A few Questions for a Powerstroke Wannabe!

[daubertr]

I'm looking at a 99 F-350 crew cab short bed powerstroke with 150k on the clock. The Dealership wants 14,995 for it before I talk them down. What is a good price for this truck? Also what mpg should I expect with about a 50 50 mix of city highway driving. I will only be hauling myself and my lunch. Also what are some of the problem areas of the truck that I should look for, and also what is the life expetiency of the truck if I properly maintain it? And finally what upgrades should I do off the bat to get better milage and performance. Also what types of fuel can i run? I hear home heating oil and jet fuel, fact or myth? Thank you all so very much for helping me!

[AutoJim]

I'm getting about 17.5 mpg (hand-calculated) in mixed surface/freeway driving from my similar combo (note: I've got the 3.73 rear gears, if the truck you're buying has 4.10s, mileage will suffer). Figure anywhere from 16-19 mpg depending on the weight of your foot, the hills you have to climb (lotsa hills in Pennsylvania, not so many in SE Michigan), ambient temp, type of fuel (winter, summer, biodiesel blend) used, phase of the moon, and how you hold your mouth while you're driving.

Mine turned 188K over the weekend. I've been following the PM schedule fairly well, and the original owner (a friend of mine who put the first 59K on the odo) did as well. Problems that are non-wear items:

- Pinion seal (leak) and rear diff cover (rusted through) at 77K, fixed, dry ever since.
- Water pump at 147K. Replaced, no problems since.
- Overhead console display went dark at around 150K. Resoldered a couple of SMD resistors on its circuit board that had failed original dry solder joints, problem solved, $0. Well, okay, $1.10 for the Diet Coke I bought for the guy who solders stuff on to circuit boards for a living and therefore has much steadier hands than I do.
- PS/hydroboost pressure hose split 165K. Fixed, no further problems.
- RWSS croaked, killing the ABS function at 184K. $17 part, 10 minute fix.
- CPS (cam position sensor) croaked 3 days after the RWSS, 185K. $180 part, 30 minute fix (old one was a little stubborn to remove).

I've also replaced the windshield washer nozzles. I think the parts were $8.

Big thing is maintenance records. See if the truck comes with them. You want to know that fluids & filters were changed on schedule. I fully expect I can double the miles on this truck without worrying about it too much as long as I do the PM. There's a guy around here somewhere whose early '99 is still going strong out past 460K miles, so there's definitely something to be said for following that PM schedule.

[treytroxell]

I think the dealer is trying to rob you myself. I bought my 1999.5 F-250 with 120k on it for 13,000... I now have almost 150k on it with no problems other than a new tranny because i like to drive it hard. I do mixed driving and usaly average around 16 - 17 mpg. Like AutoJim said. if you do the scheduled maintenance on these trucks they will last you a great while.

[benco57]

the early 99s had problems with the air filter housing which were changed during 99 and even up to the 03s have less than desirable airboxes, so you might want to pull off the lid and disconect it from the duct and look down inside the duct to see if there is dust, dirt or sand inside. That being said my 2000 and my 2003 never had a spec of dust inside the duct but I have read numerous post about engines being dusted from faulty sealing air filter housings.

[Thumper723]

I paid 10,500 for a 99 F250 2WD 6Speed. 119K. XLT package. SuperCab Short Box. About 50% on the tires. Other than that, just a couple minor things I fixed for under $50 total.

[jdkluge]

I think the price is OK if the maint. records are good and the vehicle is clean. Do a Carfax on it to see if there have been any accidents and what states it has resided in. Also remember that a F350 will ride much harder than a F250. Great to have for carrying stuff and towing but un-necessary otherwise. I have had mine only a year bought it with 112K for $17,500. I love it! It was a good price out here.

[JerryKing]

The two mods I would do immediately are to change out the stock air box and add a tranny cooler. The stock air box is notorious for cracking and not sealing properly. Check it on the truck you are buying and feel for any grit beyond the air filter. Take the stock box out, throw it away, and put in a K&N, Airaid, Tymar, or Ford upgrade. This will also improve your power and fuel economy. Lots of posts on all of these. Second, aid a TruCool tranny cooler. Ford did not provide for adequate cooling until the 2002 model year, and trannies are the weak link on these trucks. It's only about $120 and very easy to install. Finally, buy a cam positioning sensor (CPS) and put it in your glove box; it's only a matter of time before it fails.

[westpsd]

Take the VIN number to your local Ford dealer and have him run an OASIS report on it. It will show everything done to the truck by Ford. Since the truck had a 5 yr 100,000 mile warrenty on the motor, they probably serviced it and certainly did any recalls & warrenty work. Great information to have before dropping the big bills.

Jim

[01crewcabtg]

I can't add anything else except if you do get it buy a CPS from ebay or an International dealer if there is one close to you. International calls it a transmitter( at least what my box says). In 78K my milage has gone from high 14's to a little over 20. City/freeway mix 15-17 overall. Fuel does make a diff like AutoJim said.

[AutoJim]

[ QUOTE ]
The two mods I would do immediately are to change out the stock air box and add a tranny cooler. The stock air box is notorious for cracking and not sealing properly. Check it on the truck you are buying and feel for any grit beyond the air filter. Take the stock box out, throw it away, and put in a K&N, Airaid, Tymar, or Ford upgrade.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know, I've got 188K on mine, and it's had a K&N filter element in the stock airbox since it was new. I've never had a single lick of trouble out of this thing, in spite of all the horror stories I read about them here. There's not even the slightest hint of dust or grit downstream of the filter element. I find all the vehement comments about the stock air filter rather amusing, I guess.

[ QUOTE ]
Second, aid a TruCool tranny cooler. Ford did not provide for adequate cooling until the 2002 model year, and trannies are the weak link on these trucks. It's only about $120 and very easy to install.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] Oh, puh-leeze. 188K miles. I tow a 26' enclosed car trailer, 16,700 gross combined weight, lots of frontal area. Bone-stock cooling system right down to the single ATF-to-air transmission cooler. Only time I've had the trans opened up is for routine fluid & filter changes. It's fine. It doesn't get too hot. Ever. Not ever. Not once in the 129,000 miles I've owned it, nor in the 59,000 miles the previous owner had it (he tows heavier than I do -- 28' trailer, bit over 17,500 GCW). Maintain the truck properly and stay within the GVWR and GCWR and you'll be fine with the stock components.

Remember, folks, the ATF "magic numbers" are 221F long-term max, 248F short-term max. "Short-term" is defined as 30-45 minutes, about the length of time it takes to pull a trailer up a steep hill like Townes Pass in Death Valley, up the highway from Davis Dam, or Baker Grade on I-15. (Townes is my personal favorite for testing trans cooling because it's a fairly low-speed climb that forces a lot of 2nd-gear use. It's about 14 miles of 7.5% average grade, parts of which are over 9% grade, two-lane and twisty. Plus it starts in Stovepipe Wells, where ambients in the summer can easily top 120F.)

Anyway, if you're below those numbers, you're fine. If you have a factory system that's reasonably well-maintained and stay within the GVWR/GCWR ratings, it'll stay below those numbers unless something else breaks. It wouldn't have gotten sign-off for production if it didn't.

Now that I've tilted at this particular windmill for the umpteenth time, I don't expect any of the folks who cry that the sky is falling if their ATF temps go over 200F to change their mind, because they're absolutely sure of it, and what do I know since I just design vehicle cooling systems for my living, but those are the facts I present, people. I don't make stuff like this up. Save your money, enjoy your truck, and quit worrying so much about stuff that you don't have to worry about.

[benco57]

Jim, I read here, that Ford is stopping production and not granting licenses for production of Mercon. Ford now states that the Mercon V is suitable for the 4R100, did the formulation of Mercon V change that you are aware of and what will you be putting in your Tranny?
Thanks

Ben

[daubertr]

Wow thank everyone so much for all of your help! I talked to the dealer and I got him down to $11,995 and I think I can push for a little lower! The only thing is that the rear diff is leaking (easy fix), and also the rear shocks and leafs are going. How much should it be to fix?? Also one more thing, the muffler is going, so what would a good replacement be? Thanks so much for all of your help!

[AutoJim]

Ben, I'm going to buy a couple cases of Mercon and keep them in a cool, dry place away from sun and heat sources until I can find out more about a suitable replacement (which may well be M-V, don't know yet).

Ryan, rear shocks aren't really any big deal to replace. Springs shouldn't normally wear out, though, unless that truck was hauling big loads a lot.

If this is a Ford store you're talking with, I'd get them to spring for fixing the diff leak and other stuff as a condition of you buying it at the $11,995 price and leave it at that.

[Gooch]

Jim, there are situations with the earlier vehicles where the stock tranny air cooler isn't enough. Adding the additional cooler could be a tranny saver and I think it is a great suggestion.

My early '99 overheated the transmission several times. Stop and go on a mountain pass during road construction did it almost instantly. I was towing well within my ratings. Nothing like having to pull over amongst road equipment that's working. Backing up a load triggered it too, very quickly. 4-wheeling with my slide-in camper on the beach was a shoe-in for overheating the tranny. I climbed a steep back road to a look-out tower once with my camper on that required several hair-raising, foot-held-on-the brake stops while she cooled off.

Heat kills. Quick. And the ealier Super Duty's needed lots of air flow to keep the tranny cool. The revised tranny cooling system on my '01 does not exibit those same overheating characteristics. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[JerryKing]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The two mods I would do immediately are to change out the stock air box and add a tranny cooler. The stock air box is notorious for cracking and not sealing properly. Check it on the truck you are buying and feel for any grit beyond the air filter. Take the stock box out, throw it away, and put in a K&N, Airaid, Tymar, or Ford upgrade.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know, I've got 188K on mine, and it's had a K&N filter element in the stock airbox since it was new. I've never had a single lick of trouble out of this thing, in spite of all the horror stories I read about them here. There's not even the slightest hint of dust or grit downstream of the filter element. I find all the vehement comments about the stock air filter rather amusing, I guess.

[/ QUOTE ]

My comment is based on personal experience. When I bought the truck, with 60K miles on it, I discovered the stock air box was cracked. I replaced it with another stock air box and guess what--it cracked, exactly where the first one had. That was enough for me to switch to an Airaid intake.

[ QUOTE ]
Second, aid a TruCool tranny cooler. Ford did not provide for adequate cooling until the 2002 model year, and trannies are the weak link on these trucks. It's only about $120 and very easy to install.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] Oh, puh-leeze. 188K miles. I tow a 26' enclosed car trailer, 16,700 gross combined weight, lots of frontal area. Bone-stock cooling system right down to the single ATF-to-air transmission cooler. Only time I've had the trans opened up is for routine fluid & filter changes. It's fine. It doesn't get too hot. Ever. Not ever. Not once in the 129,000 miles I've owned it, nor in the 59,000 miles the previous owner had it (he tows heavier than I do -- 28' trailer, bit over 17,500 GCW). Maintain the truck properly and stay within the GVWR and GCWR and you'll be fine with the stock components.

Remember, folks, the ATF "magic numbers" are 221F long-term max, 248F short-term max. "Short-term" is defined as 30-45 minutes, about the length of time it takes to pull a trailer up a steep hill like Townes Pass in Death Valley, up the highway from Davis Dam, or Baker Grade on I-15. (Townes is my personal favorite for testing trans cooling because it's a fairly low-speed climb that forces a lot of 2nd-gear use. It's about 14 miles of 7.5% average grade, parts of which are over 9% grade, two-lane and twisty. Plus it starts in Stovepipe Wells, where ambients in the summer can easily top 120F.)

Anyway, if you're below those numbers, you're fine. If you have a factory system that's reasonably well-maintained and stay within the GVWR/GCWR ratings, it'll stay below those numbers unless something else breaks. It wouldn't have gotten sign-off for production if it didn't.

Now that I've tilted at this particular windmill for the umpteenth time, I don't expect any of the folks who cry that the sky is falling if their ATF temps go over 200F to change their mind, because they're absolutely sure of it, and what do I know since I just design vehicle cooling systems for my living, but those are the facts I present, people. I don't make stuff like this up. Save your money, enjoy your truck, and quit worrying so much about stuff that you don't have to worry about.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I went through two trannies, put in gauges, and found my tranny temps were climbing to 220 on steep grades. With the TruCool cooler, my tranny temps are 30 degrees less, and I haven't had any more tranny problems. Maybe you're right and it's just a coincidence, and I admit I'm not an expert. But it seems to me that 190F is better than 220F, and 200F is way better than 230F, and I still regard that $120 I spent on the cooler to be the best money I ever spent on my truck, just for the peace of mind. Ford also thought there was something to be gained by additional cooling capacity, because they added the secondary ATF-to-water tranny cooler in 2002, and I'm sure they didn't do it out of the goodnes of their hearts.