Jepsonfam, didn't know if you knew that Mexico (I suspect you have the spelling far more correct that I would get was online.
Sounds like dealer allocation in your case for the delay. I ordered in mid-December and my truck is scheduled for next week (I've had the VIN for a few weeks now). It's a KTP truck.
Will your dealer give you an idea of how many of your configuration are ordered ahead of you? Might have to go to fleet/sales/inventory manager to find out (the regular sales reps probably have no idea). If your priority is higher than 10 (ie, >10) will they bump you up?
damn! missing a lot of interesting posts here! more on that shortly. our beast now has 1200 miles on it & we love it! a little noisy but it ought to quiet down a little as it continues to break in. mileage is around 15-16 mpg in city... 18 or so out on the hwy. this should improve somewhat with time as well. we're 'fixin for our 1st big tow in a couple of weeks. hope the problem mentioned below is corrected by then.
okay. couldn't post to this site because I'm deleting dialup access in favor of a dsl connect (most of you will be doing this as well in the coming years due to it's many advantages). for some reason Edmund's server is not responding to our router & thus... no access to this site! I've sent a message to Edmund's in regard to the problem (have no problems with any other url's so something is broke at their server). we're deleting the dialup internet access (PPP protocol) in favor of dsl (which is always connected) so won't have further access here until the problem is corrected. please note our email address on our profile if you have a specific discussion at this time... will return when the problem is corrected. -Lee
I've been averaging around 10-11 mpg in city with my 00 F250 SD CC V8 4X4 4.10LS. This is with the manual hubs locked in 100% of the time and shifting into 4x4 when needed. Truck also idles 5-10 minutes in the morning when it drops below zero. I've taken a few road trips (with hubs locked) and gotten 15-16 mpg. I can't wait to see what my mpg will be once I can unlock those hubs.
Also, just got my Ford duffle bag and letter thanking me for me for my patience in waiting for my order. Not a bad freebie but I was a little surprised as I've had my truck almost two months and received it after only a nine week wait!
I'm not sure there is too much of a difference with 4wd locked in, maybe 1/2 mpg. Surprisingly, the idling has more of a negative impact on the mpg, maybe as much as 1+mpg, depending on how long you idle.
I think the allocation issue is all relative. My dealer reportedly has the largest allocation in the state. Wouldn't know it from my case. As of approx 1 month ago there were about 30 SD trucks ahead of mine and 8 or 9 were quite similar configuration (F350, v10, auto, cc, lariat, 4x4, clearcoat red, ++). Shortly after I learned this info I was informed about that their allocation was being increased and they should get about 2 a week of my config. Reportedly my order was given to Ford in the group of 30-40 next on the dealer's list as requested by Ford. They also informed me about the duffel bags which I posted here (and I still wait for it to show up). I was at the dealer yesterday and saw a couple being prepped for delivery so there may be some truthfulness to what they last told me. I have asked my salesman the same questions you posed but no definitive direct answers - orders in and they'll pull it soon. I really look forward to filling out the customer survey form.
Saw the post on Ford-Diesel about the chap who got one at Lonestar Ford in Texas for $500 over in very short order. My situation is one without a ton of leverage or I'd very seriously consider a road trip. If I get any more BS I may just blow it off. I'm not going to be doing unconditional endorsements for them. The dealer can sell mine (ordered at invoice) for considerably more so they could care less if I walked despite their public image concern for my well being and satisfaction. It's really still the money issue that drives it all. But I've been waiting since Halloween (I was prepared for the reputed 8-12 weeks) and I don't need it so I can hold out a bit longer. I do want it to show up soon and I am expecting a VIN and build date any day now. I'd love to visit KTP and see it built, but I know that is quite a long shot. Unless the arrangements are made in the nanosecond following notification of VIN, it is usually too late (from what I've read).
Just took delivery of my 2k 350 SC dullie 4x4... ahead of schedule! It does fit through a 7' high garage, clearance lights and all. Just make sure the door is all the way up.
Lewac-We'll look forward to your return! Was wondering where you'd been...other than driving your new truck.
Went to my dealer today to get a definition of indefinite. It was one of those days when all the salesmen were sitting around so we chatted for some time. They said they had all been discussing the meaning of "indefinite" just before I arrived. The sales manager showed me a fax that he says they get every week from Ford telling dealers what they are allowed to order. It said "Boston Region Commodities Information" on it and didn't look to be specifically directed at any one dealer so I am assuming it was region wide. I am sure we were looking at the page that referred to super duty trucks. Just below the top it said (among other percentage listings that I can't remember) 100% diesel, 100% manual, 100% pickups (meaning no chassis cabs), 0% V-10, 0% auto, 0% two-tone paint(why this I am not sure)...He said that in Maine the Excursions are not that popular, but in other parts of the country they are being snapped up so the V-10's are being put in those as they are the highest profit vehicle for Ford.
They also told me something I found really interesting. They thought all of this had something to do with CAFE which stands for Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency. I guess Ford, and all other auto companies, have to report to the government every year the average fuel efficiency of the entire stock of vehicles (i.e motors) they sell in that year. I am not sure if it is broken down into categories (whether Ford Fiesta's are averaged in with Super Duties and Excursions). However, the manager said that he is sure this has a large part to do with their cutback in V-10 production, although, he said, Ford would never tell them that. Ford is probably reaching it's yearly CAFE limit and is limiting where those lower mpg engines are going. They said that Ch*vy has taken another option by calling all of their newly ordered trucks 2001 models. They are the same trucks, but since they too are reaching or have reached their efficiency quota they have decided to start in on the next year instead of cutting back on truck deliveries. I found all of this pretty interesting. It makes sense to me. It seems it's not just direct demand that is slowing things up. The manager said he has seen 0% V-10 listed before and has seen a V-10 come scheduled on the same week so he said it isn't entirely exact. He also said that 0% V-10 didn't stay listed on the weekly fax for too long the last time. So this may explain to some of the waiters what is going on. Allocation is still in the equation so these are all components that add up to an awfully LONG wait for a truck these days! Sorry for the long post, just thought you'd like to know.
Cut the deal on 12/27 (price-hike day, which added about $170) $500 over invoice, order placed with Ford 1/03. Just called and I'm serialized! I'm assuming the scheduled date should show up fairly soon now. Hoping to check in with dealership Monday and confirm order specs and get VIN so I know where its going to be built. Can hardly wait. 00 F350 Lariat SC 158" PSD 6spd 4WD ESOF Tow and camper pkgs, hitch and TT mirrors. Harvest gold. Yahoo!!
well, wasn't off the site very long. the "backbone" (Covad) serving our dsl isp fixed the "problem" (they were already aware of it).
and if you've got dsl available in your area & just a tad of networking expertise (we run winNT 4.0)... it's certainly worth a look as scrolling to the next page of posts for example, only takes a couple of SECONDS! the backbone will even install the required stuff to your present OS (Operating System) but it will cost a little... but worth it if you lack the expertise (as dsl s/u does require a little knowledge in regard to what is happening behind-the-scenes).
back to "trucking". so the v10's are scarce. and we DO NOT recommend switching to the psd if you do not really need what the extra noise level provides. because they ARE noisy! we're looking over at ford-diesel.com for some "quieting" advice as several posts over there relate to it.
still haven't got anything "extra" installed on the truck. next Thur/Fri we get the bed liner sprayed, hitch rails, mud flaps, electric brake. we've got 1200 miles on the truck & am anxious to get the "fiver" under tow. still need the 100 gal across-the-bed fuel tank & then we'll be pretty well set for the long haul.
and Maincowgirl... you're right! too busy just driving this thing just about everywhere... even when we ought to be taking our automobile, we take the beast instead! oh. don't worry too much about your post length (look at some of mine & your last one still looks pretty short).
for those of you considering pulling a fiver we discovered something else. removing the tailgate is a "snap". so we won't be installing one of those "v" notch fiver tailgates. we'll simply remove our stock one completely & just leave it home while "tripping" out.
I'm kind of surprised that so many American vehicles still have the red combo brake/turn signals. (Even worse are the ones that have two red tailights, only one of which gets brighter for brake / turn). Why haven't the "big 3" switched to international yellow turn signals on everything? They certainly are more visible.
My cap will have highmount yellow turns and red brakes when it gets installed. I'm using the signal for the high mount brake light to turn on the brake lights (it will stay solid when the rear lights would normally blink for a turn), and the front turn signals to turn on the signals. This isn't too complicated - just make sure that you use relays and don't just tap into the same wire - from what I can interpret bodyfitter's manual, the computer uses load on each circut to check for problems and you would confuse it by putting extra lamps in. The hard part will be in fabricating the taillight lenses. The entire assy is fused together into one large piece of wrap-around plastic. I can't help you there.
It is entirely possible for Ford to set artificial limits on engine options due to CAFE. Two years ago, Chevy stopped offering anything more than the base engine in the 1/2 ton pickups about 6 weeks before end of model year due to the CAFE requirements. 1 ton trucks aren't affected by CAFE, but if they've cut down production of the big motors at the plant, it could delay them.
It used to be the law (per my dad,ex-cop) that all cars could show only red lights to the rear except when in reverse. He didnot know when tis was changed.
When I took my new at the time 95 F150 to New Zealand I got around the amber turn signal but did have to have brake lights that stayed on when the turn signal was on. Factory dual element bulbs don't work this way. I went to a Kiwi junkyard, got a few turn signal sockets, and drilled a couple holes in the plastic taillight bezel to mount them in. Wired them to my third light circuit, passed inspection with flying colors.
When I took my new at the time 95 F150 to New Zealand I got around the amber turn signal but did have to have brake lights that stayed on when the turn signal was on. Factory dual element bulbs don't work this way. I went to a Kiwi junkyard, got a few turn signal sockets, and drilled a couple holes in the plastic taillight bezel to mount them in. Wired them to my third light circuit, passed inspection with flying colors.
my wife would like to know if the new super duty is equipped with the attachments for the new child car seat requirements. anybody know? 00/350/4x4/cc/sb/psd
I would venture to say that Longhair has a EASY and viable solution. Purchase a canopy (cap) and install your required amber lights in it. I bet having RED and AMBER lights flashing will definitely get peoples attention. Good Luck!!!!!
When I was still shopping for my truck, a salesman at a local dealership told me that the reason that V10's are hard to get is not because they are going to excursion's, but because Ford was nearing it's "gas-guzzler" limit imposed by the Fed's. I was told this back in early December, and it seems to fit the CAFE story pretty well.
The different color #8 injector is apparently part of Ford's attempt to fix the infamous "fuel cackle" problem that's getting talked about on the Ford-Diesel website. From what I have read, the cackle (which sounds like something knocking inside your engine) is thought to be caused by either fuel starvation or late detonation in the #8 cylinder. Ford has apparently put into production a new injector for the #8 cylinder (which is a different color [Red] so you know it's one of the "new" injectors). According to a thread I just read on Ford-Diesel, Ford may also be preparing to reflash the computers in our rigs to go along with the new injectors.
Check out this link on Ford-Diesel to read about fuel cackle:
So far, I have not heard the dreaded cackle sound in my new rig, but I've only done about 250 miles since picking it up on friday, so I am keeping my ears open.
On another subject, since taking delivery of my truck on friday, I have installed a Deflecta-Shield bug shield, as well as Husky moulded mud flaps. Took about two hours to install both the shield and all four flaps. The Deflecta-Shield box said it was for the 99 model year, but the kid at the parts store insisted that it would fit the 2000 F250. He was right. It fits great, and I really like the look. I also really like the clean look of the Husky mud flaps. They come pre-moulded to fit the contour of the turck, and were a snap to install.
My dealer mentioned that it had this, during the truck walkthru when picking it up.. I don't think the extra strap comes with the truck, but is available for free from Ford if you ask for it..
Thanks for the suggestions on the tailights. Typically, American cars here in the UK convert the backup lights to turnsignals. (My Early Bronco is that way..) The UK has no requirements for backuplights, so you go out and buy amber stickers to place over the clear backup light portion of the lens, do a little rewiring, and you are done. Some of the aftermarket outfits are selling clear tailight lenses. If I can find one for a SD, that'll be my preferred way of getting the job done. Also, the UK requires a rear facing foglight that will only come on when the headlights are on. I'll be looking into the extra detent in the headlight switch for the rear foglight switch, and will put the actual light itself in the receiver hitch opening.
I got my hands on a page of my dealer's truck order sheet today when my salesman faxed me an update on my truck. There were 36 trucks on order for this place since 10/13. Mine was second oldest at 10/19 (2000,CC,250,V10,auto,4x4,SB). 16 were CC with 11 of the 16 DRW,5 SRW; 20 other configurations.
Here's what I think I see (if this is a good order sample). Std and SC schedule quickest and ship fastest. Duallys schedule next with 4x2s faster than 4x4s. CCs schedule slowest with 4x2s ahead of 4x4s. All seem to be batched by type and date.
It makes sense since the vast majority of trucks are Std. or SC. Duallys are more common than CC SDs. 4x2 and 4x4s of all type build in that order. This sheet schedule compares similarly to dates posted by others in this forum(with their truck type) for the last couple of months.
Conclusion: The regular std. cabs and SC get pushed to the front of the line to make room for more of the same type coming along at a greater rate than do the CCs and duallys. Makes sense to me.
Max Turnover rate X margin = max profit. Ford is showing a huge profit, so they must be doing it right.
So...we knew we had to wait and I think this helps explain why. Scheduling was only aggravated by the holiday shutdown,etc. If it's true, there's a spasm of CC's about to be squeezed out in the next 2-3 weeks.
Mine's supposed to build the week of 2/7 but have had no change in status since 1/13. I think we're waiting on enough to "batch" a group through the plant.
I haven't had time to decode by engine type to see if there's a difference. I'll try to look at that.
BTW: My salesman told me that the VIN# wasn't available, but all 36 of them are right on this sheet. Nice guy, but clueless, I'm afraid. I'd be totally frustrated without this forum. Thank you all.
Which letter in the VIN shows the engine type? Anyone know where I can find a secret decoder ring?
Comments
Sounds like dealer allocation in your case for the delay. I ordered in mid-December and my truck is scheduled for next week (I've had the VIN for a few weeks now). It's a KTP truck.
Will your dealer give you an idea of how many of your configuration are ordered ahead of you? Might have to go to fleet/sales/inventory manager to find out (the regular sales reps probably have no idea). If your priority is higher than 10 (ie,
>10) will they bump you up?
okay. couldn't post to this site because I'm deleting dialup access in favor of a dsl connect (most of you will be doing this as well in the coming years due to it's many advantages). for some reason Edmund's server is not responding to our router & thus... no access to this site! I've sent a message to Edmund's in regard to the problem (have no problems with any other url's so something is broke at their server). we're deleting the dialup internet access (PPP protocol) in favor of dsl (which is always connected) so won't have further access here until the problem is corrected. please note our email address on our profile if you have a specific discussion at this time... will return when the problem is corrected. -Lee
Also, just got my Ford duffle bag and letter thanking me for me for my patience in waiting for my order. Not a bad freebie but I was a little surprised as I've had my truck almost two months and received it after only a nine week wait!
Saw the post on Ford-Diesel about the chap who got one at Lonestar Ford in Texas for $500 over in very short order. My situation is one without a ton of leverage or I'd very seriously consider a road trip. If I get any more BS I may just blow it off. I'm not going to be doing unconditional endorsements for them. The dealer can sell mine (ordered at invoice) for considerably more so they could care less if I walked despite their public image concern for my well being and satisfaction. It's really still the money issue that drives it all. But I've been waiting since Halloween (I was prepared for the reputed 8-12 weeks) and I don't need it so I can hold out a bit longer. I do want it to show up soon and I am expecting a VIN and build date any day now. I'd love to visit KTP and see it built, but I know that is quite a long shot. Unless the arrangements are made in the nanosecond following notification of VIN, it is usually too late (from what I've read).
Went to my dealer today to get a definition of indefinite. It was one of those days when all the salesmen were sitting around so we chatted for some time. They said they had all been discussing the meaning of "indefinite" just before I arrived. The sales manager showed me a fax that he says they get every week from Ford telling dealers what they are allowed to order. It said "Boston Region Commodities Information" on it and didn't look to be specifically directed at any one dealer so I am assuming it was region wide. I am sure we were looking at the page that referred to super duty trucks. Just below the top it said (among other percentage listings that I can't remember) 100% diesel, 100% manual, 100% pickups (meaning no chassis cabs), 0% V-10, 0% auto, 0% two-tone paint(why this I am not sure)...He said that in Maine the Excursions are not that popular, but in other parts of the country they are being snapped up so the V-10's are being put in those as they are the highest profit vehicle for Ford.
They also told me something I found really interesting. They thought all of this had something to do with CAFE which stands for Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency. I guess Ford, and all other auto companies, have to report to the government every year the average fuel efficiency of the entire stock of vehicles (i.e motors) they sell in that year. I am not sure if it is broken down into categories (whether Ford Fiesta's are averaged in with Super Duties and Excursions). However, the manager said that he is sure this has a large part to do with their cutback in V-10 production, although, he said, Ford would never tell them that. Ford is probably reaching it's yearly CAFE limit and is limiting where those lower mpg engines are going. They said that Ch*vy has taken another option by calling all of their newly ordered trucks 2001 models. They are the same trucks, but since they too are reaching or have reached their efficiency quota they have decided to start in on the next year instead of cutting back on truck deliveries. I found all of this pretty interesting. It makes sense to me. It seems it's not just direct demand that is slowing things up. The manager said he has seen 0% V-10 listed before and has seen a V-10 come scheduled on the same week so he said it isn't entirely exact. He also said that 0% V-10 didn't stay listed on the weekly fax for too long the last time. So this may explain to some of the waiters what is going on. Allocation is still in the equation so these are all components that add up to an awfully LONG wait for a truck these days! Sorry for the long post, just thought you'd like to know.
thanks for the reply. We want more horsepower and less noise so we are going for the v-10.
jt
00 F350 Lariat SC 158" PSD 6spd 4WD ESOF Tow and camper pkgs, hitch and TT mirrors. Harvest gold. Yahoo!!
and if you've got dsl available in your area & just a tad of networking expertise (we run winNT 4.0)... it's certainly worth a look as scrolling to the next page of posts for example, only takes a couple of SECONDS! the backbone will even install the required stuff to your present OS (Operating System) but it will cost a little... but worth it if you lack the expertise (as dsl s/u does require a little knowledge in regard to what is happening behind-the-scenes).
back to "trucking". so the v10's are scarce. and we DO NOT recommend switching to the psd if you do not really need what the extra noise level provides. because they ARE noisy! we're looking over at ford-diesel.com for some "quieting" advice as several posts over there relate to it.
still haven't got anything "extra" installed on the truck. next Thur/Fri we get the bed liner sprayed, hitch rails, mud flaps, electric brake. we've got 1200 miles on the truck & am anxious to get the "fiver" under tow. still need the 100 gal across-the-bed fuel tank & then we'll be pretty well set for the long haul.
and Maincowgirl... you're right! too busy just driving this thing just about everywhere... even when we ought to be taking our automobile, we take the beast instead! oh. don't worry too much about your post length (look at some of mine & your last one still looks pretty short).
for those of you considering pulling a fiver we discovered something else. removing the tailgate is a "snap". so we won't be installing one of those "v" notch fiver tailgates. we'll simply remove our stock one completely & just leave it home while "tripping" out.
My cap will have highmount yellow turns and red brakes when it gets installed. I'm using the signal for the high mount brake light to turn on the brake lights (it will stay solid when the rear lights would normally blink for a turn), and the front turn signals to turn on the signals. This isn't too complicated - just make sure that you use relays and don't just tap into the same wire - from what I can interpret bodyfitter's manual, the computer uses load on each circut to check for problems and you would confuse it by putting extra lamps in.
The hard part will be in fabricating the taillight lenses. The entire assy is fused together into one large piece of wrap-around plastic. I can't help you there.
00/350/4x4/cc/sb/psd
Purchase a canopy (cap) and install your required amber lights in it. I bet having RED and AMBER lights flashing will definitely get peoples attention. Good Luck!!!!!
The different color #8 injector is apparently part of Ford's attempt to fix the infamous "fuel cackle" problem that's getting talked about on the Ford-Diesel website. From what I have read, the cackle (which sounds like something knocking inside your engine) is thought to be caused by either fuel starvation or late detonation in the #8 cylinder. Ford has apparently put into production a new injector for the #8 cylinder (which is a different color [Red] so you know it's one of the "new" injectors). According to a thread I just read on Ford-Diesel, Ford may also be preparing to reflash the computers in our rigs to go along with the new injectors.
Check out this link on Ford-Diesel to read about fuel cackle:
http://www.ford-diesel.com/faq/1999faq/Trouble-Mysteries.htm
Check out this link to read about the rumor of Ford reflashing the computers:
http://www.ford-diesel.com/ubb/Forum15/HTML/000564.html
So far, I have not heard the dreaded cackle sound in my new rig, but I've only done about 250 miles since picking it up on friday, so I am keeping my ears open.
On another subject, since taking delivery of my truck on friday, I have installed a Deflecta-Shield bug shield, as well as Husky moulded mud flaps. Took about two hours to install both the shield and all four flaps. The Deflecta-Shield box said it was for the 99 model year, but the kid at the parts store insisted that it would fit the 2000 F250. He was right. It fits great, and I really like the look. I also really like the clean look of the Husky mud flaps. They come pre-moulded to fit the contour of the turck, and were a snap to install.
Oh, I have a SC, not CC..
Thanks for the suggestions on the tailights. Typically, American cars here in the UK convert the backup lights to turnsignals. (My Early Bronco is that way..) The UK has no requirements for backuplights, so you go out and buy amber stickers to place over the clear backup light portion of the lens, do a little rewiring, and you are done. Some of the aftermarket outfits are selling clear tailight lenses. If I can find one for a SD, that'll be my preferred way of getting the job done. Also, the UK requires a rear facing foglight that will only come on when the headlights are on. I'll be looking into the extra detent in the headlight switch for the rear foglight switch, and will put the actual light itself in the receiver hitch opening.
Again, thanks for all the help.
Ray
please continue these discussions in Topic 1595 Ford Super Duty - Continued VI.
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
Here's what I think I see (if this is a good order sample). Std and SC schedule quickest and ship fastest. Duallys schedule next with 4x2s faster than 4x4s. CCs schedule slowest with 4x2s ahead of 4x4s. All seem to be batched by type and date.
It makes sense since the vast majority of trucks are Std. or SC. Duallys are more common than CC SDs. 4x2 and 4x4s of all type build in that order. This sheet schedule compares similarly to dates posted by others in this forum(with their truck type) for the last couple of months.
Conclusion: The regular std. cabs and SC get pushed to the front of the line to make room for more of the same type coming along at a greater rate than do the CCs and duallys. Makes sense to me.
Max Turnover rate X margin = max profit. Ford is showing a huge profit, so they must be doing it right.
So...we knew we had to wait and I think this helps explain why. Scheduling was only aggravated by the holiday shutdown,etc. If it's true, there's a spasm of CC's about to be squeezed out in the next 2-3 weeks.
Mine's supposed to build the week of 2/7 but have had no change in status since 1/13. I think we're waiting on enough to "batch" a group through the plant.
I haven't had time to decode by engine type to see if there's a difference. I'll try to look at that.
BTW: My salesman told me that the VIN# wasn't available, but all 36 of them are right on this sheet. Nice guy, but clueless, I'm afraid. I'd be totally frustrated without this forum. Thank you all.
Which letter in the VIN shows the engine type? Anyone know where I can find a secret decoder ring?