Power Stroke woes

Minimization · March 23, 2006

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...E/60320013/1041

pknowles · March 23, 2006

To little, to late.

Daubs · March 24, 2006

buddy has a late model 7.3L PowerStroke. He was just telling me this weekend how the 6.0's suck-a$$ and are causing guys lots of trouble.

He's happy with his 7.3 and wanting to get new superduty, but going to wait. I've been trying to lure him from the dark side...(or is that too the dark side?)

Roofer · March 24, 2006

I have a friend that cannot be helped. He had a 2002 7.3L F350, liked it but had to get the new PSD. Bought a 2003 6.0, it was junk, traded it in. Got a 2004 6.0, "these new ones are fixed now!" he says. Turned out garbage, traded it in a few weeks ago for a 2006 F350 PSD. He says "this one better be a good one".

I said "I told you those things were junk 4 years ago when I got my Dmax". Still doesn't matter, just keeps buying and replacing those Fords.

Haulin' 8.1 · March 24, 2006

Here's an excert from a recent post I answered on my home board, Thunderbird Underground. On most car club forums I go by Manic Mechanic. One of the guys test drove a new Fusion and liked it enough to consider buying and wanted some opinions.

Manic Mechanic wrote:

Quote:

Maintenence on Fords will be a spoiler.

sweetsc wrote:

Do you care to elaborate on that?

Chris

The plastic intakes will leak vacuum where they meet metal. The plastic intakes will split where they carry coolant. They get replaced with an updated manifold with metal that they won't install on the assembly line. The rubber in the PCV system will soften, swell, and leak vacuum. The timing chains tensioner that fails will be the one on the back side behind the transmission where no timing chain should be. The tune ups will take three times longer and cost twice as much due to plug access. The EGR delta pressure flow sensor will fail and get replaced with the updated part that they won't use on the assembly line. The camshaft sensor vane will eventually somehow collide with the sensor and render both junk. The coils will fail one at a time until you give up and replace them all. The theromostat will stick open and then due to the cooler operating temperatures the EGR system will carbon lock. The MAF will go bad but the CEL won't come on because they did away with a BARO sensor and use the MAF reading to infer barometric conditons, in other words no double check system. My transmission man does most of his business in Fords and they all need a ton of updates when rebuilt. The front brake rotors are part of the hub and have to be turned on the vehicle limiting your choice of repair shops and raising the costs since you can't do it yourself. They burn down houses. They burn themselves down. The underhood label will specify the wrong plugs that when used in error will lead to ring wear and a useless engine. The brakes will have a problematic system that once has failed will give you no warning until you really have to stop but can't, and a new system will cost over $1500 at the counter before labor. The window regulators will strip at the slightest snag and quit working even though the motor and track is great. The odometers quit working for no apparent reason but it will happen. The head gaskets blow at the slightest chance. The brakes are undersized and warp with use. It takes about 10 minutes to replace a GM O2 sensor but it takes over an hour to replace a Ford O2 sensor and the exhaust system has to be cool to the touch. They're overly complex in the engine department with no apparent advantage to it and more cost and maintenence because of it. Their rear view mirrors pop loose when you adjust them in the heat. You have to remove the entire dash board to replace the heater core. They change gas caps so often that even the dealer will give you the wrong one. The battery is right in front of the PCM and vacuum harness so when some dummy throws his cover away acid residue ruins his truck. Sometimes with all the factory literature and tools you still can't fix an intermitant electrical problem that frys the PCM or kills the ignition so it ends up being scrapped. They put ignition modules in spots where the radient heat eventually kills them. The harmonic dampeners fail more often on thier crank triggered cars but no CEL just runs crappy and starts taking out catalysts and other things until they find someone like me who knows what is happening. Their power steering pumps whine to much. You have to have a copy of the owners manual to identify any fuse or relay or determine what type of coolant it came with after the owner mixed them not knowing any better because they don't read the owners manual that is under a pile of blankets in the hall closet. Their IACs eventually clog and the engine won't idle cold or at all until it's cleaned or replaced, no CEL. If you drop something on a Ford modular engine it's as good as gone 50% of the time. Their dealer techs make more stupid mistakes than others and usually an enthusiasts knows more about their vehicles than the techs who are supposed to diagnose and repair them. They drop any part at the 7 year cut off and if it's close enough your order will keep getting lost or canceled until it's now 7 years out of production and obsolete, here's your money we've been holding for 6 months while it was on back order.

I realize that every manufacturer has issues it's just that in my personal experience Ford has the most by far and more of theirs have bit my own hand so I'll fix other peoples but I won't buy any more.

Vernon

CarlileLandOwner (another automotive tech) wrote:

I can attest to all of this ... d**n its true.

And to tell the truth I have thought of quite a few more reasons in the few days since.

Vernon

dcsnyder · March 30, 2006

Here's an excert from a recent post I answered on my home board, Thunderbird Underground. On most car club forums I go by Manic Mechanic. One of the guys test drove a new Fusion and liked it enough to consider buying and wanted some opinions.

Manic Mechanic wrote:

Quote:

Maintenence on Fords will be a spoiler.

sweetsc wrote:

Do you care to elaborate on that?

Chris

The plastic intakes will leak vacuum where they meet metal. The plastic intakes will split where they carry coolant. They get replaced with an updated manifold with metal that they won't install on the assembly line. The rubber in the PCV system will soften, swell, and leak vacuum. The timing chains tensioner that fails will be the one on the back side behind the transmission where no timing chain should be. The tune ups will take three times longer and cost twice as much due to plug access. The EGR delta pressure flow sensor will fail and get replaced with the updated part that they won't use on the assembly line. The camshaft sensor vane will eventually somehow collide with the sensor and render both junk. The coils will fail one at a time until you give up and replace them all. The theromostat will stick open and then due to the cooler operating temperatures the EGR system will carbon lock. The MAF will go bad but the CEL won't come on because they did away with a BARO sensor and use the MAF reading to infer barometric conditons, in other words no double check system. My transmission man does most of his business in Fords and they all need a ton of updates when rebuilt. The front brake rotors are part of the hub and have to be turned on the vehicle limiting your choice of repair shops and raising the costs since you can't do it yourself. They burn down houses. They burn themselves down. The underhood label will specify the wrong plugs that when used in error will lead to ring wear and a useless engine. The brakes will have a problematic system that once has failed will give you no warning until you really have to stop but can't, and a new system will cost over $1500 at the counter before labor. The window regulators will strip at the slightest snag and quit working even though the motor and track is great. The odometers quit working for no apparent reason but it will happen. The head gaskets blow at the slightest chance. The brakes are undersized and warp with use. It takes about 10 minutes to replace a GM O2 sensor but it takes over an hour to replace a Ford O2 sensor and the exhaust system has to be cool to the touch. They're overly complex in the engine department with no apparent advantage to it and more cost and maintenence because of it. Their rear view mirrors pop loose when you adjust them in the heat. You have to remove the entire dash board to replace the heater core. They change gas caps so often that even the dealer will give you the wrong one. The battery is right in front of the PCM and vacuum harness so when some dummy throws his cover away acid residue ruins his truck. Sometimes with all the factory literature and tools you still can't fix an intermitant electrical problem that frys the PCM or kills the ignition so it ends up being scrapped. They put ignition modules in spots where the radient heat eventually kills them. The harmonic dampeners fail more often on thier crank triggered cars but no CEL just runs crappy and starts taking out catalysts and other things until they find someone like me who knows what is happening. Their power steering pumps whine to much. You have to have a copy of the owners manual to identify any fuse or relay or determine what type of coolant it came with after the owner mixed them not knowing any better because they don't read the owners manual that is under a pile of blankets in the hall closet. Their IACs eventually clog and the engine won't idle cold or at all until it's cleaned or replaced, no CEL. If you drop something on a Ford modular engine it's as good as gone 50% of the time. Their dealer techs make more stupid mistakes than others and usually an enthusiasts knows more about their vehicles than the techs who are supposed to diagnose and repair them. They drop any part at the 7 year cut off and if it's close enough your order will keep getting lost or canceled until it's now 7 years out of production and obsolete, here's your money we've been holding for 6 months while it was on back order.

I realize that every manufacturer has issues it's just that in my personal experience Ford has the most by far and more of theirs have bit my own hand so I'll fix other peoples but I won't buy any more.

Vernon

CarlileLandOwner (another automotive tech) wrote:

I can attest to all of this ... d**n its true.

And to tell the truth I have thought of quite a few more reasons in the few days since.

Vernon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>