2006 F-250 Multiple EGR Failures & More

[TheTechChik]

I had 35,800 miles on my 2006 F-250 on July 2nd and my warranty expired the following day. Up until this time the only problem I had was the turbo had to be replaced, but that was in the first 6 months and I haven't had any problems since. I requested a quote on an extended warranty and nearly choked on the coffee I was drinking at the time. At that price, it just isn't an option right now.

The following week and just days after the warranty expired, the "Check Engine" light comes on. Uh oh! On my way to the dealership the truck loses throttle response and blows black smoke. OH NO! Did I make a big mistake by not purchasing the extended warranty I thought. I had to have it towed in and was informed it was the egr valve and it's still under the drive train warranty. Whew, I felt like I had dodged a bullet.

Everything seemed fine for almost a month and then the "Check Engine" light comes on again. I take it to a different dealership this time and they diagnose it as the egr. Again? I asked why it would happen twice in such a short period of time and they say it was probably a defective replacement. Ok, I can buy that.

Again all seems well for a few weeks and then there it is again, the "Check Engine" light. I take it back to the most recent dealer and they dig deeper and now say that I need an egr cooler. Problem is, they don't have time to replace the egr cooler right now and I'll have to come back in a week. I explain that I cannot be without my truck for that long and they tell me that it's perfectly fine to drive it in the meantime, just ignore the "Check Engine" light on the dashboard. OK!?

A few days later, I notice a loss of power and see a puff of black smoke out of the tailpipe. OH SH**! I'm only 2 miles from the dealership, can I coax her into making it all the way there so I don't have to wait for a tow truck again? I gently ease on the throttle and manage to make it just inside the service door before I loose almost all power.

The tech said that he found a piece of carbon that had fallen off the intake and jammed the egr in the open position. They still didn't have time to get to the egr cooler (only 1 diesel tech) so he did something to force the egr to stay closed and said it would be fine to drive until next week when he will have the time to replace the egr cooler and the egr valve. He also said that he will replace the intake as well while he's at it because of the carbon build up.

This is getting long winded so I'll get to the point....

I've been reading a lot of posts here on dieselstop about egr coolers, oil coolers, head gaskets and total catastropic failures. Now I'm really starting to panic!

Does anyone have any thoughts on my situation? Should I park it and not be driving it? I certainly don't want to do any further damage to it. If it came right down to it, I'd never be able to prove that they told me it was ok to drive it. Is it possible that further damage has been done or could be done to the engine by continuing to drive it? What should I look for and what should I insist that the dealer look for and/or do as well?

I know this post is long but I wanted to be as clear as possible. Thanks for any advice you guys can give a girl.

Amanda

[bcollison1]

Originally Posted by TheTechChik

I had 35,800 miles on my 2006 F-250 on July 2nd and my warranty expired the following day. Up until this time the only problem I had was the turbo had to be replaced, but that was in the first 6 months and I haven't had any problems since. I requested a quote on an extended warranty and nearly choked on the coffee I was drinking at the time. At that price, it just isn't an option right now.

The following week and just days after the warranty expired, the "Check Engine" light comes on. Uh oh! On my way to the dealership the truck loses throttle response and blows black smoke. OH NO! Did I make a big mistake by not purchasing the extended warranty I thought. I had to have it towed in and was informed it was the egr valve and it's still under the drive train warranty. Whew, I felt like I had dodged a bullet.

Everything seemed fine for almost a month and then the "Check Engine" light comes on again. I take it to a different dealership this time and they diagnose it as the egr. Again? I asked why it would happen twice in such a short period of time and they say it was probably a defective replacement. Ok, I can buy that.

Again all seems well for a few weeks and then there it is again, the "Check Engine" light. I take it back to the most recent dealer and they dig deeper and now say that I need an egr cooler. Problem is, they don't have time to replace the egr cooler right now and I'll have to come back in a week. I explain that I cannot be without my truck for that long and they tell me that it's perfectly fine to drive it in the meantime, just ignore the "Check Engine" light on the dashboard. OK!?

A few days later, I notice a loss of power and see a puff of black smoke out of the tailpipe. OH SH**! I'm only 2 miles from the dealership, can I coax her into making it all the way there so I don't have to wait for a tow truck again? I gently ease on the throttle and manage to make it just inside the service door before I loose almost all power.

The tech said that he found a piece of carbon that had fallen off the intake and jammed the egr in the open position. They still didn't have time to get to the egr cooler (only 1 diesel tech) so he did something to force the egr to stay closed and said it would be fine to drive until next week when he will have the time to replace the egr cooler and the egr valve. He also said that he will replace the intake as well while he's at it because of the carbon build up.

This is getting long winded so I'll get to the point....

I've been reading a lot of posts here on dieselstop about egr coolers, oil coolers, head gaskets and total catastropic failures. Now I'm really starting to panic!

Does anyone have any thoughts on my situation? Should I park it and not be driving it? I certainly don't want to do any further damage to it. If it came right down to it, I'd never be able to prove that they told me it was ok to drive it. Is it possible that further damage has been done or could be done to the engine by continuing to drive it? What should I look for and what should I insist that the dealer look for and/or do as well?

I know this post is long but I wanted to be as clear as possible. Thanks for any advice you guys can give a girl.

Amanda

You have a 5 year/100,000 mile (which ever comes first from date of purchase) warranty on your engine. It is a $100 deductible after the 3yr/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. So you are good there.

You have low miles for an '06. Make sure you drive the truck at least 20 -30 miles at a time every week to keep the truck and engine exercised. Blow the cobs out of it when it is up to operating temperature

Use 5W-40 synthetic oil, Motorcraft or Fram filters, Motorcraft Fuel Filters, and use some good fuel additive in the tank at all times. Stanadyne, additive the dealer sells, or at least Diesel Kleen which can be bought about everywhere.

These trucks do not like to sit for days/weeks or be shut off before up to operating temp. Do not idle the truck to warm it up more than a couple of minutes (Diesels run too cool at idle), again work the engine, it is a diesel, and likes to run hot ( normal operating temperature).

Find a Ford Dealer who sells lots of trucks, and ask them how many certified diesel techs they have.

[TheTechChik]

Originally Posted by bcollison1

You have a 5 year/100,000 mile (which ever comes first from date of purchase) warranty on your engine. It is a $100 deductible after the 3yr/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. So you are good there.

You have low miles for an '06. Make sure you drive the truck at least 20 -30 miles at a time every week to keep the truck and engine exercised. Blow the cobs out of it when it is up to operating temperature

Use 5W-40 synthetic oil, Motorcraft or Fram filters, Motorcraft Fuel Filters, and use some good fuel additive in the tank at all times. Stanadyne, additive the dealer sells, or at least Diesel Kleen which can be bought about everywhere.

These trucks do not like to sit for days/weeks or be shut off before up to operating temp. Do not idle the truck to warm it up more than a couple of minutes (Diesels run too cool at idle), again work the engine, it is a diesel, and likes to run hot ( normal operating temperature).

Find a Ford Dealer who sells lots of trucks, and ask them how many certified diesel techs they have.

Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't know about the idle warm up. I have a remote starter and I often start it about 5 minutes before I'm ready to walk out the door.

I typically drive it about 25 minutes to work and 25 minutes back and pull a utility trailer a couple hundred miles once or twice a week in the summer. In the winter however, she sits mostly parked in the driveway. In October I pull a 42' fifth wheel down to Florida and back to Michigan in April but the rest of the time I ride my motorcycle. I use the truck occasionally to launch or pull a boat out of the water but it's also sat in the driveway for as long as a month at times. I suppose I'll make a point to drive it at least once a week this coming winter.