Water in Fuel - Diesel Forum

Berkshirite · 09-19-2005, 08:38 PM

I have a few questions. About 7 months ago, my water in fuel light came on (about 14K miles on a 2004 6.0L, w/6 spd trans in an F350 4x4). Not finding a drain - I took it to a dealer - hoping to get it warrantied.

Besides charging me $23.00 to drain the water (but he did show me the brass plug) it solved the problem,.

Now, I got it again. But now, the brass plug was frozen in place, so i loosened the cover - not once, but 3 times in the course of a week. Still, I get the light returning. Sometimes intermittent and sometimes steady.

3 questions:

1. Should it take multiple drainings of the water seperator?
2. Is there an aftermarket cover that more handily allows draining? The current setup seems to take a 1/4" socket on a 1/4" drive to fit - but once it gets some fuel on it, is too slippery to snug without the fear of stripping the heads. The seperator seems to have been placed in about the least user friendly place it could fit in to.
3. I change the filter seasonaly - as the fuel in New England changes. My thinking that the filter has no affect on this because the water (should??) seperates out BEFORE it runs through the filter (at least it did on my older diesels). Is this assumption incorrect?

I have owned a few of the older Dodge Cuimmins Diesels and a few older GM 6.2's - and water was never a huge problem to drain, the warning went on and you reached under the hood, spun the petcock and voila - after pissing out a few ounces of trapped water you were good to go.

This is very frustrating since each time I drain it - the light stays off until I am complacent and then BAM - it whacks me across the forehead. Overall I like the truck - but I do fear that as winter arrives, this could become a problem that strands me on a frigid day.

Any answers?

Thanks,
Dave in Pittsfield, Mass.

dbennett48 · 09-19-2005, 09:17 PM

Take it in. You will get a new HCFM cover at least. There is a TSB on this problem. It is caused by corrosion inside the fuel bowl.

Dave

yankspanker · 09-19-2005, 09:55 PM

Youre right about it being a PINTA. Come on Ford work with us.

I wouldn't worry about it a whole lot. If you just recently drained you're water seperator give it a couple days for the light to go off. Seems to be about the norm. If the light continues to stay on i would suspect that you have a bad sensor.

Cant go wrong using Stanadyne with every fill up.

J. Maley