Current 2006 5.4L Lariat Supercab 4x4, 56500 miles. Really on the fence about the 2009.

Looking at a 2009 on lot.....4x4 Lariat Supercab 5.4L. Want a 40/20 front seat to gain space in front and get rid of dead center console space. Also want to get rid of the spark plug issue on the 06 and a potential tranny problem.


2009
The Good: Has a bench front....has SYNC....new warranty period (no plug issue.......no tranny issue)

The Bad: 3.55 ratio (current 3.73)

2006:

The Good: 3.73 ratio

The Bad: Center console takes to much room in front, potential tranny problem, spark plug issue....no SYNC.

With the rebates, etc...... thinking it would be good time to grab an 2009.

The tranny problem is simply an issue.....that to date.....the truck simply jumps out of gear into neutral. It happens only in winter....say below 40 degrees. I've had the PCM reflashed....TSBs......etc. So far no change. Worried about a bigger failure to come.

Any other good/bad I'm missing???????

 

I don't think you can really go wrong moving up to a newer truck. I just don't care for some parts of the new design. I like the new front end but everything else.. not so much.

I actually like the center console but you're right there is a lot of dead space in there and if you need to haul 6 people then you'll want to upgrade.

I take it your not into after market stereos, for me sync is pointless when would upgrade the stereo anyways.

Don't worry about the gears, they can be changed and the dealership should be able to do that.

Have you posted anything on your transmission?


Overall if I was your pop, I'd ask can you afford or want to add on several more years of payments? If that's no issue then yes upgrade.

 

1. SYNC is a joke, wife has it in her fusion. Once the novelty wears off, it's worthless. When you get down to it, sync is nothing more than bluetooth connectivity for your phone and a usb input for music, you can get that on an aftermarket system.

2. Find someone local who has the same color interior as you and swap the dash with him, or find one in a boneyard. They are all interchangeable. There are tons out there who would love to have a flow thru console w/shifter. I've had both, my first truck had the 40/20/40 seats and the center 20 is really useless anyway, its non adjustable. Most take out the center 20 and put in an XLT style console and put the seat on ebay.

3. Put in some one piece plugs like the champions or the brisk racing and the problem is solved.

4. Check and see if there is an adjustment on the shifter cable, if its set up just a little short the trans can pop out of gear. Internally there is a sliding shift valve and if the cable is short the valve could be riding the fence between neutral and drive, during cold weather when the cable shrinks even more, it could be just enough to tip the balance and it pops into neutral even tho the shifter itself is still in drive. If you have no adjustment, then change out the cable. It could be a simple matter of all the tolerances are stacked up against you and you get this condition. The odds of getting another "short" cable are very slim.

 

if you dont want 3.55 rear end, have them do a dealer search and find the exact truck you want. if your going to spend the money on a new truck get exactly what you want.

so your wanting the middle jump seat instead of the big shifter? why not just the middle console w/ out the shifter? the console is actually bigger than the one with the shifter, and have a little storage place on the front (alteast the 04-08s do) havent taken the time to look at an 09 in detail yet.

 

Impact9
I don't remember if I posted on the tranny problem or not.........but......I did read everything I could here, other sites....TSBs....etc.

Someone else here had what sounded like the exact some issue.....when cold..kicking out of gear into neutral at 30-34mph. He did the TSB - PSM update and his was OK. Not so here.

When it happens you simply move the shifter to neutral then back to drive....and it may go back and catch gear. If not.......repeat until it does. Usually in 1 to 3 tries it does. Again...this is only an issue in cold weather. It probably hasn't happened since Jan-Feb (I'm in Louisiana). But.....when the cold returns....below 40 degrees....it will happen again.

05RedFX4
I read a little on SYNC in the 09-10 area. Reviews I read were great. One or 2 had a problem with a specific phone.....but other than that what I read was all good.

I also read several comments on the Champions.....not good. In fact...some were switching back to the OEM plug.

No way am I going to try and rebuild/switch the dash out. If it didn't involve moving the shfter back to the steerng column maybe.....but it this case...no way.

*********************
I bought this truck with 2 years ago with about 20,000 miles and a clean Carfax.....and.....a dealer telling me its never been wrecked. I later learned it had been wrecked. My first clue was when changing the air filter.....I pulled about 30-40 pieces of what appeared to be windshield glass fragments out of the air box below the air filter. Still can't figure that out. Some technicians at a local dealer looked it over with me and determined that it had indeed been wrecked and showed me some indications of repair.

I recently repaired an extremely worn tie rod end. First tie rod end I've changed in several million miles of driving. Figure it may have been a result of the wreck. I wonder if the transmission issue may also be related to the wreck.

Risk you take when you buy a used vehicle. Without the glass in the air box, wreck verification, plug issue on 06s, and tranny issue I would not as motived to change.

 

I didn't say the sync was junk, its just not all that great, you can do much better with aftermarket.

Now that I know the truck has been wrecked, I say dump it and get a new one.

 

06yx250f
Not an option. In the Lariat........if you get captains chairs.......you get a flow through center console with a floor shifter.

The only way that you can get what you are describing is on an XLT.

I like the Lariat package............most of all............I am not talking about ordering a truck here. I am talking about getting an excellent deal on an exisiting 2009 left on the lot in inventory.

Selection is somewhat limited........but........I have one located with 3 hours. A 2009 Lariat 4x4 with a bench seat.

 

I say if you can afford a new truck then upgrade. I've driven two different models. One was an SCSB 2wd with the 5.4 & 6 speed tranny xlt model and the other was a CCSB xlt model 2wd with the new 3v 4.6 & 6 speed tranny. To be honest with you i'ld be happy with either engine that new 4.6 feels just as powerful as my 04 did stock. I've been debating on trading in my 04 for a 2010 model but the dealers will only offer me $8,800 for my current truck and I owe $12,000 on it.