looking at an 04 6.0

[tomjon]

Boy , just as i was starting to think it might be safe to look for one of the newest 6.0's .....2007 or so .....good thread... and no , this is not the only 6.0 thread I have read.

I fully understand that there will always be issues , the last post sealed it for me .....
I really hope that, once I take care of all of the problems that should have been taken care of by the engineers, I'll have a reliable truck, but for now the truck sits in my driveway, .......
I hang out at the 7.3 forums mainly , obviously (see sig) , it seems our worst problems are taken care by digging no deeper than the valve covers and fixing stuff brought on by age.
I guess I'll keep looking for that 2003 F250 4X4 CC 7.3 , low mileage , etc , calling my name ....

[jk96]

Im sorry you have bad luck with the truck, i really am. Im not saying that none of these trucks have problems, some do. So do some dodge's and chevrolets. The biggest thing with these and any new diesels is maintanance.
Change the oil when its due, coolant flushes and additives, transmission services etc. The main cause of the egr cooler and headgasket problems are
the oil coolers becoming clogged which is usually caused by lack of oil changes. Another thing is these trucks cannot be driven like a grocery getter. They need to opened up and hammered on often to keep coking problems to a minimum. If they are babied you WILL have problems with
turbos rusting and coking and egr valves plugged solid. Just some advise to
everyone. Good luck to everyone

Jake,

I bought the truck hoping to get 250k-300k out of it so its been well maintained. The engine oil has always been changed every 5K and has never been missed. Fluid has been changed and flushed as required. The truck is a work truck for hauling so its not used as a grocery getter but it's not abused either. I was aware of the 6.0 problems and bought an 05 thinking that the issues would be corrected in the new trucks. My mistake. My only point is that when someone asks about buying a 6.0, I think there are much better alternatives than suggesting they'll be fine if they do the maintanance. I've got over 10K invested in repairs in only 70K miles on a stock truck that has been maintained well. Are there a lot of 6.0 without problems - probably. But there are also way more than should be with major issues that continue with the life of the truck. If I had it to do over again I'd run far far away. I think the fact that Ford ditched the 6.0 in such a short time speaks for itself. Better luck to others if you decide to go this route.

[bigwhite1]

the guys are right ,it's not if but when, 60-70k is about when they start. they have a design flaw in the motor- egr cooler-oil cooler and head gaskets. head gaskets can be minimized by the egr delete and coolant filter. should be fine after that. you can check the engine by filling up the degaus bottle and run the engine around 3000 rpm on the highway. then stop and have a look at the degaus cap, if there's white residue or anti freeze coming out ,then the problems have started.

[bismic]

Originally Posted by bigwhite1

the guys are right ,it's not if but when, 60-70k is about when they start. they have a design flaw in the motor- egr cooler-oil cooler and head gaskets. head gaskets can be minimized by the egr delete and coolant filter. should be fine after that. you can check the engine by filling up the degaus bottle and run the engine around 3000 rpm on the highway. then stop and have a look at the degaus cap, if there's white residue or anti freeze coming out ,then the problems have started.

It can't be a design flaw when there are stock trucks w/ 200k + miles and no issues. If it can be done reliably with some, then it is not a design issue. It may be a parts quality issue or operator error, or poor maintenance, or inconsistent assembly, or other things, but the design works.

The EGR cooler is not a problem except when cooling is compromised - either from a plugged oil cooler (solids in coolant), or from a stuck turbo or tuner and excessive EGT's, or from poor coolant flow or condition, etc. All issues can be detected early - before losing the EGR cooler.

Head gasket issues are from high cylinder pressure, or excessive heat, or head defects, or hydrolocking - almost all (except bad heads and poor assembly quality - which was primarily the early year models) of which can be detected or controlled before head gaskets are lifted.

EGR valve problems are caused by poor combustion. The informed owner can monitor and avoid most of the issues that contribute to poor combustion.

Is it right that we have to do all this??? ... probably not, but each 6.0L owner has to decide whether or not he wants to be watchful and proactive or be a victim.

Also - degaus is what you do to a computer monitor. The coolant overflow reservoir is a degas bottle.

Edit - learn all these things and you can almost steal a 6.0L from someone that has become paranoid. Then invest the monet for reliability "insurance" and you have a great truck at a reasonable cost. You just have to make sure you do not buy one from someone that abused it and then hides it. The other helpful trait in a 6.0L owner is to know how to troubleshoot problems himself. Many dealership mechanics are not very good at this. These forums are a tremendous asset to the 6.0L owner.

[dikkstarr]

Originally Posted by bismic

It can't be a design flaw when there are stock trucks w/ 200k + miles and no issues. If it can be done reliably with some, then it is not a design issue. It may be a parts quality issue or operator error, or poor maintenance, or inconsistent assembly, or other things, but the design works.

The EGR cooler is not a problem except when cooling is compromised - either from a plugged oil cooler (solids in coolant), or from a stuck turbo or tuner and excessive EGT's, or from poor coolant flow or condition, etc. All issues can be detected early - before losing the EGR cooler.

Head gasket issues are from high cylinder pressure, or excessive heat, or head defects, or hydrolocking - almost all (except bad heads and poor assembly quality - which was primarily the early year models) of which can be detected or controlled before head gaskets are lifted.

EGR valve problems are caused by poor combustion. The informed owner can monitor and avoid most of the issues that contribute to poor combustion.

Is it right that we have to do all this??? ... probably not, but each 6.0L owner has to decide whether or not he wants to be watchful and proactive or be a victim.

Also - degaus is what you do to a computer monitor. The coolant overflow reservoir is a degas bottle.

Edit - learn all these things and you can almost steal a 6.0L from someone that has become paranoid. Then invets the monet for reliability "insurance" and you have a great truck at a reasonable cost. You just have to make sure you do not buy one from someone that abused it and then hides it. The other helpful trait in a 6.0L owner is to know how to troubleshoot problems himself. Many dealership mechanics are not very good at this. These forums are a tremendous asset to the 6.0L owner.

What about the normal things that "go bad" on these like FICM and various sensors that no amount of "insurance" can protect you from?

If we somehow swapped trucks when we bought ours, I would have the "not broken yet 6.0", and you would be "paranoid." Wouldnt that change your tune and be fun?

[bismic]

Originally Posted by dikkstarr

What about the normal things that "go bad" on these like FICM and various sensors that no amount of "insurance" can protect you from?

If we somehow swapped trucks when we bought ours, I would have the "not broken yet 6.0", and you would be "paranoid." Wouldnt that change your tune and be fun?

Bad luck happens. However, I am basing my opinions and suggestions on the BULK of much study (10 6.0L forums), talking to dealership shops and techs (which includes some statistical data on failures), looking at the major auto sales web site reviews, and personal experience.

When people generalize based on limited data, the conclusions are frequently misleading.

FICM's fail, but most of the failures are driven by poor battery or alternator health. I will say, the original heat inductive flash was somewhat harmful. Even poor oil condition also strains the FICM. Newer FICM's tend to be a little more reliable than the original ones when electrically stressed.

I would say that the most common failure not related to maintenance is the ICP sensor on the early model years. The next one could be the STC fitting on the 05's and up. These are covered (as is the FICM) by the 100k mile warranty, so it is of a small consequence. Once you are "plugged into" the right forums, connected w/ the right parts suppliers, then repair of these items yourself is fairly inexpensive.

The biggest and most costly complaint must be the EGR cooler and/or head gasket leakage. These are directly related (as previously stated) to two issues that many people could certainly do a better job watching and maintaining:
1. Coolant condition
2. Efficient combustion

I am certainly not blaming poor reliability ALL on the owner. I am just saying that mANY people (millions maybe) enjoy a reliable 6.0L truck. Too many people do not and I am sorry you are one of these. My angle is to look at the engine and components as objectively as possible and try to equip people to have the best operational experience possible (and not to be "paranoid", but to be prepared).