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Ford F-Series: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

2180 messages,  Last post on Nov 26, 2006 at 10:18 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford F-150, Ford F-250, Ford F-350, Ford F-100, Truck

Messages Page 66 of 219

#648 of 2180 ford f-150 wiper problems by fordgirl

Jun 10, 2004 (11:06 am)

I have a 1998 for f-150 with a lot of serious problems that I have been dealing with lately. I am starting to think I have an electrical problem. I bought the lemon check and nothing showed up but it seems that my truck has been submerged in water at some point in its life. So my question is...How do I fix my wipers?, they dont work at all. They used to work speraticly. and i noticed that when my interior lights dont work that my wipers dont either.(i know they arent related in any way but im telling you thats what happens)All the fuses for the lights and wipers are ok.So do i need a new motor? HOw do i tell someone please help me
Im only 21 and this is my first truck and its sucks so please help
thanks crystal

#649 of 2180 Electronic shift on fly problems by georgie52josh

Jun 11, 2004 (5:18 pm)

i own a 2002 Ford F 150 Supercrew 4 x 4 with ESOF.
My problem is that the shift knob physically moves from 2H to 4H (and sometimes even to 4L)with =no effort on my part or any touching of the shift knob.
I have been to my Ford dealer twice- about a month ago they replaced the GEM module and the second time (2 weeks ago) the Ford dealer replaced the shift knob itself. The problem still repeated itself earlier this week (after both repair attempts) I am getting frustrated!!!!
Suggestions????????
georgie52josh

#650 of 2180 Re: ford f-150 wiper problems [fordgirl #648] by wpalkowski

Jun 12, 2004 (5:03 am)

Replying to: fordgirl (Jun 10, 2004 11:06 am)
FordGirl,
  Sorry about your problems. A few thoughts, and questions. Are the wipers and the interior lights on the same fuse in your truck, or are they two different circuits?
 
Anyway, rule out all the simple stuff first. Check your fuses mechanically. I had a problem on one vehicle where the fuse wasn't blown, but the clip in the panel wasn't holding it well. The circuit would work sporadically depending on how bumpy the road was that I went over. Turn wipers or lights on, try wiggling the fuse and wiring harnesses, if things come on momentarily you'll have a good clue. Another time I had a circuit stop working, and visually the fuse looked fine, yet when I checked it with an Ohm meter, the fuse was open.
  You mention that you think that the vehicle was submerged. Are there water marks, or corrosion? Even if it wasn't, water could still be at the root of the problem. If there's a leak around the windshield, water could be dripping down behind the dashboard, wreaking havoc on your electrical system and electronics. Windshield leaks have been a bone of contention with some Superduty (F250/350) trucks - causes weird electrical symptoms. Look closely at the fuse panel, and wiring connectors, is there any corrosion or staining evident? If there is, and it isn't too bad you can clean it up yourself, - Q-tips, rubbing alchohol clean up dirt. If there's corrosion, you can clean electrical contacts with fine sand paper, or an emory stick. If corrosion is bad, then you may need replacement parts.
   One other thing, F150 has an electrical controller called a G.E.M. (General Electronics Module?). They are kind of the master controller for the vehicle, handles lights, turn signals, wipers, flashers, etc. When these start to go, again you get weird electrical behavior. Ford Rangers, and Explorers from 5-6 years back had a rash of GEM problems.
   There are alot of other things can cause your problems. You could just have a bad switch, if you bypass it, you could at least see if you wiper motor is okay. You could have a bad electrical ground somewhere. Unfortunately, you'd probably need a shop manual on how to diagnose and troubleshoot these type of things.
 
Good luck. I know electrical gremlins can drive you nuts.

#651 of 2180 Ford V-10 Engines by bmaige

Jun 14, 2004 (3:59 am)

I have been looking for some time now for a one ton 4 wheel drive truck with a crew cab to use to drive personally, as well as on the farm for towing cow trailers, driving through pastures, plowed fields, woods, and so forth. Being frugal, having not bought a truck in--well--a number of years--, and after looking for some time I am still somewhat numbed by the prices I've encountered on even used ones. I had been adamant about a diesel, but have seen a price about $12,000.00 lower on a low mileage, used truck with a V-10. I know it won't pull quite the load a diesel will, and certainly won't get the fuel mileage a diesel will, but I can buy a lot of gas for the difference.
 
My question is, how good is the V-10, how strong is it actually towing, and what experiences have any of you had with them? I wouldn't expect but around 12 miles per gallon, if that, on one. Anyone out there who can help?
 
Thanks for listening.

#652 of 2180 Ford V-10 Engine by bmaige

Jun 15, 2004 (4:10 am)

I went into the archives of Town Hall and looked at the V-10 discussions there. Some are several years old, but there seems to be no major problem mentioned and generally the impression of owners appears to be good, other than the gas mileage, which seemed to be around what I had anticipated. Does anyone have any information on the newer ones that I should consider before buying one?
 
I appreciate any help or information anyone can offer.

#653 of 2180 BMaige by wpalkowski

Jun 15, 2004 (6:48 am)

I have an '01 F350 V10, 4x4,long bed, with a 3.73 rear end, that has about 29K on the odometer. I have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with this engine. The truck gets used for myriad different things. It tows a 30' travel trailer that's about 9K lbs wet. It tows another trailer that's about 11K when I borrow a skid steer. Truck has more than ample power for either of these tasks. (Though, I do live practically at sea level, and have not towed up any mountains bigger than Alleganys and the Catskills.) I've also had 4,000 lbs plus in the bed, and have been able to safely merge onto the highway, with out having to floor the throttle. I surprise little "Ricer" cars from a stoplight with the acceleration of this motor especially considering it's pushing a 7000 lb+ truck - it will chirp the tires on first two upshifts when pushed hard.
    There are three problems I've heard of on the V10. First is that on '99, thru '01 models the cylinder head only has about 6 threads to hold the spark plugs in place. If the plugs are torqued too tightly, they can deform the threads, and engine can spit out a plug - have heard it happen on a few higher mileage engines. Plugs are supposed to last for 100k miles between changes, but my mechanic told me that to avoid the problem, the plugs should be taken out, and retorqued every 25-30K miles. Plug removal is a bit tedious, because there are individual coil modules on each plug, and some of plugs towards rear of motor are awkward to get to, resulting in some skinned knuckles. But cheaper than having the head removed to put a heli-coil in for a new plug.
   Second V10 problem is noise that comes from the y-pipe in the exhaust header at certain engine speeds. Noise is called "the Flutter." Basically its a resonance that occurs in the exhaust stream at about 2500-3000 rpm. Almost makes motor sound like a diesel. Ford changed the y-pipe in early '01. There's also a heat shield near this pipe that contributes to this noise, it either touched or resonates with the y-pipe. Exhaust flutter is only an annoyance, and causes no damage. After mid '01 Ford appears to have solved this.
    Third, is called piston slap. Very early models of 5.4 V8, 6.8 V10 had this on cold statup. Piston was not bored out to proper spec - piston banged top of cylinder head until engine fully warmed up. Supposedly, wasn't a fatal problem, but Ford apparently replaced all of these motors when owners complained. Only happened very early in '99 model year.
     Power of engine is awesome. I love to put my foot into it. Drawback is fuel consumption. On the highway, I can get around 12-13 mpg. 14 MPG is possible at a constant 55 mph, while going down hill, with a 30 mph tailwind, while drafting behind a tractor-trailer. Above 70 mph, the aerodynamics of the truck makes it really get thirsty! City driving is usually ~10 mpg. Towing gets painful. With RV, I can get 9-10 mpg if I drive like my Great Grandmother. Towing the skid steer it's like 7-8 mpg. Fuel tank on long bed holds 39 gallons - a fill up at $2.25/gallon is excruciatingly painful. I think a short bed only has a 26 gal. tank. (This truck is not my daily driver, so I can live with the fuel cost.) You can also get a V10 with 4.30:1 rear end, this would give more torque for towing - with ~1 mpg mileage penalty.
   Basically, if you don't tow heavy all of the time, where you'd need the better mileage that a diesel would give, the V10 is an excellent alternative. You have more HP than Powerstroke, and still get about 80% of the diesel's torque; without having to worry about diesel fuel and maintenance issues, glow plugs, low temperature starting, etc.
  V10 with the Ford Superduty chassis is a great truck. You can beat the snot out of it every day, and it will take it in stride.

#654 of 2180 Thanks for the Info, wpalkowski by bmaige

Jun 15, 2004 (3:08 pm)

Sounds as if the V-10 would do what I need a larger truck for very nicely and at less purchase cost. Also sounds as if it would behoove me to look for one from 2001 up. You mentioned the price of gas you use in yours. Does that engine require midgrade or higher gas, or does it run on low grade?
 
Thanks for the help!

#655 of 2180 bmaige by wpalkowski

Jun 16, 2004 (7:24 am)

You're welcome.
 
Runs on regular unleaded in stock form. Tried premium a couple of time when towing in hilly areas, but didn't see any difference in power for the extra money.
One added plus for '01 and newer V10: Ford bumped up power of engines by about 20 HP and ~40 ft-lbs of torque over the '99, and 00 engines.

#656 of 2180 That's A Big Help by bmaige

Jun 16, 2004 (4:12 pm)

I think I'll go with the V-10. Diesels are great for the user that hauls heavy loads frequently, even more so if it is over long distances. If I felt I could justify the additional cost of a diesel as I will be using it I would opt to go with one, but I will be towing the heaviest loads just a few times a year over a relatively short distance, and not driving the truck far when I use it unloaded, which I don't think is good for a diesel to begin with.
 
Thanks again for the input.

#657 of 2180 F350 Diesel Vibrating at Idle by tflo

Jun 23, 2004 (9:08 am)

I have a 99 F-350 SuperDuty diesel truck. Recently I've noticed that when I drive it hard with a trailer in tow, I get a really bad vibration when I come to an idle. I took it to the dealer and they said I needed an oil change (which it was time for). They said it had no other codes other than oil airation. Even after the oil change the problem still persists, I can drive along 75mph and not really notice any problem, when I decelerate and come to an idle the engine is missing badly and when I take off again. Once I get the RPM's up you cannot feel the miss anymore. When I'm driving with no load, I have not noticed the problem, only under loaded conditions. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Messages Page 66 of 219

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