2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

lanceray · October 2005

i have a 2005 f 150 4.6L. it has the extra cab . My problem is when i
come accross a bump in the road the tires begin to hop as if i dont
have shocks. it is a bad feeling especially when on the freeway in
the middle of a curve, the truck will actually skate / drift while the
tires lose contact with the road . it happens at low speeds too ,
mostly when i encounter a series of bumps. the suspension just
goes into a dribble like a basketball. i checked the tire/air pressure
and it is correct. the dealer says bring it in but ofcourse they are
located far away and i havent had any luck getting a ride back from
the dealership.
thanks

rcgofast · October 2005

Yep, another case of the Vibes. I purchased my 04' Supercrew in January and it was delivered from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth Texas (194 miles) by my salesman. Upon driving the first 5 miles I noticed a vibration @ 42 and 58-62 mph. I called the salesman the next day and he said he didn't notice it! Yeah, right! It was strong enough that my 12 year old son even noticed and asked me about it. I took it into the local dealer and they found a 32hz vibration in which they replaced the drive shaft and deemed it repaired. It did eliminate 80% of the prob but the harmonic was still there @ 42, 58-62mph. I returned it and they rebalanced/reindexed the tires (OEM tires and wheels) and they said it was repaired. I purchased a travel trailer, well under weight limitations, and had a dramatic vib from start through 20mph. We discovered that, with a 2.5 inch drop in bumper height, it changed the pinion angle so much that it vibrated. So the ford engineer installed airbags on the rear axle and said problem was fixed. (Never had a truck that vibrated with a 2.5 inch change in bumper height) Still had the normal cruise vibs regardless of towing trailer or not. I had it in the shop 8 times, a total of 40 days and they replaced the rear axles and, of course, reindexed the hubs, rebalanced the tires each time and rebalanced the drive shaft. The engine has a vibrations between 1400-1700 rpm and is consistent. They never addressed this issue even though the engineer found it along with the other vibrations with the Vetronics computer. The engine is running in this range at these speeds! I took the truck to an independent shop for a second opinion and he was shocked that the dealer couldn't feel the vibrations. I went through the BBB's arbitration hearing, in which Ford elected not to show up in person but in writing. I won but it will still cost me approx $7000.00 and won't have anything to show for it. The arbitrator is a physicist and knows about harmonics, he felt all listed vibrations and agreed with me. In the hearing, Ford only addressed the vibration while towing my trailer, not the everyday vibration that started the process. This is a concrete example Ford not wanting to admit that they have any vibration issues.
I have contacted Ford consumer services, the general manager at the original dealership, and had the local service manager pass on my info to the local Ford Rep with the willingness to negotiate outside of hiring an attorney and have had 0 returned phone calls. I've been very cordial throughout. Since Ford doesn't seem to care about this defect I have elected to hire an attorney and pursue the Lemon Law in order the recover not only vehicle costs but collateral charges as well...trade in, taxes, license and registration and attorney's fees. The BBB's formulas are skewed in favor of the manufacturer since they are paying for the BBB's autoline. Even if you win, YOU LOSE!

I apologize for writing so much but just wanted anyone with the same problem to know what you are up against. Please feel free to email f150vibes@aol.com for any questions or comments, I'll welcome all. I would really like to know if anyone has pursued the same course and what your results were.
Thanks :lemon:

KCRam · October 2005

As noted in the post box and Rules of the Road - http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/rulesoftheroad.html - we highly discourage posting of email addresses and posts requesting others to email them. It benefits everyone when comments are made here in the forum, plus it eliminates the possibility that someone will scavenge your email address for spam.

Thanks!
kcram - Pickups Host

rcgofast · October 2005

Yes, you're absolutely right. I apologize for including my email address and would encourage the use of the forum instead. It DOES benefit everyone as it did me the last 5 months.

mark81 · October 2005

Good evening.

I have a 91 f150 with 145k miles on it. Been a rock-solid truck, absolutely no problems until the last month, in which I have dropped $800 in trying to have two mechanics identify why it stalls a few times and then wont start.

It has a 5.8L engine. Regular service and maintenance all of its life. About a month ago, the check engine light came on for what I am quite sure was the first time ever. The engine began running really, really rough. When I put it in gear, it didnt have enough hp to move the truck. I put it in park, turned it off, and restarted. After restarting, everything was cool.

I had the same problem later that day, and the issue got gradually worse over two days, while also getting harder to start until it just wouldnt start. Had it towed to the mechanic. He said it was a faulty plug wire, burnt plugs, and dirty fuel filter. I found this odd, since I just changed the plugs, wires, and distributor cap within 6 months ago. But their change-out of the plugs, wire, and fuel filter fixed the problem....for all of 1 day.

I drove it for that day, and the scenario started over again. This time I had it towed to a different mechanic with more diagnostic equipment. He ran a computer diagnostic on it, replaced the main relay, added fuel additives, changed the emission check valve (unrelated, I think), changed the ignition control module, and replaced the Thick Film Module.

I drove it for a day and a half, and the problem (stalling, half-power, check-engine light)started back up the same day i got it from the shop. By today, it will not start again....

Mechanic says next step is to replece the fuel pumps (dual tanks, so replace both). The problem occurs no matter which tank I am on. It is hard to believe both pumps went out at the exact same time.

I have now put about $800 in a truck that is worth just about what I have paid in repairs. Does anyone have suggestions as to what the cause of the problem could be? The fuel pump replacement will run another $800 (400 ea), and I hesitate going there on a vehicle this old.

Thanks.

Mark

warriorcoach · October 2005

I had my 2005 SCREW serviced this week for the hesitation and bang when I took off from a dead stop. The dealer said they had never seen anything like it and it took them a day of research which included contacting Ford. Ford suggested they perform "excessive diagnostics" which found the splines binding on the slip yolk. They removed the driveshaft, applied grease to the splines and re installed driveshaft. It is dramatically improved, but it is still not smooth upon take off and still shifts hard sometimes.
Also had them look at the interior light banging against the roof when hitting a bump. I have the moonroof and they blame it on that and not enough support in the head liner. Said they are "researching" problem for a solution but I may have to just live with it! :mad:

christal2 · October 2005

you are not the only one with a truck with the vibes. You complaint sounds just like mine , but I have the infomus clank in the rear end . Or maybe it isn't they say that it is the characteristics of the FordF150 I refuse buy that. They have tried to blame the vibrations in My Aftermarket tires and rims. so I finally got them to put manufactured rims on my truck and it still had the vibrations called harmonics. he told me that I could have A truck that was 50% fixed or one that was I could have It 98% fixed by repurchasing some Manufactured rims I see no point in doing that so I have turned my paper work in on to the BBB. So i guess that we need to just hang in there and maybe if enough people complain we can get something done.

rcgofast · October 2005

What is your current status on the truck? Did you return the truck to Ford or do you still have it?

rcgofast · October 2005

Sounds very familiar. What was your outcome with the lemon law? I've won in arbitration but can't live with the ridiculous formula so I'm pursuing Lemon Law. Any info would be much appreciated.

st1100jack · October 2005

What is the difference between an F350 and a Super Duty?

I just purchased a 1994 F350 4x4 quad cab (crew cab?) with a 7.5L engine, and I don't know whether or not it is what people refer to as a "Super Duty". Would it say on the side somewhere? Is it just an option package? Can someone help me out here?

trucker3 · October 2005

I am looking for a relaible pickup and researched any complaints about the 2005 Ford F-250 on the (NHTSA) National Highway traffic safety administration's website. Below is a complaint from what appears to be from a law enforcement agency that purchased 7 trucks with the same problem. Although it is not a "vibration", it concerns me to read about that and then to see the problem you are facing. Makes me want to buy another type of vehicle. I think I'll start with the Chevy HD 2500 and go from there.

Make : FORD Model : F-250 SUPERDUTY Year : 2005 Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY Crash : No Fire : No Number of Injuries: 0 ODI ID Number : 10114952 Number of Deaths: 0 Date of Failure: March 10, 2005 VIN : 1FTNF21545E... Component: SUSPENSION Summary:
F250, SUPER DUTY, 3/4-T, 4X4, 4WD, SHORT BOX. ALL SPEEDS IT IS NOTICEABLE. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (75+ MPH), ENCOUNTERING BUMPS, SEVERE SHIMMY IN FRONT END, NEARLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FLEET OF 7 TRUCKS ALL EXPERIENCE SAME, SOME WORSE THAN OTHERS. DEALER HAS DONE ALL POSSIBLE TO REMEDY, INCLUDING AFTERMARKET HEAVIER DUTY FRONT STEERING STABILIZER (AT OUR EXPENSE). INCIDENT DATE IS LAST DATE IT OCCURRED TO MY CRUISER TRUCK. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME A BUMP IN THE HIGHWAY IS ENCOUNTERED WITH EVERY TRUCK OUR DEPARTMENT BOUGHT FOR USE AS LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WOBBLE IS DEPENDANT ON THE SPECIFIC TRUCK AND THE SPEED TRAVELED. REALIZE THAT AS LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE VEHICLES, OFTEN THIS INVOLVES VERY HIGH SPEED. THE HIGHER THE SPEED, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM.

weener · October 2005

I had a 1999 F-250 5.4L 4x4 (Gas) whenever I drive and the tranny shifts when i goto stop, there is a clunk when the vehical comes to a full stop. If I coast to a stop it will happen somewhere around 1-2 MPH. I think this is the tranny going into low gear. I dunno. anyone else have this?

Also, what is the expected life of one of these engines? 200,000 miles or more I hope..

-J

chj · October 2005

I have a 2000 excursion and I notice that the tailgate is not locking. Anybody know anything about this? chj

rosnow · October 2005

Hi there, I have a 89 f150 xlt lariat 5.0L. My problem started a little while ago, after driving around most of the day, when I got home my truck started making this weird humming buzzing sound so I shut off the truck and waited a few minutes then started it back up again and the same sound was there but also my oil pressure gauge needle was going up and down quickly, right to below the line and then back up to "normal". So I changed the sending unit (didn't have a gauge to test pressure) still the same thing, then I changed the oil pump, still the same thing. I took it to a shop to be tested and the pressure is perfect, they had no idea why this is happening. Now when I'm driving or it's idling my power surges so bad that the truck just stalls, every red light,stop sign, or even just slowing down. It's a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] and is costing to much to drive, ANY suggestions would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thanks, Tracey

tsembo · October 2005

I own a 97 F150 4x4. just recently I had a sparkplug fly out. Yes it flew out!! I took it to ford to get it fixed. they told me it not only blew out the plug but the coil and stripped the threading as well!! Does anyone know of a recall or a lawsuit that is going on with this problem. I have heard that the triton motors are nutorious for this! It was news to me till my truck tanked out on me.Im a mother of three and cant afford to keep replacing blown out plugs but ford basically just says oh well, and then charges you outragious prices.
Any suggestions?

tsembo · October 2005

I just recently had the same problem. I have a 97 F150 4x4. Exact same thing. Im in Alberta Canada!! Oh yeah I just had mine fixed they can replace the threads in the head you dont need a hole new engine thats what they did for me. Only cost me 500 dollars.

thirsty075 · October 2005

Truck drives fine when it is cold, but when the fuel pump heats up, the check engine light comes on and the engine then starts sputtering and losing power until it will barely stay running. I have had the o2 sensor replaced and the mechanic is now telling me that this is a bad fuel pump. The only problem is that I have 2 tanks and this happens on both tanks.
It seems a bit far fetched to think that both fuel pumps went out exactly at the same moment. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

texvet · October 2005

I have a 72 ford pickup, it is in very good condition except there is a lot of play in the steering wheel. Is there a way to tighten up the play and if so, how? the steering wheel turns about 6 inches before the wheels do. help--help.

wpalkowski · October 2005

Your truck has three fuel pumps. There's a low pressure pump in each tank, and then a high pressure prump that is common to both tanks. Did the mechanic messure the pressure on the fuel lines?

fordguy304 · October 2005

My 1999 F-150 started indicating overheating. After driving about 5 or 10 miles the temp gauge starts going up. If you notice it soon enough, pull over and shut down everything is OK when re started after a minute or two. If you don't notice it until the gauge is at the top the engine starts missing and check engine light comes on. Checking under the hood shows no signs of the engine being hot. My Ford dealer has flushed the system and installed a new thermostat. It happens about three times a week and only if the outside temperature is below 40 dec. C. It is quite obvious that the dealer has no idea whats going on. Anyone got any info on a similar problem

texvet · October 2005

I need help ,my steering is loose in my truck. the steering wheel will move 6-7 inches before the wheels start to turn, how can i fix this problem?

jtelesky · October 2005

Still has the vibes. Dealer has tried drive shaft, balancing, new tires, shim kit and some love but no solution. Otherwise like the truck. Any suggestions? HELP...........

chris41 · October 2005

I had a 97 Dodge Ram 3500 that did this ... horribly scary! Especially when the engine mounts BROKE and the engine fell down, crushing main power line, starting a fire. Come to find out, the truck had previously been in an accident and one or two of the motor mounts were broken - thus the vibration when hitting a bump.

rcgofast · October 2005

So far, I haven't heard of anyone having their vibrations totally repaired. Ford doesn't have a fix for it at this time and there are plenty of us out there waiting for it.

Good Luck!

tbird63 · October 2005

I just had the second occurence of a plug BLOWING OUT of a Triton engine this weekend!
I can't believe FOMOCO doesn't have a recall or program to replace the defective plug housings. It seems that the housing retainer breaks from the hardening caused by the high
heat in the intake manifold. I've been a faithful FOMOCO person since I've been driving (>40yrs). Ford better get on the ball with this one (remember the explorer aka exploder) incident? I don't want to bash FORD ...but...(Fix Or Repair Daily?) If they have a problem they should issue a recall and replace the plugs..end of convo!!

oldharry · October 2005

"I have a 72 ford pickup, it is in very good condition except there is a lot of play in the steering wheel. Is there a way to tighten up the play and if so, how? the steering wheel turns about 6 inches before the wheels do. help--help."

The most likely problem if you have a 4X2 is the right side inner tie rod is worn at the pitman arm. (About a $100 part plus labor)

If you have a 4X4, the most likely problem is the track bar is loose at the axle. Remove cotter pin, hold bolt with suitable wrench, tighten nut, install new cotter pin.

There may be other problems too.

Harry

brdtrd · October 2005

I agree. Dealer once blew a fuse on my '94 f150 4x4 transmission and when it shifted, sounded like it was gonna fall off!
Check the fuses, there are a couple of areas they have the fuses on this truck.

pickupman1 · October 2005

Ok here's what I got. While driving the truck I get a vibration I can feel throughout the truck. I replace the u-joints..still there. The vibration is there if the truck is in gear, on or off the gass and in neutral. I jack the truck up and spin the passanger side tire and I can feel binding. Pull brake drum, rotate and still there. Remove outer wheel bearing and I can still feel the binding. If I spin the pinion gear it is smooth?? It only binds when you spin it at the passanger side axle. Any idea on what it could be? Could it be the "spider" gears? Inner bearing?

Thanks!

ridgedon · October 2005

Behind my front passenger fender on my 1997 F150 4WD, there is a plastic housing, rectangular approximately 3 in x 4 in, and about 14 inches long (it is broken so the length is a guess). Connecting to this housing is two wire harnesses which connect to the underside of this plastic housing.

My truck was wrecked, and the fender taken off. This part is now unnatached from the frame, and it is effecting my electrical system.

Does anyone know what this part is called?

Thanks,
Ridgedon

bisco1 · October 2005

To all concerned parties:

Words alone can not describe the extreme "Earthquake" type shaking/vibrations of my 2004' Black F150 Lariat super crew truck. Since "New" right off the showroom floor this truck "vibrated". I will tell you this, "vibration" is too kind a word to describe this vehicles defect! Without hesitation these trucks define the word "LEMON" along with a manufacturer not willing to accept any responsibility for problems that clearly have crossed the desks of many higher-ups at FORD.

ridgedon · October 2005

My 1997 F150 4WD developed a vibration when going down the road at all speeds. I thought it was the U-joints. The mechanic did one last check before replacing the U-joints. He jacked up the rear and put it in gear and watched the driveshaft. The driveshaft was slightly bent/warped. It was easy to see while it was spinning. He straightened the driveshaft for a minimal fee and completely corrected the problem.

Ridgedon

rilesw · October 2005

I'm having the exact problem as you describe. Any ideas what to do next?

mac24 · October 2005

Checking under the hood shows no signs of the engine being hot.

If severe overheating is detected the engine goes into a 'limp home' mode and will throw a code, i.e. intermittent firing and a 'check engine' light. A faulty temp sensor will produce exactly the same result.

So, is your engine really overheating, or does it just say it is? :shades:

150fanatic · October 2005

Hey Todd, I recently upgraded from a 255/70/16 t a 285/70/16 and i had the worry of my differentials being messed up from having larger tires. I just checked my rear differentials to see if any "teeth" were chips or missing. All checked out O.K. but thats just another check i'd do, just to be on the safe side.

150fanatic · October 2005

I have a 98 For-150 4.6L V8 Triton. I was wondering on how i could boost up performance for some more horsepower or gasmilage. i already got a K&N air intake, Flowermaster Exhaust system. Yeah yeah i know most of you are thinking that i should look into a 5.4L Ha Ha, but hey i only make minimum wage. But im looking along the lines of a super/turbo charger. or something along the lines of that. All ideas are open. Thanks

rilesw · October 2005

Mine appears to be hot. The upper radiator hose is pressurized while the temp gauge is high. When temp starts to fall, the pressure is gone from the hose. I'm going to replace the thermostat again as it appears that it isn't opening properly.

wierd_w · October 2005

Motor tries to turn over, then runs a few seconds, then dies. Engine returns no error codes. CPS is brand new. Fuel pump is new. Fuel filter has been changed. Acts like there is no or insufficient fuel.

Please advise?

mac24 · October 2005

Acts like there is no or insufficient fuel................or air in the fuel?

mac24 · October 2005

Adding a reworked head, cam, and fuel system to your uprated intake and exhaust will give an appreciable boost, as will a super or turbocharger, though that will cost a lot more.

mac24 · October 2005

Going up a size in tire won't chip or otherwise damage the teeth in your diff.

wierd_w · October 2005

Both tanks are full. Vehicle runs then dies. Subisquent attempts to start meet with failure, until after several minutes to an hour.

I suspect the tank switching solenoid, as I have checked all the solenoids under the hood, and all are good.

Is there a way I can determine if that is indeed the problem?

mac24 · October 2005

Air in the fuel isn't necessarily a sign that one tank is empty. It can be drawn in from a very tiny leak in a connection. Also, because air is being drawn in it doesn't mean that fuel will be leaking out.

fordability · October 2005

I have a 2003 Ford F-150 that has been running great. Recently, with the extended rainy season, I have been experiencing electronics problems. I came out one of those rainy mornings and my truck battery was dead. I charged it up and then noticed that even with the key out, my fan blower was running, I was getting a clicking from the ABS, my audio (CD player) was clicking away...etc... I started the truck and it seemed to run fine. It sat that day and started that night when I left work. About 20 mins into the drive home, it started to beep (5 beeps then stop) and repeated this several times. The beep sounds like a truck backing up kind of tone). No indication of anything else going on. At some point it just stopped. I got home that night and turned it off and it seemed to be fine (nothing running). So I drove it for another 2 weeks without problems. Then the rain came again. Two days into the rain, I had the exact same problem... I came out and the battery was dead. Charged it up and noticed that things were running even though I had it shut off and the key out.

any idea what is going on here? Is this going to cost me a lot of money to fix? Should I extend my warranty??

Thanks....

bsbyanks · October 2005

I just picked up my first ford truck a 2000 f150 supercab. I have only had it a week and this evening when we were going out to dinner is started to shake when I was at a red light. When I hit the gas it shook even more. I was just wondering what could have happend someone told me mabey something with the spark plug and that it might be running on 7 cylinders instead of 8. If any of you have any advise it would be greatly appreciated.

john106 · October 2005

My oil dipstick will not come out of the tube in my 97f150. 4.2L .It seems it has got stuck somehow. Do I drop the oil pan and look and see what's up.
This truck is used and the original dipstick was broken off at the tip when I got it.
I finally got put a replacement dipstick today,that came from a wrecking yard.
I put this new dipstick in 1 time and read it. The level was ok. Then I put it in again and now it will not come out unless I pull hard. I,m afraid something will break. Thanks for any input.. I am a truck novice

lenr · October 2005

Just realized that the fluid is gone in my F-150 5.4 with 4R100. The dealer flushed and drained about 10,000 mi ago. They had to add an adapter to drain out all old fluid. This adapter leaked inititally and was tightened by the dealer. It may have cut loose again0\--only this time it was a gusher. It probably leaked completely empty over a 6 mi drive. What should I expect for damage, or have the dealer check? What are the odds of hidden damage that shows up 40,000 mi from now? The truck has 45,000 mi, and the change out was done back at 35,900 mi.

rayf250 · October 2005

I just purchased a f250 super duty and found that Ford changed the pedal to elec. not cable. now when ever I go over rough roads I can't keep the pedal still and the engine surges to the pedal movement. is there a cure for this?

thebigf150guy · October 2005

I have had this problem since it had 75,000 miles. It has this oil pressure gauge problem. I bought this card at 33,000 miles off of the Ford B Lot. This is like an Employee Program Vehicle. My impression is that it was not taken care of. The oil changes probably did not happen regularly.

This first problem surfaced itself, and I took it to a dealer. The dealer listened to me. The gauge would fluctuate for awhile, and then go to nothing. I would immediately turn the engine off. I had it towed. The service station dropped the pan, and cleaned the screen. Things would be great. By the way, The first thing I did was at the oil station. They did an engine flush. NEVER EVER DO ONE OF THOSE!!!.

After they dropped the pan, they cleaned the screen, and things were fine for the next year and a half. Same problem, took it to the same place, they checked it out. Cleaned the screen. Said it was not gunked up as much as before, and everything was fine for about a year and a half.

The station had told me that it was gunked up the first time, and that I probably made it worse with the engine flush, by breaking loose more gunk.

Well, I am at my third or fourth time of this. I am about to take it in for service. I am contemplating having the screen replaced, and replacing the sender unit. That is about all I can do I think. I do not have alot of money. They say to replace the pump, I just about have to rebuild the engine. I do not have that kind of money.

Any ideas? Anyone else having this same sort of problem ?? Is this a known issue with Ford?? Why is the Ford F150 so susceptible to the oil gunking up ??

mac24 · October 2005

If the problem is gunk/sludge/whatever, then replacing the screen and sender won't stop it from reappearing.

tyresmoker · November 2005

Take a look in the Expedition forum, I think that is where I read this...It sounds like you have a windshield leak. The leak is located just above the fuse panel in the driverside footwell. When it rains, water gets into the fuse panel, causing all kinds of havoc like you mentioned. I recall it being a pretty easy fix, but labor intensive. I bet if you take a look under the dash in this area, you will find moisture.

A friend of mine had a '00 Expedition with the same problem, only the flashers would go on and alarm would sound when it rained, eventually draining the battery. He fixed it by replacing the truck.

Good luck!

2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

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