I have a y2k 4.2 SC Auto .... The tail pipe opening seems awfully sooty. Pure black. Other f150's I've seen seem to have more of a tan color at the tail pipe... Truck runs great though, except for the MPGs... 13.5 at BEST, that's about 50/50 hwy and street.

Is this normal... anyone else check their tailpipe lately (again, this is not a personal question, nor an invitation)

Thanks.

 

Sort of a grayish-beige on a 97 4.6 S/C L/B Auto.
Really sooty tailpipe and poor MPG was a problem on '97 4.2's, many of them went back to dealers for some sort of change there to fix it.
Your 50%/50% MPG is below my 100% city MPG, and I have a heavier truck. Sounds like your's is running rich.

 

Mine is 4 1/2 months old, w/3058 miles on it, and it is still the same color since when I bought it. Still has the stainless steel look. But, just around the tip it is black, from running 89 octane gas.

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2000 White F-150 Sport 4.2L 5-speed,3.55 gears
MODS: K&N, Flowmaster 50 series.
superstang97@yahoo.com
AIM fakefvc
Ford vs Chevy
www.fordvschevy.com
Moderator: Road Kill, Mustang vs F-bodies. We also have a Ford VS GM/Chevy Truck forum

 

My 97 4.2 is pretty black and also gets horrilbe mileage. What fix are you referring to Granpa? I would sure like to know if mine has been fixed. It does have a sticker on the air box that looks like a recall sticker of some sort but its not too legible. If not my horrible mileage may be due to the 3.55 rear end.

 

my truck has about a 1/4" band around the tip of the pipe. along with a lot of tar on it. i am going to use the coke trick to clean the black off when i detail the truck this spring.

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1999 XL, 2WD, standard cab, short bed, sport package, nascar package, bright red, V-6, 5 speed, Rockford Fosgate CD player, Pioneer 6x8. class 3 hitch
http://www.geocities.com/bassbuster/truck.html

 

Mine is black but it is normal for this engine, just make sure the little hole at the rear of the muffler is unclogged. Mine has over 34,000 miles and I get 23 MPG, the worst I ever got was 16 MPG all city with a heck of an urge to get there fast!!!

Your MPG's should get better as your truck gets more broken in. Just don't expect the engine to be like a Toyota Insight (80 MPG).

 

Mine's black (not heavy soot, just a little bit of black).

The topic reminded me of one of my all-time favorite restaurant names - Joe's Rusty Port Hole!

 

I have the same problem. I put on a Borla muffler, but the problem remained. I still have much black soot all through the exhaust system, and I also get the same milage, about 13 overall. 4.2L Auto RC

 

Brew1891 - Sorry, I don't know what the fix was. When I got my early 97, there wasn't many of them around, so when at dealer I would always talk to the new truck drivers in the "In" line. The only ones really unhappy about their truck were 4.2L owners, and it was about the real poor mileage. The first one pointed out his sooty tailpipe, and after that each 4.2 bad mileage complaint I heard we looked at their pipe - black and sooty.
Might want to try alldata.com website to check for TSB # and first line of TSB text. After that, could try harassing dealer, maybe you will find someone who knows how to look up a TSB and show you the screen, maybe even print it out for you. I hear there are a few dealers in the western hemisphere that are like that. I haven't been to one of those yet myself.
Maybe someone else has an idea how to get TSB text?

 

Well as far as the color of the soot in my tail pipe, was black but nothing abnormal. Tha was until a 18 year old kid rear ended my truck a couple weeks ago. took out both my tips, muffler, bumper and mounts, and some bed dammage (glad my dad convinced me to hang on to the stock exhaust). AND I have started developing one of those dreaded door cracks on my drivers side . Then if that wasn't enough to pi$$ me off my throttle cable came off cause of a faulty clip that hold it to the throttle body. Ford had best fix these problems or the Lightning i am planning on getting this fall, won't happen.

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'99 Amazon Green XLT Flareside, 4.2 w/ K&N, jet chip, Flowmaster with redneck 4"dual tips. Astro fiberglass cover. 275/70R16 Dunlops and 3.08 rearend.

 

I have a 1998 F-150 v-6 and my tailpipe has a black ring on the from the tip to about 1/2" on the outside of the tailpipe. I have a superchip and run 93 octane - This may be the cause of the discoloring. I also get poor gas milage around 15 hwy 13 cty. Last week I had the check engine light come on but when I removed the battery to take the chip out I cleared the computer's memory. The light has not come on since, and the dealer could not find anything. I think it maybe a semi-faulty O2 sensor. If it is the light should come back on sometime. Just my $0.02


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1998 F150 Silver 4WD Styleside V6 Reg Cab 3.55 RE - Extang soft cover, Rhino step bars, K&N air filter, Steel Horse Brushguard with 2-100W KC Daylighters, Superchip. FUTURE - cat back exhaust & new Hood (Similar to cobra mustang hood)



[This message has been edited by Silver Bullet (edited 05-03-2000).]

 

My tips are both black around the rim. Ford says this is normal I think its from too much spicy foods.

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2000 White sport
4.2l V6 5spd
K&N filter
Superchip
Single in dual out 40 series Flomaster

As soon as i can afford it: Airaid FIPK

 

When I first read this a while back I didn't even think about it, But when I was changing my oil ( @ 9,000 Miles) I was looking at my exhaust thinking about upgrades.

well sure enough not only is there a distinct black sooty ring around my tail pipe, but there is also a black sooty ring/residue at EVERY connection/clamp of teh factory system.

so is there a normal explanation for this>?
do I need to take it in to the dealer?

or is it just bad gas or something I haven't had the truck that long ( 6 months)

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Y2K F150 4x4 XL Med Torredor Red
4.2 5 speed,K&N, 3.55 LS
Leer camper shell, bedrug,
Ranchhand Rover Brushguard 2X Off road lights
Tint/alarm/ aftermarket keyless entry/locks
VHF, HF, CB, 3 Scanners
Oh and a Gunrack

Just Ordered SuperChip and Airaid!
looking for good exhaust
I'll have pics up after install

 

REGULATOR
The soot rings you are seeing are caused by the condesation that forms in the tailpipe, the only problem though is its color. The reformulated gasoline that they sell here in missouri produces a light tan ring around the inside of the tail pipe. The problem is the black soot that you are seeing. That carbon is produced by incomplete combustion or poorly refined gasolene. You could tell alot more though if you would remove a spark plug and take a look at it. The plug should be light tan in color, not looking wet or black near the electrode tip. If it is wet or black, you are running rich or with too cold of a spark plug. You also could have the timing so far retarded that you are getting the incomplete combustion, thus the carbon soot, loss of power and MPG. Either way a simple emissions test would be able to prove it for you.

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99 4X4 XLT S/C with ORP
5.4L 3.73LS
Flow Master Dual Exhaust
K&N Filter w/ Intake Mod
Flex-a-Lite Black Magic 150 Electric Cooling Fan
Jason "Hugger" Truck Lid

 

HMMM, just bought the truck in DEC 99

I do a lot of Highway driving, I'll have to pull the plugs, Only engine mod was install a K& N filter. The motor is just now really getting broke in and runs ok
(asfarasino) I was thinking maybe cheap gas

but I'll check plugs etc now....


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Y2K F150 4x4 XL Med Torredor Red
4.2 5 speed,K&N, 3.55 LS
Leer camper shell, bedrug,
Ranchhand Rover Brushguard 2X Off road lights
Tint/alarm/ aftermarket keyless entry/locks
VHF, HF, CB, 3 Scanners
Oh and a Gunrack

Just Ordered SuperChip and Airaid!
looking for good exhaust
I'll have pics up after install