Ok, I purchased my 97 F150 4X4 bout a year and a half ago with under 19K miles.Its a short stepside 4.2L v6 4x4.I have had to do way too many things to my late model fordto think something up. Both door switches have been replaced, seems they like to get stuck and then truck thinks door is open all the time and dome light stays on till battery dead. Thats always fun to find out after work when it has snowed a foot and is 10 degrees out. I have had to have the top repainted due to the factory paint peeling off. My check engine light had a mind of its own on a trip to oregon last year, came on out of the blue and nothing was wrong, disconnected the battery and beat sensors with hammer in Bum F__k egypt on the side of the freeway, never came back on since. I developed a squeek in the front end, while traveling any direction, while turning wheel didnt matter. Turned out ball joint was making noise, ford says thats a common problem and was more than willing to fix for a pretty penny. Funny thing is upon jacking vechile up, ball joint is still good and tight, so got a grease needle punctured the ball joint boot, pumped it full of grease, adn sealed it with RTV silicone. Bounced it a few times once off the jacl and hasnt made a sound since. Now for the interesting latest thing to happen in its so far short lived life. Mind you this truck now only has 39K miles on it.
For the last month, the truck has on occasion liked to overheat, coolant level is good when I check it. It acted like a thermostat problem, heatng up till almost in the red, then something freeing up and the running normal for awhile. Thinking it was the thermostat, I replaced it, which isnt fun on the V6 engine either. By the way, when the truck is climbing in temp like described, the heater quits working, when cools down, heater starts working again.
This has been going on for a month or two now, only now and then, not a all the time thing. yesterday, and today the temp in the daytime is 20 degrees and at night between 0 and 10 degrees. And now thats its turned colder, I hear a squeal, like a bearing squeal, and am thinking its the water pump? Either that or the idler bearings. But was thinking maybe impeller on water pump, since been having the problems described lately.
Anybody got any input? This is my first ford, all other trucks have been imports, and havent had the best of luck with my f150. I am aware of the recall of the timing cover thing and the fuel thing, just need time to make a appt, not only is this my personal truck, its my bread and butter for work, and am afraid as of late that its gonna die way out in the middle of nowhere. Any ideas or anybody else that has had this experience, help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Sounds like the water pump to me...As for the door latches I've owned 4 Fords and Mazda above 1995 and all did the same thing you describe all I did was soak them with WD40 and that fixed it.

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'99 F-150
4.2 4X2 XLT

• 3" spindles
• 285/75/16 Cooper Discoverer STT
• Pacer 16X8 Aluminum Wheels
• cat back duals with Flowmaster 40 series 36"x3 1/2" chrome tips

 

www.nidlink.com/~faceman/truck.jpg

here is my truck

going to dealer today to get the bad news on price of water pump