Ford gone bad?

[Limomike]

I dont know how many of you own a Ford truck, but I have now gotten my doubts about their gas engines. I have a 99 4x4 with a 5.4 ltr in it, and it just blew a plug! Now I am finding out that it is a problem with the heads that Ford installed on the 97-2002 V8's and V10's. Dealer told me that the head should be replaced at $3700; or have a kit installed (like a heli-coil) to fix the problem for ONLY $433. Now finding out it has been a problem for years, and Ford will not do anything about it. Some lawyer in Cali has a petition going of for a lawsuit, or for a recall to be done by Ford to fix the problem. It is actually a spark plug thread defect; by Ford only allowing 5 threads in the aluminum head for the plug to seat.
No wonder those Japanese models are more reliable than ever; and people scramble to buy them.
Better stick to a diesel. (like my 95 chevy one ton)

 

[MikeC]

Changing spark plugs while the engine is hot can cause thread deterioration in especially aluminum heads but cast ones too.

Another problem is tightening them too much when changing plugs.

This problem holds true for all engine manufacturers whether they be German, Jap, or American....................

 

[ETF]

I just had to replace the automatic transmission in my 2001 F-150 SuperCrew at a cost of $2,300. :mad: It had 80,000 mostly highway miles and I had done very little hauling with it. The repair shop said it wasn't uncommon at all. Ford was completely unconcerned when I contacted them about it. I'll seriously look at a Toyota next time, particularly if they would make a F-250 equivalent and put a diesel engine in it.

 

[flaboy?]

Stuff happens to all brands. Does anyone think Ford is the only aluminum headed engine with this problem? Like MikeC said too much torque is not a good thing.

On the F150 tranny. You shouldn't feel bad. Tranny's go periodically in all brands. I know some Dodge 1500 guys who have put several rear ends under their trucks and I just don't associate with the GM folks at all.

Did ya ever have the tranny serviced in those 80K miles? I lost a tranny in one years ago right after the warranty ran out and it's hard to take. I had it rebuilt and then put another 100K on it. I sold it and until it got totaled is was doing just fine. Some times things break, sometimes things are just mistreated like me. :lol:

 

[Subsoil]

Stuff happens to all brands.

Stuff does happy to all brands. However, spark plug blow out happens much more frequently to Ford 5.4 engines than it does any other engine.

Do a quick search with any search engine with the words Ford Spark Plug Blowout and see how many pages of information you find. Then delete the word Ford and substitute any other brand (Chevrolet, Dodge, Volvo) and there will be lots less relevent information.

 

[flaboy?]

Stuff happens to all brands.

Stuff does happy to all brands. However, spark plug blow out happens much more frequently to Ford 5.4 engines than it does any other engine.

Do a quick search with any search engine with the words Ford Spark Plug Blowout and see how many pages of information you find. Then delete the word Ford and substitute any other brand (Chevrolet, Dodge, Volvo) and there will be lots less relevent information.

I took your test and you are right. Funny how none of my Ford buddies with 5.4's ever blew one out. A friend of mine just traded in his 189,000 mile 5.4 on a diesel. I drove the truck and it still ran like new before he traded it. I thought about buying it but with gas being over $3/gal I came to my senses.

 

[Txwalt]

I've been dealing with brake problems in my GM vehicles and was thinking about Ford next time. Now I'll have to rethink that!

Walt

 

[JMichal]

I've been dealing with brake problems in my GM vehicles and was thinking about Ford next time. Now I'll have to rethink that!

Walt

After years of both (40). I went to dodge 15 years now. Have had no problems with 4 different trucks (200,000 miles each). And I did try a 2001 Duramax (tranny out at 53 K Engine at 56 K) and a 2003 Ford Powerstroke 6 cyl. (Dead at 75K)

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I know some Dodge 1500 guys who have put several rear ends under their trucks and I just don't associate with the GM folks at all.

Hey Flaboy, next time you happen to be talking to some of them Dodge boys, tell them to ensure the dealer is installing the rear diffs correctly. When I had a 1500, I went through 2 rear ends until I found out the idiot mechanics weren't shimming them up properly. Dodge rear diffs, both old and new, are the absolute pickiest to install and you can't be out by more than 3 thou. After I told the mechanic the proper way (doesn't that sound arrogrant?) to install a Dodge rear diff, I put a hundred thousand on that truck pulling WAY too much weight for it. Others have had the same issue, and had to tell the service department how to properly install the diffs.

Rod

 

[Limomike]

Stuff happens to all brands.

Stuff does happy to all brands. However, spark plug blow out happens much more frequently to Ford 5.4 engines than it does any other engine.

Do a quick search with any search engine with the words Ford Spark Plug Blowout and see how many pages of information you find. Then delete the word Ford and substitute any other brand (Chevrolet, Dodge, Volvo) and there will be lots less relevent information.

I took your test and you are right. Funny how none of my Ford buddies with 5.4's ever blew one out. A friend of mine just traded in his 189,000 mile 5.4 on a diesel. I drove the truck and it still ran like new before he traded it. I thought about buying it but with gas being over $3/gal I came to my senses.

this problem is NOT happening to the diesel engines. And its NOT a problem with torque or anything of that nature. Its a basic design flaw that Ford has with the 97-02 V8's and V10 GAS engines. Read :http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_spark.html
Only about 190 pages of complaints from FORD V8 or V10 owners about the plug blowout problem.
The service department at the dealership where I live acknowledged that Ford knows there is a problem but they are not dealing with it because the NHTSA does not see it as a safety problem. Hence.. customers HAVE to pay for it themselves.

 

[Limomike]

Changing spark plugs while the engine is hot can cause thread deterioration in especially aluminum heads but cast ones too.

Another problem is tightening them too much when changing plugs.

This problem holds true for all engine manufacturers whether they be German, Jap, or American....................

This did NOT make any difference, because when my plugs were changed, I had the service department do it from the FORD dealership. That was over 35k miles ago.

 

[flaboy?]

I know some Dodge 1500 guys who have put several rear ends under their trucks and I just don't associate with the GM folks at all.

Hey Flaboy, next time you happen to be talking to some of them Dodge boys, tell them to ensure the dealer is installing the rear diffs correctly. When I had a 1500, I went through 2 rear ends until I found out the idiot mechanics weren't shimming them up properly. Dodge rear diffs, both old and new, are the absolute pickiest to install and you can't be out by more than 3 thou. After I told the mechanic the proper way (doesn't that sound arrogrant?) to install a Dodge rear diff, I put a hundred thousand on that truck pulling WAY too much weight for it. Others have had the same issue, and had to tell the service department how to properly install the diffs.

Rod

Thanks Rod, I will tell them. One friend of mine after two dealer changes went a got one from a junk yard and had a independent put the whole unit in drum to drum. No more problems but now he don't drive it much now as he bought a used diesel 2500. He took it (2002) to a dealer for the dash falling apart and they told him they needed to adjust the valves in his motor. He had less than 100K and manual says 150K. They told him "oh, these engines need adjusting every 30K or so". I told him to find a new dealer.

 

[Limomike]

I've been dealing with brake problems in my GM vehicles and was thinking about Ford next time. Now I'll have to rethink that!

Walt

Walt, I would seriously consider a diesel engine.. OR go to a Nisson Titan, or the Toyota Tundra. I gotta 95 chevy 1 ton diesel, and its still running strong at 256K miles.. and also have a Tacoma, with 95K (still like brand new) . My Ford I was speaking of here, has 115K, and I have had it worked on way too many times. (new front end, brakes, electrical, and now the blown plug incident) I am calling it quits with that truck.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

He took it (2002) to a dealer for the dash falling apart and they told him they needed to adjust the valves in his motor. He had less than 100K and manual says 150K. They told him "oh, these engines need adjusting every 30K or so". I told him to find a new dealer.

Yeah 30K is a little often for adjusting the valve lash on a Cummins, but 50K isn't too far out of line. I'm not sure what dream world the manual writers were living in when they said 150K.

And as far as Dodge service departments, I haven't found a good one yet. Its damned disappointing to buy a $50,000 truck and end up knowing more about the truck than the service guys. I finally quit taking my truck into the dealer for any work that needed doing. I simply removed the parts that needed fixing, took them into the service area (if there was warranty) and got new ones. That way I knew for sure that things were being done right (or at least, if there was a problem, I was the cause of it :lol: )

Rod

 

[flaboy?]

And as far as Dodge service departments, I haven't found a good one yet. Its damned disappointing to buy a $50,000 truck and end up knowing more about the truck than the service guys. I finally quit taking my truck into the dealer for any work that needed doing. I simply removed the parts that needed fixing, took them into the service area (if there was warranty) and got new ones. That way I knew for sure that things were being done right (or at least, if there was a problem, I was the cause of it :lol: )

Rod

Yeah, well don't feel bad. After the FORD service manager assuring me he had the best diesel techs available I got the deer in the head lights look when I started asking them specific questions. Seems all they know how to do is reprogram the ECU. :x

 

[Bobg]

Spark plugs stripping out isn't just a Ford problem, there are some GM cars that have the problem also. I most of it is how they are cared for. When I change plugs in my Olds Aurora with aluminum heads I alway put on anti-seize, which is what most mechanics recommend you do.

Bobg

 

[Limomike]

Spark plugs stripping out isn't just a Ford problem, there are some GM cars that have the problem also. I most of it is how they are cared for. When I change plugs in my Olds Aurora with aluminum heads I alway put on anti-seize, which is what most mechanics recommend you do.

Bobg

This has nothing to do with plugs just "stripping out". This is a problem Ford knows about, and the plugs are just blowing out! I personally think not only is it a poor design by having only 5 threads per plug; but I think Ford my have their timing set just a bit off.. causing the plugs to fire just a hair too soon. Just my opinion ....

 

[JHH]

And as far as Dodge service departments, I haven't found a good one yet. Its damned disappointing to buy a $50,000 truck and end up knowing more about the truck than the service guys. I finally quit taking my truck into the dealer for any work that needed doing. I simply removed the parts that needed fixing, took them into the service area (if there was warranty) and got new ones. That way I knew for sure that things were being done right (or at least, if there was a problem, I was the cause of it :lol: )

Rod

Yeah, well don't feel bad. After the FORD service manager assuring me he had the best diesel techs available I got the deer in the head lights look when I started asking them specific questions. Seems all they know how to do is reprogram the ECU. :x

That is why so many good techs end up quiting. They get stuck with all the B.S. work that doesnt pay any thing and the newbes get the gravy. Sorry had to vent.

Plugs on those engines are somewhat of a problem.

P.S. Diamondscattle co. The injection pump fixed that 98 dodge that I was having problems with. JHH

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

P.S. Diamondscattle co. The injection pump fixed that 98 dodge that I was having problems with. JHH

Ah, thats too bad. I spose the era of computer controlled engines has been an overall improvement, but sometimes it sure makes diagnosis a bear. Those VP44 equipped Cummins can be a real PIA, since the codes that are reported are very often not the root cause of the problem. I've seen that injector pump failure code dozens of times being caused by something entirely unrelated, so I always start diagnosis with the cheapest items first.

A good friend of mine had a 2002 with a slight surging issue at cruise. His codes showed an injection pump failure, so his dealer replaced the injector pump, then the ECM, then the PCM, then the lift pump, all to no avail. What it ended up being was a bad ground wire. Pre-2002 Dodges used a double ground from the engine block to frame, but in 2002 they switched to a single ground. I spose it was a cost saving measure, but if the ground strap corroded you'd get some funky things happening, and if it broke, you'd be stranded. All we did was replace his existing ground and added another, and all his troubles went away. Then he got mad and bought a 2003 with the common rail, and had the exact same things happening to him after a salty Minnesota winter. This time we did the grounds first and all was good.

Rod