firestone site? I don't expect that site to be exactly unbiased and cutting edge on a possible recall/investigation.
FYI: My 00 4x4 CC with V10, auto and 3.73 gave me 14.7 mpg on a 300 mile road trip the other day. Cool weather, no a/c, windows up, average speed about 60 with one hour @ 75-80. Flat country here in Georgia. That's as good as my old 94 F150 4x4 w/5.0 auto gave me. Thanks for any help on the tire issue.
PS- I had the stumble one morning. I eased up my driveway with a cold engine. When I got on it and then immediately off and right back on it, it darn near died. Like it had an old manual choke that was not opened. When it caught, it hasn't done it since (15,000 miles later). I suspect I addled it's little brain with the footwork and a cold engine.
NHTSA Opens Probe into another Firestone Tire Brand WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 160 complaints about another Firestone brand of tires reportedly involved in accidents in which two people died and a dozen were injured.
"The majority of the complaints occurred at highway speeds and allege a blowout, tread separation or other major failure," NHTSA said in its investigation report about the Steeltex R4S and A/T light truck tires.
The tires are original equipment on Ford F250 and F350 pickups, the Ford Excursion, General Motors' Suburban and G Van, a commercial vehicle.
A spokesman for Ford, Mike Vaughn, said the tires are used on all 75,760 Excursions and 40 percent of the F-series trucks and Econoline vans. Vaughn said Ford is cooperating with NHTSA's investigation.
Similar reports led Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. to issue a recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires last month. Those tires, standard equipment on the Ford Explorer, have been linked to 101 U.S. traffic deaths and more than 400 injuries.
Bridgestone/Firestone officials say they still have not determined the cause of the problems but have focused their investigation on manufacturing shortcomings at its plant in Decatur, Ill.
The R4S is a mud and snow tire and the A/T is an all-terrain tire with an aggressive tread. Both models are available in 15-, 16- and 16.5-inch sizes.
NHTSA had no estimate of how many of the tires have been produced. Bridgestone/Firestone did not respond to repeated requests for a total figure.
Bridgestone/Firestone officials appeared caught off guard by Friday's announcement. They later issued a statement stressing the investigation "is not a finding of a defect but rather is a process to determine the facts surrounding complaints that have been filed with NHTSA."
Spokeswoman Anitra Budd said the company "will continue to have a policy of being open and responsive" to NHTSA.
NHTSA, the agency in charge of auto safety, has seen a surge in tire complaints since the Firestone recall was announced.
"Obviously, there's certainly a heightened sense of awareness about tire problems, and we've seen an increase of complaints across the board," said an NHTSA official who did not want to be identified. "However, this increase is much more significant than we've gotten with any other brand."
NHTSA's investigation report showed a total of 169 complaints involving the Firestone tires since Jan. 1, 1998, with all but two occurring in the last two months.
GM spokesman Greg Martin said his company had received "no reports or any information that suggests any problems with these tires."
"We monitor the performance of our tires, and we haven't seen any indication of a problem," he said.
Ford received harsh criticism after the Firestone recall was announced because it acknowledged ordering its own recall of the same tires in 16 other countries after receiving reports of problems. The foreign recalls began more than a year before the U.S. recall, but Ford never alerted NHTSA.
Bridgestone/Firestone has been criticized for not ordering a recall sooner, even though the company's data on claims for injuries and property damage indicated problems with the tires at least as early as 1997.
NHTSA also has been faulted for not being more vigilant in its oversight of the companies.
NHTSA opens any investigation with a preliminary inquiry in which it gathers information from the manufacturer. The investigation can continue to an engineering analysis, where government engineers examine the product. That is the stage of NHTSA's investigation into the ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires. An investigation eventually can lead to a recall.
Bridgestone/Firestone voluntarily recalled the 6.5 million tires but balked at NHTSA's request to add another 1.4 million more tires. NHTSA issued a consumer advisory for those tires on Sept. 1, saying they had a high failure rate and could pose a safety problem.
I have a y2k F350 with the r4s's on it and last night I hit a road cone, you know one thats made of heavy plastic, orange with the white reflective tape at the top. Anyway, I hit one laying on it's side an the square base popped up and snapped the valve stem just enough to lose air. Totally a freak accident! Well I drove to a parking lot to change it, easiest tire change I have ever done outside of the barn!!! Ford did a GREAT job with the lowering crank and everything! I only have 1800 miles on this truck and had 13000 on the old one with R4S's with no tire problems.
goodwin ... I've about the same setup you have ... bought 12/99 ... have 14,200 miles on it and have had the problem you mention happen twice ... once about 6 months ago and again last week. It was startling when it happened, but I just stepped on the gas a little and it went away. I don't normally use the gas pedal when I start the truck ... I let the electronics handle that. Guess I won't worry now after seeing all the folks with the same minor problem. I run the 87 octane also cause the book says to.
mac24 ... thanks for the heads-up on the R4S tires .... I have them and the only problems I've had is they seem to be nail magnets. Have had three nails in tires in 9 months.
Glad to see the discussion on this concerning topic. I just checked the PSI on my new F-350 with the Steeltex AT's and noticed all four at only 50 PSI while the rated cold pressure shows 80 PSI. Wasn't there some concern with the original problem tires (Wilderness?) because Ford recommended a lower pressure on the Explorers to improve the ride? I have boosted it up to 65 PSI. Anybody have any recommendations of what it should be?
everyone thanks for your input at least i'm not the only one who has this problem. ill let it go, if it happens time and time again then ill bring it in to the shop.
regarding the tire issue i have the 265/75 tires and not noticed any problems with them i run about 70-75 psi in mine.
I was one of those people who put in the complaint to the NTSB about the Steeltex tires. I didn't think much about last year when the tread peeled away, but when this news of the Firestone tire recalled came up, I figured I better let somebody other than just Firestone know. My tires were on a '96 Suburban 3/4 ton(which I eventually traded for the F-250). We were towing a 30' TT in June and we were in Springfield, MO. I had the tires filled to their max inflation which I checked just a couple of days earlier. We were probably going about 70 mph when there was a thumping noise (I've never heard before, but now I know is either a bubble in the tire or the tread about to separate.) Checked it out but didn't see anything, so we kept going. About 2 miles down the road the tread came off damaging the passenger side quarter panel, the exhast pipe and the catalytic converter. We had about 50K on those treads. Two months later, we were on that same stretch of hwy in Springfield (we live in Tulsa about 3 hours away), and we started to get the thumping noise again. This time we pulled off and there was a bubble in the tread. Firestone gave me a prorated discount on some new tires. I found it stange that the recall of these tires were also '96 tires. Seems to me some lack of QC in 95-96. Anybody know where these tires are made? Are they the same location as the recalled tires? General tires came with the F-250, but our Excursion has the Steeltex tires on them.
About 5 posts up I stated that I had have no problems with the R4S's. Well, a freind who just bought a 2001 F350 had 3 come apart on him. He has 2500 miles on the truck,driving around 50mph the tires were at 65-75 psi, the temps at the time were around 65 deg. He lost 2 rear and the drivers front. His truck is now in a San Antonio body shop waiting to see if Ford is going to fix the old truck or give him a new one. The shop estimate is for $14,000. Not a typo. Every body panel on it was hit by slapping tread. Talk about a bad morning.
I have a y2k v-10 that starts as if i have my foot on the gas. It jumps to life and then immediately returns to idle. Does anyone else have this reaction? I don't feel comfortable pulling an 8500 lb travel trailer with the steeltex tires after reading the news.
Thanks for the feedback on the Steeltex. If they get recalled, I'm on it. I had a number of broken belts on some Goodyear OEM grade tires on some company cars back about 15 years ago. They went bad, one after another. Anyway, I can't get in the truck now without eyeing the tires. Stay tuned.
Yep, my V10 fires up like my foot is on the gas and immediately settles down to an idle. Always has (15,000 miles in 8 months-2000 F-250)
Looking at other makes for possible replacements of SteelTex Tires. Was leaning towards GoodYears Wrangler-GSA's, I had them on my suburban and they were holding there own to the time I sold it. I see the guy is still running them, must have a few miles on them by now, I had 35,000 before I sold it. The downside of this size tire is there expensive to replace with an E rating. The Gsa's go for $176 a peice. I'm open to other tire suggestions.
I'm glad you mentioned your v-10's over-exuberant start up. I was beginning to think mine was an oddball. Every time I start mine up in the morning it scares the bejesus out of me with it's enthusiasm to get going!
Not to bore anyone, I just wanted to let some steam off. The posting I sent out close to 3 weeks ago looking for TSB's on the saga of my trucks problem is continuing. My truck has been at the service dept. since Sept. 13th. They have done everything Ford has recommended, and it has not corrected the shifting and service engine problem. Now I am told they are going to install a new computer in the truck. I am at witts end and have had everything documented through Ford customer service to possibly begin the process for a new replacement vehicle under the lemon law. I know this is an isolated case of the thousands of SD's produced, but instead of me winning the lottery, I got this. But I was told there is one other simular case, that still has not been resolved. Again, please forgive my venting.
P.S. My truck used to start up as if injected with nitros oxide on occasion and then sputter.
my 2000 ford v-10 also has the fast startup then settles back down, from what i've been told is that there using a smaller faster starter. i did check under my truck and yes it's the smallest starter i've ever seen in a truck my size maybe thats what it is?? then again who knows.
We need to hear the horror stories along with the cheering .... sorry to hear you are having to go through this. I bought a Volvo 740 car in 1986 that was a horror story ... had it one year ... it was in the garage for new fuel computer, ignition computer, etc., etc. for a total of 6 weeks until finally I had to start screaming like a crazy man in their new car show room with customers at hand. They immediately bought the car back for a fair price. Keep us informed and I hope I don't see your login change to 'formerchevy&ford'.
Well like you all know, when you order the white lettered tires in 265's for your SD, you get a black walled spare. I complained to the dealer, ford everyone from salesman to the owner of dealership. One day after I reported them to the better business bureau, the co-owner finds my email I had sent him and the owner from 11/20/00. Saying they did some research and now they are offering to replace my spare tire with a white lettered tire for $100 plus tax. Now get this, I just got off the phone with a firestone dealer and he's willing to swap it out for $10.00. I guess this is a plus point for this Firestone Store in my book. Saturday will be the end of this saga.
Has the dealer put in a new mass air flow sensor (MAF)? The dealer had to emerengcy order a MAF sensor because they were on back order. The problem affects starting, idling and results in hard shifting / abrupt gear changes. It took them approx. 15 mim. to find the problem and 4 weeks to get del. of the new MAF sensor. Once it arrived it took another 15 mim to install. It is sensitive to contamination / corrosion on some of the units built. It was replaced at approx. 6000 miles and has sence run with out a miss or a stumble or abrupt shift. The truck is a 2000 F250 cc sb 4x4 V10 w/3.73.
THANKS FOR THE INFO, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE ORIGINAL SYMPTOMS WERE DUE TO A PORE SPLICE POINT IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THAT IN TURN SHORTED OUT SOMETHING IN THE PCM. IT TOOK THE SERVICE DEPT. 2 WEEKS AFTER FINDING THE SHORT TO GET FORD TO SYSTEMATICALLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE ROOT, THE COMPUTER.(I TOLD THEM TO JUST CHANGE IT OUT FROM THE BEGINNING). YESTERDAY THE NEW COMPUTER WAS INSTALLED AND PROGRAMMED, THEY DROVE IT FOR MORE THAN 40 MILES, AND COLD STARTED THIS MORNING. I HOPE TO HAVE IT BACK BY TONIGHT. AMUSINGLY, I RECEIVED THE FORD EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN THAT I COULD BUY IN THE MAIL YESTERDAY. I CAN'T WAIT TO CALL THEM AND ASK FOR IT COMPLEMENTARY AFTER ALL OF THE INCONVENIENCE I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH ONLY 5K MILES.
My 2k f250 5.4lt eng with 12.400 miles has been great so far,but now with the colder weather moving into the n.east I've noticed that when i start my engine in the morning im hearing a loud squeel coming from the motor, this has been happening every morning now, i thought it may have been the fan belt at first but it now sounds like something rattling inside the front part of the motor...the noise goes away after about 20 minutes of running when the eng gets hot..has anyone else expierenced the same kind of problem? thx for your help.
I've got the same engine, and I also live in the North East... I began noticing that same sound about 3 weeks ago. It sounded like a fan belt to me too, but I am going to have the dealer look at it to make sure.
I have a 2K v10 and heard this 'belt noise' as I drove to my mechanic(ex Ford head mechanic). He said that as the truck sits overnight and gets some moisture on the belt pulleys that a thin layer of rust builds up. And the noise is due to that and goes away when the rust wears off. Now this is a very serious old man, I don't know if he was blowing smoke or not!! Since I have my fleet business with his shop, I wouldn't think he would but who knows! It is interesting that several of us with 2k's are hearing the same thing in the cold.
Same problem here, 5.4L. Sounds like a rattle/tick in the motor.I don't believe it has anything to do with belts. Gone in 20 min. after engine heats up. Funny thing is, I got my truck last November, and it didn't do that all last winter. Just started a couple of weeks ago. I'm in the northeast, and I'm just about to turn 10K.
I had my friend listen to the engine today, he believes its probably a broken berring, either from the alternator or pullies..Im ruling out anything to do with the fan belt..I'll be making my first appointment with my dealer tues. thx.
Piston slap info from www.f150online.com includes a pointer to a zip file of the sound in a 4.6L on Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page (select "F-150 Garage Tech" and then "Piston Slap Sound" to download the zip file, then unzip it using winzip or similar and listen).
Well, this morning I'm a mile from my house doing about 40mph, and one of our full grown fine furry friends makes the mad dash out of the woods to follow the chicken.
I locked up the tires (left front slid on the pain t lines) but was only down to about 20mph when I felt the thud resonate through the frame..
I pulled over to inspect the damage..
The deer was either thrown or stumbled about 10 feet off to the side of the road and didn't make it any farther..
I was almost afraid to look at the front of the SD. Amazingly enough, virtually no damage at all.. There's a slight dent just above the right tow hook where the plastic/metal meet. It wasn't pushed back, down, or toward the wheel at all. Most folks wouldn't even notice it.. Measuring the height of the dent and comparing it to a normal car, the deer would have made contact with the grille/hood.
Be careful out there.
I've heard rumors that the front bumpers on the SD's were really weak, but in this case it seemed to hold up well. I bet had it primarly hit farther to the right it might have pushed the bumper back some, but because the main hit was near the frame
So I went to the F-150 Websight and listened to the 4.6 with piston slap. Sounds like what I'm hearing in my 5.4. This is not good news!! Now they say the problem was fixed in the 4.6, and that no 2k's are affected. What about the 5.4? Do the 2k's get the SLAP? Where's the best info on SD 5.4L and piston slap?
f150 onlines engine section covers the 5.4L as well. The 5.4Ls were fixed prior to Y2K as well. First thing to try is to change the oil filter. Maybe you got a filter with a bad anti-drainback seal.. Otherwise, let your dealer have a listen..
Hey formoerchevy look for the air flow sensor at the entry to the throttle body. I did not see the replacement work at the dealer but I can see where the wires are hooked into.
I'll try the oil filter. You know now that I think of it, it started right after I changed the oil last. I did use a motorcraft "S" filter though. Looking at my engine tag, turns out my motor was made in 10/99 even though truck is 2k. Make a difference?
Its my understanding (from here and f150 online) that any engine made I think after 4/99 has the the pistons that meet the tolerances. Again, I understand that its Ford diag's that explained that the problem was because some piston manufactured at a particular location were sometimes out of spec.
Here's an aftermarket fix (can you believe it ends up coming from there instead of ford?) if all else fails from the factory, from a testimony of this new shift flare fix kit at ford-diesel.com:
"Hi all monty here with the lates test on the shift flare kit, all i can say is "JUST DO IT" YOU WON'T BELEVE IT.. "(he goes on into installation procedures)
"..REMOVE THAT BIG SMILE FROM YOUR FACE.!! We have just finished the final test for the shift flare valve kit. It was tested in a stock Ford F350 no computer chips, no modified exhaust, and a new transmission ( with a very bad shift flare.) Truck was driven for about a week, and approximately 1,000 miles, transmission shifts have been spot on every time. With no hesitations or flare. Weather towing a trailer or empty shifts are consistant.The lock up shift with this new kit is unbelievable, very positive every time. Fuel milage was increased 1 mile per gal. over previous milage, this would be due to the positive shifts and no lag time."
-- this kit's available from http://www.riley-enterprises.com/ it's not on the web page but there's a toll free # you can call (he's on vacation right now, but he says he still checks and returns messages)
my trucks at the dealer right now and if it still has the problem, i'm gonna go with this (hopefully i won't have to)..
I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK BACK FOR A WEEK AND A HALF NOW. ALL IS FINE AND BACK TO NORMAL. THE END RESULT WAS A DEFECTIVE PROCESSOR. FORD ENGINEER CAME TO DEALER FOR INSTALLATION AND PROGRAMMING OF THE NEW PROCESSOR, AND ALL IS FINE. THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP. SD 250 4 X 4 CC LARIAT AUTO, LS 3.73 V10
Hello All I have a SD 350 with the stock plastic box rails on it. I have had a cap (canopy) put on the truck and had an ongoing problem with leaks coming in between the plastic box rails and the bottom of the canopy. They used the foam tape when they put the canopy on the truck, and we have been back several times now for them to try resealing it. They are now claiming that it has to do with the ridges in the plastic box rails. I have trouble seeing this because the ridges run lengthwise. I'm sure there must be lots of you with canopies on your SD trucks, so I wanted to see if anyone else has this problem, or more important, if you DON't have a problem so I can go back to the canopy manufacturer.
Oneshot - I have an ARE MX cap on my 00 350 CC LB. No problems, no leaks. Great cap. What brand did you get?
Steeltex - In reading the horror stories on Ford-Diesel I went and got some BFG AT KOs. Not worth the risk in my book to keep running the Steeltex. Saving the Steeltex in the barn for the possible recall. WHopefully it will work out because I wanted some more aggressive tread anyway. Had just under 8000 miles with no problems - but one never knows. We feel much better cruising down the road now a days.
It's a "Range Rider" from a B.C. (Canada) distributor. They have been accommodating so far, but I'd like some "ammo" for my next visit. Thanks for the response.
I put a cheap aluminum work topper on mine since I also carry a slide-in camper and am constantly changing configuration. Just a thought, but on mine I've got three or four pieces of sealing tape in front in order to compensate for the box height difference there. If yours isn't set up that way water would be pouring in the front, unless your manufacturer compensated for it. Thought I'd mention it, could be an easy fix.
I have a box liner that brings the front to about the same level as the rail caps. They have also tried several layers of the tape to no avail. Some of the leaks have been at the front, but the worst one was actually on the side. They even went to 6 clamps instead of 4. Thanks for the input. This should be a "no brainer." I've never had a leak on any of my former trucks in this area, but they didn't have the rail caps. I think I see a replacement canopy in my future....
Oneshot I have the Pace-Edwards rolltop cover on my F250. Under the cover I have the stock plastic rail covers on the bed. My cover leaked until I took those rails off and siliconed them back down. water was coming in between the bed and rails as I was driving down the road. Hope this helps.
I just started having trouble yesterday. Sounds like the same problem formerchevy had. I'm taking it in today with a copy of your postings to maybe help with the problem. I also had a 97 F350 Diesel and went thru three tranny's in a few weeks, one (new one)lasted two hours. They found the routing of the coolings lines restricted the flow to the out-put shaft and it was getting hot and seizing up. Just flat stripped the shaft. I unloaded it after they fixed it. Took a beating though. Now this one is acting up at 43K. It acts like it wants to shift and then doesn't. I have a hard time getting it to go into reverse and the "OFF" like blinks on the OD. I have a MaxRPM chip in it. I removed it just in case it was causing the problem but it still exists. By the way, MaxRPM chip adds 100HP and I forget how much torque. A go getter. Anyone else having tranny problems, lets hear it. I'll keep you posted if I find out anything. Bowhunter in IN.
adds 100hp and alot of torque? I think the PSD in stock form was putting out enough torque to meet the documented limit of the 4r100. So by adding alot of torque/hp wouldn't you be going over the 'documented' limit of the 4r100? I'm sure the tranny folks have some buffer built into the numbers, but I'm wondering if your hi performance mods aren't contributing to the demise of your tranny?
Im looking to install some PIAA fog lights in my truck,can anyone tell is it difficult removing the hooks from the truck, i believe thats about the best location i can find ..thx
Comments
The driver has a lumbar support knob you can adjust as well.
It's been a while since I've had anything to say, but I've been monitoring. I saw where there is now an investigation into the Steeltex tires that come as OEM equipment on our trucks. Two questions:
1) Anyone having problems with them?
2) Anyone know where I can find info on this beside the Firestone site? I don't expect that site to be exactly unbiased and cutting edge on a possible recall/investigation.
FYI: My 00 4x4 CC with V10, auto and 3.73 gave me 14.7 mpg on a 300 mile road trip the other day. Cool weather, no a/c, windows up, average speed about 60 with one hour @ 75-80. Flat country here in Georgia. That's as good as my old 94 F150 4x4 w/5.0 auto gave me. Thanks for any help on the tire issue.
PS- I had the stumble one morning. I eased up my driveway with a cold engine. When I got on it and then immediately off and right back on it, it darn near died. Like it had an old manual choke that was not opened. When it caught, it hasn't done it since (15,000 miles later). I suspect I addled it's little brain with the footwork and a cold engine.
NHTSA Opens Probe into another Firestone Tire Brand
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 160 complaints about another Firestone brand of tires reportedly involved in accidents in which two people died and a dozen were injured.
"The majority of the complaints occurred at highway speeds and allege a blowout, tread separation or other major failure," NHTSA said in its investigation report about the Steeltex R4S and A/T light truck tires.
The tires are original equipment on Ford F250 and F350 pickups, the Ford Excursion, General Motors' Suburban and G Van, a commercial vehicle.
A spokesman for Ford, Mike Vaughn, said the tires are used on all 75,760 Excursions and 40 percent of the F-series trucks and Econoline vans. Vaughn said Ford is cooperating with NHTSA's investigation.
Similar reports led Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. to issue a recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires last month. Those tires, standard equipment on the Ford Explorer, have been linked to 101 U.S. traffic deaths and more than 400 injuries.
Bridgestone/Firestone officials say they still have not determined the cause of the problems but have focused their investigation on manufacturing shortcomings at its plant in Decatur, Ill.
The R4S is a mud and snow tire and the A/T is an all-terrain tire with an aggressive tread. Both models are available in 15-, 16- and 16.5-inch sizes.
NHTSA had no estimate of how many of the tires have been produced. Bridgestone/Firestone did not respond to repeated requests for a total figure.
Bridgestone/Firestone officials appeared caught off guard by Friday's announcement. They later issued a statement stressing the investigation "is not a finding of a defect but rather is a process to determine the facts surrounding complaints that have been filed with NHTSA."
Spokeswoman Anitra Budd said the company "will continue to have a policy of being open and responsive" to NHTSA.
NHTSA, the agency in charge of auto safety, has seen a surge in tire complaints since the Firestone recall was announced.
"Obviously, there's certainly a heightened sense of awareness about tire problems, and we've seen an increase of complaints across the board," said an NHTSA official who did not want to be identified. "However, this increase is much more significant than we've gotten with any other brand."
NHTSA's investigation report showed a total of 169 complaints involving the Firestone tires since Jan. 1, 1998, with all but two occurring in the last two months.
GM spokesman Greg Martin said his company had received "no reports or any information that suggests any problems with these tires."
"We monitor the performance of our tires, and we haven't seen any indication of a problem," he said.
Ford received harsh criticism after the Firestone recall was announced because it acknowledged ordering its own recall of the same tires in 16 other countries after receiving reports of problems. The foreign recalls began more than a year before the U.S. recall, but Ford never alerted NHTSA.
Bridgestone/Firestone has been criticized for not ordering a recall sooner, even though the company's data on claims for injuries and property damage indicated problems with the tires at least as early as 1997.
NHTSA also has been faulted for not being more vigilant in its oversight of the companies.
NHTSA opens any investigation with a preliminary inquiry in which it gathers information from the manufacturer. The investigation can continue to an engineering analysis, where government engineers examine the product. That is the stage of NHTSA's investigation into the ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires. An investigation eventually can lead to a recall.
Bridgestone/Firestone voluntarily recalled the 6.5 million tires but balked at NHTSA's request to add another 1.4 million more tires. NHTSA issued a consumer advisory for those tires on Sept. 1, saying they had a high failure rate and could pose a safety problem.
___
On the Net:
Bridgestone/Firestone: http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com
Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov
mac24 ... thanks for the heads-up on the R4S tires .... I have them and the only problems I've had is they seem to be nail magnets. Have had three nails in tires in 9 months.
regarding the tire issue i have the 265/75 tires and not noticed any problems with them i run about 70-75 psi in mine.
Two months later, we were on that same stretch of hwy in Springfield (we live in Tulsa about 3 hours away), and we started to get the thumping noise again. This time we pulled off and there was a bubble in the tread. Firestone gave me a prorated discount on some new tires.
I found it stange that the recall of these tires were also '96 tires. Seems to me some lack of QC in 95-96. Anybody know where these tires are made? Are they the same location as the recalled tires? General tires came with the F-250, but our Excursion has the Steeltex tires on them.
Yep, my V10 fires up like my foot is on the gas and immediately settles down to an idle. Always has (15,000 miles in 8 months-2000 F-250)
were holding there own to the time I sold it. I see the guy is still running them, must have a few miles on them by now, I had 35,000 before I sold it. The downside of this size tire is there expensive to replace with an E rating. The Gsa's go for $176 a peice. I'm open to other tire suggestions.
I know this is an isolated case of the thousands of SD's produced, but instead of me winning the lottery, I got this. But I was told there is one other simular case, that still has not been resolved.
Again, please forgive my venting.
P.S. My truck used to start up as if injected with nitros oxide on occasion and then sputter.
2000 sd v10 cc lariat sb 4x4
good luck
EEE
AMUSINGLY, I RECEIVED THE FORD EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN THAT I COULD BUY IN THE MAIL YESTERDAY. I CAN'T WAIT TO CALL THEM AND ASK FOR IT COMPLEMENTARY AFTER ALL OF THE INCONVENIENCE I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH ONLY 5K MILES.
THANKS ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INFO.
P.S. WHERE IS THE MAF LOCATED, JUST IN CASE?
He said that as the truck sits overnight and gets some moisture on the belt pulleys that a thin layer of rust builds up. And the noise is due to that and goes away when the rust wears off. Now this is a very serious old man, I don't know if he was blowing smoke or not!!
Since I have my fleet business with his shop, I wouldn't think he would but who knows!
It is interesting that several of us with 2k's are hearing the same thing in the cold.
I locked up the tires (left front slid on the pain t lines) but was only down to about 20mph when I felt the thud resonate through the frame..
I pulled over to inspect the damage..
The deer was either thrown or stumbled about 10 feet off to the side of the road and didn't make it any farther..
I was almost afraid to look at the front of the SD.
Amazingly enough, virtually no damage at all.. There's a slight dent just above the right tow hook where the plastic/metal meet. It wasn't pushed back, down, or toward the wheel at all. Most folks wouldn't even notice it.. Measuring the height of the dent and comparing it to a normal car, the deer would have made contact with the grille/hood.
Be careful out there.
I've heard rumors that the front bumpers on the SD's were really weak, but in this case it seemed to hold up well. I bet had it primarly hit farther to the right it might have pushed the bumper back some, but because the main hit was near the frame
up coming from there instead of ford?) if all else
fails from the factory, from a testimony of this
new shift flare fix kit at ford-diesel.com:
"Hi all monty here with the lates test on the
shift flare kit, all i can say is "JUST DO IT" YOU
WON'T BELEVE IT.. "(he goes on into installation
procedures)
"..REMOVE THAT BIG SMILE FROM YOUR FACE.!!
We have just finished the final test for the shift
flare valve kit. It was tested in a stock Ford
F350 no computer chips, no modified exhaust, and a
new transmission ( with a very bad shift flare.)
Truck was driven for about a week, and
approximately 1,000 miles, transmission shifts
have been spot on every time. With no hesitations
or flare. Weather towing a trailer or empty shifts
are consistant.The lock up shift with this new kit
is unbelievable, very positive every time. Fuel
milage was increased 1 mile per gal. over previous
milage, this would be due to the positive shifts
and no lag time."
-- this kit's available from http://www.riley-enterprises.com/ it's not on the
web page but there's a toll free # you can call
(he's on vacation right now, but he says he
still checks and returns messages)
my trucks at the dealer right now and if it still
has the problem, i'm gonna go with this (hopefully
i won't have to)..
THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP.
SD 250 4 X 4 CC LARIAT AUTO, LS 3.73 V10
I have a SD 350 with the stock plastic box rails on it. I have had a cap (canopy) put on the truck and had an ongoing problem with leaks coming in between the plastic box rails and the bottom of the canopy. They used the foam tape when they put the canopy on the truck, and we have been back several times now for them to try resealing it. They are now claiming that it has to do with the ridges in the plastic box rails. I have trouble seeing this because the ridges run lengthwise. I'm sure there must be lots of you with canopies on your SD trucks, so I wanted to see if anyone else has this problem, or more important, if you DON't have a problem so I can go back to the canopy manufacturer.
Steeltex - In reading the horror stories on Ford-Diesel I went and got some BFG AT KOs. Not worth the risk in my book to keep running the Steeltex. Saving the Steeltex in the barn for the possible recall. WHopefully it will work out because I wanted some more aggressive tread anyway. Had just under 8000 miles with no problems - but one never knows. We feel much better cruising down the road now a days.
I have the Pace-Edwards rolltop cover on my F250. Under the cover I have the stock plastic rail covers on the bed. My cover leaked until I took those rails off and siliconed them back down. water was coming in between the bed and rails as I was driving down the road.
Hope this helps.
I also had a 97 F350 Diesel and went thru three tranny's in a few weeks, one (new one)lasted two hours. They found the routing of the coolings lines restricted the flow to the out-put shaft and it was getting hot and seizing up. Just flat stripped the shaft. I unloaded it after they fixed it. Took a beating though.
Now this one is acting up at 43K. It acts like it wants to shift and then doesn't. I have a hard time getting it to go into reverse and the "OFF" like blinks on the OD.
I have a MaxRPM chip in it. I removed it just in case it was causing the problem but it still exists. By the way, MaxRPM chip adds 100HP and I forget how much torque. A go getter.
Anyone else having tranny problems, lets hear it. I'll keep you posted if I find out anything.
Bowhunter in IN.
So by adding alot of torque/hp wouldn't you be going over the 'documented' limit of the 4r100? I'm sure the tranny folks have some buffer built into the numbers, but I'm wondering if your hi performance mods aren't contributing to the demise of your tranny?
Also, a 100hp gain seems to good to be true..