2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

bmaige · May 2003

Is your friend's truck air conditioned and do you live in a humid area? If so, the first thing I would check is the drain for the evaporator. That will close up on occasion, causing water to be held inside the cab in the pan under the evaporator and even run over into the cab once full. After driving the truck a while with the AC running park it and see if any water appears under the truck cab. If so it is probably all right, but if not look for a small hose that extends from the firewall a little into the engine compartment or under the truck, then run a flexible wire gently and carefully up into it and see if you can get water flow. If so, that may fix your problem.

bmaige · May 2003

I concur with the earlier posters about the hydraulic clutch system being the culprit in your case since you can "pump it up." However, if the warranty is out on your truck or these parts aren't covered under it I would consider changing them myself. I just changed both the master and slave cylinders on a Toyota truck I own, and it wasn't that much of a job. I changed both while I was into it, as they were the same age and I use it on the farm, for considerably less cost and aggravation than I could have had it done by the Toyota place.

I don't know how many bolts or how difficult these things are to reach on Fords, but the master cylinder is on the firewall and the slave on the transmission. One or both are probably under, behind, or jammed up against something to make working on them awkward, however. Both the master and slave in my Toyota are held on by only two bolts and the master was a breeze. The slave was partially hidden behind the frame and a crossmember, which made it hard to get an open end wrench to and once you did required short movements. It took a while to disconnect and reconnect it, and, of course, you will need a second party to help bleed the air out of the system once it is in place.

vidtech · May 2003

i know in the late 80's ford starting putting the slave cylinder in the bell housing.that made it a rather difficult job.i am not sure if they still do this.

sboggs · May 2003

I finally made it to the point I could purchase a brand new F350... Now that I have it, it seems to have an option that Ford doesn't want to deal with, it thumps when I first start it in the morning. I have read other discussions on this as well, just wondering if there is a TSB on this problem. This really sounds like a vent closing or opening.

Another issue: When I turn left from a stand still, my steering makes a whining sound. The truck is only a couple months old and has 5000 miles. It seems to be getting better (less whining) as I drive it. Anything to be worried about? I want to make sure all issues are resolved prior to 3/36k.

mac24 · May 2003

There's a well known 'thump' at startup linked to the a/c system. You should easily bring it up on a search if no one comes up with a a TSB.

The fact that you only get the steering pump noise in one direction indicates it's a problem that needs to be fixed, i.e. it's not just that the pump is a little noisy at all times.

mullins87 · May 2003

As mac stated, the thump is well known amongst Superduty owners. The power steering noise could be a problem, but I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. I have an F-350, but mine is a diesel, so I have more weight on the front axle. Also, the power steering pump on the diesel supplies hydraulic pressure for the brake booster. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine your brake booster uses vacuum. Anyway, my pump makes a little more noise when turning to the right. Mine has 127k on it now. (Knock on wood!)

don770 · May 2003

Hi All,, I have a 2002 F250SD with the V10. I just noticed that after sitting overnight, it
puffs out some blue smoke right after starting up. It only has 5600 miles on it. Anyone else seen this??

vidtech · May 2003

give it a little more time.could be the engine needs just a little more driving before it is fully broken in.it is normal to use some oil during break in.

don770 · May 2003

It has 5600 miles on it, and it is just starting
to smoke now. Has not done it up to this point.

jmoreland1 · May 2003

I HAVE A FORD F150 2001 YEAR MODEL. USES 1 QT OF OIL FOR 1500 MILES. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. MY OTHER VEHICLES DON'T DO THIS. ANYONE HAVE ANY INPUT??

mac24 · May 2003

It may be within Ford's acceptable limits, but it's certainly not normal. Check with Ford, not the dealer, to see what those limits are.

P.S. Re: ALL CAPS......... please don't shout!

jmoreland1 · May 2003

Iapologize for the caps did'nt mean to shout. thank you for you message. I assume there is a 1800 number listed in my book?

thank you again

mac24 · May 2003

I don't know the answer to that one, but I'm sure there's others here that do. I'd start by checking my Owners Handbook and if unsuccessful I'd then do a search on the net.

wpalkowski · June 2003

Did you just get the truck? Or has the oil consumption been this way since new? Or have you noticed consumption getting worse over time? Also curious, which engine (6 or 8) and what size? (not that I know of any oil consumption differences between them.) How many miles on it? Do you see blue smoke or are any of the spark plugs getting fouled?

wpalkowski · June 2003

Don,
I've got an '01 V10 with 18K miles on it. The first year I'd notice an ocaissional blue puff on start up, but that was only if truck sat for more than a week (not my daily driver). I figured a little of the really "thin" 5W20 oil had seeped past the rings while it sat. It was only a momentary puff, then no more. I can't honestly say I've seen any in the last 18 months however. I'll be away on business for a week, I'll try to remember to look for it when I get back. As other poster said, you might have to wait for engine to break in a little longer. I recall that when I got to around 8000 miles, my mileage went up by about 1 mpg and truck just seemed to run a tiny bit smoother. Hopefully this is just a transient problem

bmaige · June 2003

Has anyone out there had one of the new Powerstroke diesels long enough and driven it enough to give an opinion on it? I am interested in whether some develop the "cackle" some of the old ones did, and if you have to put an additive in the coolant to prevent the cylinder walls from pitting. I am also interested in the mileage with the six speed manual transmission.

Ever since finding out the Powerstroke needed a coolant additive I have been reluctant to buy a used one.

wpalkowski · June 2003

Check out the Diesel-Stop 6.0 Powerstroke forum.

http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&- - - - Board=2003Drivetrain

It's like drinking from a fire hose over there.

I don't have a diesel, our resident expert is Jim Mullins - he can add a lot more than I, but I can still answer some of your questions from hanging with buddy who has a ''99.5 Powerstroke. The coolant additive is called RMI-25 - it prevents cavitation; where bubbles form in the water jacket next to the cyclinder walls. When the bubble bursts (implodes?), it causes the "pitting," - it's kinda like a mini depth-charge going off in the coolant. If allowed to go unchecked for a long time, it can cause problems. I think additive only needs to be added once a year, and at coolant changes. If you're looking for a used Powerstroke, you could invest a few bucks in coolant additive test strips (, forget what they're called off the top of my head). If you find a truck you like, test the coolant, if the additive is detected in adequate quantities then I wouldn't worry too much about the motor.

As far as cackle, I believe that's a feature of the old Powerstroke (a problem with injector #6) only. It's pretty obvious if a motor has it. New 6.0 motor has had some early production issues, but from reading posts it seems that the birthing pains have been smoothed out after the first year. One of the biggest issues is the "drone" - some sort of vibration noise from the engine. Another is described as "the romp-romp", some sort of computer/ tuning/fuel issues. Read up at the diesel-stop.

Personally, I love the V10 gasser - (even though I have a light exhasut flutter at 2000 rpm.)

mullins87 · June 2003

I doubt that I could qualify as an expert, maybe hardcore enthusiast. Other than keeping up with the typical regular maintenance, the coolant additive probably is the biggest item overlooked. Most every DIY'er knows about the engine oil, tranny fluid, coolant, brake and clutch fluids, differentials, and various grease fittings. However, few have ever read the service manual or been told about the coolant additives. My manual calls for 1 pint of Ford's FW-16 to be added every 15k miles, I'm not familiar with Walt's RMI-25. I use the coolant test strips that Walt mentioned at every oil change to make sure the additives stay within the proper range. It's really no big deal, just adds three to four minutes to each oil change.

The cavitation is caused by tiny air bubbles forming on the cylinder walls, on the coolant side obviously. A diesel engine has soooo much compression that the cylinder walls will actually expand outwards as the piston is on its compression cycle. Once the fuel charge ignites and the piston is forced back down and into the exhaust cycle, the cylinder actually contracts somewhat. This contraction momentarily produces a low pressure area immediately around the cylinder wall, causing the air bubbles to form. As the piston then moves from its intake to compression cycle, the cylinder wall begins to expand again causing a high pressure area immediately around the cylinder wall. This high pressure is great enough to cause those tiny air bubbles to collapse on themselves resulting in a fairly violent and destructive implosion. The coolant additive not only prevents cavitation from happening, it also aids in tranferring heat from the various engine parts to the coolant, thereby making the coolant more efficient.

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd go for an '01 or '02 7.3L. But that's just my opinion.

bmaige · June 2003

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. I would assume the engine coolant additive comes in a new one from the factory, and if it is recommended that a pint be added every 15,000 miles it must be "used up" in some manner. That would mean a truck with low mileage--something just over 15,000 miles, won't be too badly damaged if adding it wasn't done. I would assume also if the original owner took it to a dealer for oil and fuel filter changes during warranty that would be a part of the servicing. Are there any figures on how many miles an engine can be run without it wihout damaging the engine?

The coolant factor concerns me with a used one, although your suggestion of getting the test strips to check it is a good one. Then there's the low or zero percent interest rates for new trucks, higher interest rates for used ones, and the high prices of used trucks, which would all have to be taken into consideration.

I want one with a manual transmission, which isn't nearly as easy to find as one with the automatic, and I really don't need anything fancy for the farm. An XL with vinyl seats and no carpet on the floor would do just nicely, and most folks go with the XLT or Laramie, which is a prettier and fancier truck for every day use. I need a mudder, something I can hose out when I get mud or cow manure in it.

Thanks for the input.

mullins87 · June 2003

I've heard of some dealerships that don't even know about the additive. So regular dealership servicing won't guarantee proper coolant additive maintenance. As far as how far one will go without the additive, I honestly have no idea. I do know of guys that keep their trucks two to three years, with upwards of 100k on them, trade them in just before the warranty expires and have no idea what the coolant additive is. Any real diesel mechanic can give you examples of failed engines due to cavitation, so it is a real concern.

You seem to want a similar truck to what I originally wanted. A good used XL will be tough to find. Most people that buy those will work the snot out of them to the point where they are on their last leg, I found that out when looking for my truck. I got very lucky in that I found a 6-speed XLT without any of the fancy extras. You may have to order a new one to get the truck you want.

bmaige · June 2003

That's what I'm thinking, too. If you go into the used vehicles that are for sale on the internet and look for 3/4 or 1 ton trucks with diesel engines you can find a pile of them with automatic transmissions and fancy attire. Limit the search to manual transmissions in any attire, however, and you find very few. Most, though, are XLT and Lariat models with all the bells and whistles.

I guess I got spoiled. I bought a used 1971
F-250 in 1971 with only 16,000 miles on it. New they were around $6,000.00 at the time, and used 3/4 tons weren't worth much. I got it for $2900.00 and drove it for nearly 30 years to 100,000 miles. Best deal I ever got on a used vehicle. I know what you are thinking. I was nervous about the low mileage and a brand new truck being traded in. I found the guy's name in the glove compartment that traded it in, looked him up, and asked why he got rid of it before I bought it. He pointed to a new, fancier one sitting there and said he just wanted a fancier truck, so I asked if he was in the market for a truck if he would buy the one he traded in. When he said "In a heartbeat," I went back and bought it. I guess I'm still looking for one of those deals--which are gone with the dinosaurs.

Thanks for the help.

Bob

mullins87 · June 2003

You say you are wanting to use the truck around the farm, but don't say anything beyond that. If you don't mind putting up with the size of a dually, I'd suggest taking a look at those. When I was looking for my truck, I originally looked for an F-250 PSD 6-speed long bed in either the Super or Crew Cab, preferred the XL but would have taken an XLT. What I found was the XL's were trashed, the XLT's were all dolled up. About a year into the search, yes I said a year, I started to notice the duallies were priced a couple thousand under the single rear wheels. It has to be supply and demand, everybody want's one of these trucks, but they don't want a dually. I ended up buying a two year old dually with only 80k on it for under $20k. It it a 6-speed, but an XLT, a little nicer than what I wanted.

On the local dealers lot, I have noticed the loaded up XLT Crew Cab 4x4 duallies are priced a little bit higher than the comparable single rear wheeled trucks, however they aren't moving off the lot as quickly either. I bet they could be had for the same price or maybe even cheaper than the single rear wheel trucks.

bmaige · June 2003

Actually, a dually would be better for towing a cow trailer full of cows, as our trailer has a longer front compartment than back, so that tends to load the tongue heavier than the rear. Going through gates with the extra width of the rear fenders would take some getting used to--and maybe repairing a couple of times.

Thinking about it, I haven't seen many duallies on the lots around here, though. Most of the guys use the single rears. That's good advice, though, and I'll check it out.

Bob

mullins87 · June 2003

If you've got the time to search far and wide, and you have the cash ready to go when you come across one, you'll get a good deal. Good luck and let us know when you find one.

marq011 · June 2003

I have a three week old 2003 F-150 Super Crew. I was pretty happy until the other morning when it wouldn't start. It would turn over but immediately stall. I got it to start once (poorly) by stepping on the gas while starting it. It stalled anyway. Had it towed to dealer who could find no problem. Thinks it might have been a glitch with the anti-theft system. Anyone else ever had this problem?

mullins87 · June 2003

So, according to the dealership, a three week old vehicle that won't start does not constitute a problem. Jeez!

bess · June 2003

Sounds like an IAC. (Idle air control). When this fails, the truck will start, and run as long as your giving it gas. However if you let off the gas the rpms will just drop to 0.

This happened with my 00 SuperDuty (5.4L) at around 25k miles. When it first occured, it seemed permanent, however I wanted to get it home, so I just took the highway home (no stop lights etc). Having 5sp tranny made it easy to keep from stalling. However when I got home, it was idling fine. A similar thing happened the next day, so I took it to the shop where they replaced the IAC.

midnight_stang · June 2003

Could be a MAF sensor got unplugged or a vacuum line got disconnected.

fito1 · June 2003

Hey Guys,

Took my 2003 F-150-5.4-4X4-3.73 to the dealer because of a buzzing/vibration I felt through the accelerator, which was very noticable to myself and the dealer between 55-65 mph. You really feel it when the rpm's drop to around 1600 at around 58-60 mph. The mechanic moved a few lines around(throttle cable and power steering line) but I still feel it. I only feel the buzzing on acceleration and at the cruising speed/rpm's mentioned above. It is driving me crazy trying to figure out what could be wrong. Any suggestions??? Thanks.

wijoco · June 2003

Hello, I have a tough question here:
1976 F100 302/C4. I need to put rear axle seals on this truck, then drain and refill the rear end. It's tough enough figuring out what seals I need (I havent done the job yet, and I've learned I'll have to take the old seals up to Advance to match them up), but my real problem now is deciding whether or not I have some type of limited slip rear on it. I need to know whether or not to put additive in with the new fluid. The axle appears to be the standard Ford-built unit. Axle code is "12J", which I Googled to death but still couldn't make sense of. I can't find an ID tag on the differential, by the way. Any help is appreciated.

marq011 · June 2003

Thanks for the advice. I was under the hood and all wiring looks OK. Sensors plugged in. I'll keep the IAC in mind if it happens again. So far it hasn't happened again. Which worries me. What about a vapor lock or fuel pump glitch? My driveway is on an up incline. When the truck was on flat pavement (at dealership) it started fine.

midnight_stang · June 2003

Try this link:
http://www.drivetrain.com/noslipfordtruck.html#Pick-Up%20F100-F15- 0

Scroll to the bottom and it appears to me (as I read it) that you have a limited slip, however I've seen other pages referring the "J" as a reference to power steering on a 71 bronco. 12 could be 2.73 gears, but I'm not positive. Are there any other markings on the differential housing?

wijoco · June 2003

Thanks, as best I understand it the "alpha code" is the letter that comes before the number, though. ( I got the number off the door certification plate). I may put some limited slip additive in it just to be safe. I guess if it isn't limited slip and I add the stuff it can't hurt it.

wacdmc2000 · June 2003

I just purchased an F-150 yesterday. When I test drove it, the road was rough and did not notice a vibration in what appears to be tires/wheels. Vibration slower but evident at 40mph and as vehicle speeds up, vibration also speeds up. Had dealer replace "General" tires with a brand I have never heard of called "Hancook," apparently made by Goodyear. New tires cured a lot of vibration but not all, especially at high speeds.

Could this be a bent wheel? And, what is the opinion of these Hancook tires? I plan on having dealer swap out the wheels and make them put on BF Goodrich tires.

Any other suggestions? Anyone elso have this problem? Mileage is less than 200 miles.

Thanks

wpalkowski · June 2003

Is this a first truck for you? F150 rides pretty smooth for a truck, but still doesn't ride like a car. There are vibrations in my trucks that I take for granted, but wouldn't tolerate if they happened in my car. Does your truck have all-season, or all terrain tires? AT tires can be noisier/rougher riding. What's the tire pressures? Does this vibration happen all of the time, or only when engine is under load? Is it ground speed dependent or engine speed dependent?If you're feeling vibration and shift truck into neutral is it still there? Only other thought, could the rear drive shaft be out of balance? Kinda rare but it happens.
    Have they done a dynamic spin balance of tires or just a static balance? Do they have the system that allows them to spin balance tire/wheel while it's mounted on truck? That will usually rule out any imbalance in tire, wheel and hubs. (Unfortunately, most dealers can't do this and would have to send you to a specialty tire shop.)
    Is the truck a 4x4? If so, does it have automatic or manual hubs? Could front hubs be locked, without having front transfer case engaged? Might be feeling front shafts turning. When my F350 was brand new, 4x4 drivetrain took a while to break in, could feel vibrations etc. Within a couple thousand miles gears broke in and meshed better resulting in less noise/vibration.
   Hancooks are an okay tire from what I know, they're just a aftermarket brand; not outstanding tires but generally competent tires. Probably as good as OEM tires that Ford puts on the trucks.
  These problems can be maddening, especially when you just plunked down a large chuck of change for a brand new vehicle. Good luck.

Walt

leighb72 · July 2003

I have a 2001 F150 XLT super cab 2X4 with the 4.6 and auto trans. Problem started when truck was new. The truck now has 38,000 miles and still has a vibration that kicks in at about 45 MPH and stays to about 70 MPH in overdrive, converter locked. My latest repair attempt started in January. Ford replaced the tail shaft of the trans, drive shaft and the rear axle assembly. Now the problem is worse than it was when I took it in and Ford has said this vibration is normal after completing $3,500.00 in repairs. I have met with the Dispute Settlement Board(DSB) once, they said to give Ford another chance to fix it. I did and Ford said the vibration is normal. So once again I am looking to the DSB hoping for a refund. Has anyone else had similar vibration problems.

vinny10 · July 2003

One of the electrical problems I have is that with the 97 F-150 the windshield wipers go on for no apparent reason and the beep that turns on like when you have left your lights on comes on for no apparant reason The door agar light comes on for no reason too. Could there be a short thats causing this? Has anyone else had this problem?

bobdp · July 2003

I have a 2000 F250 with 67,000 miles on it. This weekend I pulled into the driveway (slight slope) and put it in Park. It started rolling down the driveway with a clicking sound coming from underneith. I took it to the local Ford place and they advised that it is a bad part he called a "claw" that locks the transmission into Park. He also said that they have been seeing quite a bit of these parts going bad.

There was no sign of trouble before the problem started. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know if it is bad enough for Ford to have issued a recall?

wpalkowski · July 2003

Have heard of it. When you park on a hill with parking brake on, did you ever hear a loud clunk when you shifted into srive or reverse, anf went to move again? Stress on tranny from holding back truck gets released and you hear the bang. Over time, this can cause problem. If you need to park on hill, shift into neutral, set the parking brake first, then put tranny in Park. That way you won't wear out the "claw"

edevlin · August 2003

3 weeks ago, I bought a 2003 F150 Supercrew. The ride turned out to be very bumpy from 20-45, but the dealer/tire co said that everything is fine. Personally, I think General tires are horrible. The truck used to shake but since I got the tires balanced, it is just bumpy. Any suggestions and reasons for this?

Also, I stupidly got the 4.6L engine and was wondering if it still would be okay to tow a small horse trailer. I can't believe I didn't get the tow package. The 4.6 is terrible on gas, so I can imagine what the 5.4 would be like, and I think the bigger V-8 is what the tow package usually comes with. But, Ford suggests that I only tow a max of 2000 lbs., which I find hard to believe. Would it be worth it for me to get the auxiliary engine cooler and heavy duty shocks added?

feedup1 · August 2003

I own a 2000 f-150 4X4 with the 5.4, 38000 now. After several trips to my selling dealer for water intrusion into the cab and having the GEM module replaced and the fuse panel and the starter (shorted due to the GEM module)The dealer said it was due to a windsheild leak , I had the windsheild resealed even thow it didn't need it after water testing the seals. and yet another trip to the dealer this time they said it was the seal at the top of the fire wall where the wiper motor panel meets the fire wall. does anyone have a clue on how to seal this seam , their is only very limited access to this seam , and for any of you that have "gremlins" in your f-150 , this may be your problem also as the GEM module is very sencitive to water

wpalkowski · August 2003

The SCrew is only rated for 2K lbs? It's gotta be more than that! Is the 2K rating for a bumper hitch? How about for a real frame mounted hitch? My Honda Odyssey can pull 3500 lbs. with proper hitch, and that's only a moderate sized 6 cyl.
     Do you know what the gear ratio is in the rear axle? If you've still got the new car sticker, it should show it on there somewhere. It should read something like 3.23:1; that's the number of revolutions the driveshaft makes for each turn of the rear wheels. Small number = less torque & less towing capability. Higher number (4.30:1) = loads of torque to rear wheels, increased towing capacity. F150s typically have smaller numbers.
    If you're going to tow with it, definitely upgrade the engine cooling. Will it take a bigger radiator? You can add fans, etc.. Also get an auxilliary cooler for the automatic transmission - tranny takes biggest beating when towing, overheating. it can be extremely expensive. Better shocks would help too. Look into at getting (at least) a Class III hitch and a wiring harness. Depending on how heavy trailer is you may want to also get an auxilliary trailer brake controller.
You should be able to do a single horse trailer reasonably well. (1200 lb trailer 1000-1500 lb horse plus tack & gear.); think you'd be overly ambitious to try to pull a double. Either way I probably wouldn't want to be stuck behind you when you're pulling that trailer up a steep hill. It'll get there, but it won't be quick.
   As far as bumpiness. Is this your first truck? It's not gonna ride like your car. Is this a 4x4? Four wheel suspension may be a bit less compliant and feel bumpier. Only other thing I can think of is possibly they put extra air in the tires when they shipped truck to dealer. Make sure tires are at the proper pressures as recommended by the sticker on the pillar inside the driver's door. Don't underinflate though - that can cause blow outs from excessive heat build up.

mullins87 · August 2003

My father has an F-150 with the 4.6 and he pulls a small boat with it, probably in the 2,500 to 3,000 lb range. His truck is probably a little lighter than yours, his being a supercab 2wd shortbed. I can tell you from personal towing experience with his truck, the boat all but disappears behind his truck. Few dealers under estimate towing capacity, but I think yours did, unless of course he was referring to either the bumper capacity - which I believe is 5k - or he's trying to selling you another truck.

The 5.4 won't be much worse on mileage. I don't have one, but everyone that I know reports about the same mileage as I get when driving my dad's truck, 15 around town and 17 on the road.

Walt's post above covered most everything about the ride quality not being carlike. However, let me throw one more suggestion as to the bumpy ride. The wheelbase length and the spacing of any frostheaves in the roads you travel could be setting up an oscillation in the suspension when you drive 20-45 mph. You can try different tires and shocks and some improvements may be noticed, however you could make the ride worse.

You mentioned the "horrible" General tires. A lot of people don't like them, but I have been using them for about 20 years with only one blowout to date.

gawthorpe · August 2003

Hello:
I have a '03 250 Crew Cab 4X4 XLT Long Bed. My engine is the 7.2 Diesel and the rear end on it is a 377 with positraction. I now have 16000 miles on it and I am disapointed by 14 mpg. I was expecting closer to 19 and am concerned about the cause of this low mileage. I am worrying about nothing or do you have suggestions? Thanks in advance for your input.
Erik

wpalkowski · August 2003

I've heard a range of mileages for the 7.3L PowerStroke - your's is closer to the bottom end, but still reasonable. Keep in mind you've got just about the heaviest F250 there is. The 4x4, crew cab, long bed with the diesel probably make you almost 600-700 pounds heavier than a reg cab, 2wd, short bed, diesel. Also are you carrying anything in the bed - tool box, etc? The 4x4 drivetrain, even when it isn't engaged incurs some friction losses as well. It all adds up to reduce mpg. I've got F350, 4x4, CC, Longbed, auto with 3.73 LS with a V10 - I'm lucky if I coast down a hill in neutral with a strong tail wind to get 14 mpg.
Other thoughts on the 7.3 - cleaned/replaced your air filter yet? Could be getting dirty at 16K miles and robbing you of a bit of mpgs. Does your engine have the "cackle?" There's some small design flaw with injector #7(?) that makes funny noise and robs some mileage.

mullins87 · August 2003

I'm not sure if the 03's were cackle pigs or not. 16,000 miles on a diesel really isn't broken in yet, it may take up to 30,000 miles. Walt's right about the weight of your truck, it's the heaviest one out there. The only thing heavier would be if it were a 350 dually. I've been told every 500 lbs extra will cost you 1/2 mpg. You are in the range of typical mileages. Keep the air and fuel filters clean.

gawthorpe · August 2003

Walt and Mullins:
Thank you for your information. I will remain calm for 20,000 more miles. I appreciate your help
Erik

bmaige · August 2003

Anybody hear anything good about a fix for the 6.0 liter diesel? From what I've seen it appears to be glitches in the electronic control rather than the engine itself. Anyone heard any different?

deputystoneman · August 2003

I get lots of static and weak reception on the AM radio side of my 1993 f-150, 4.9 six equiped trckk. new wires and plugs. any ideas?

mac24 · August 2003

Could be the alternator, but realistically, when everything is ten years old it could be anything. I think I'd make sure the case of the radio still has a good ground, and then I'd replace the antenna and make sure the new one gets a good ground. If that doesn't fix it it's probably time to treat yourself to a new radio.

2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

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