I have just under 2 months factory warranty remaining on my '99 S-cab with a 4.6. Needless to say, I'm looking this truck over very closely for any problems that might be in progress. I'm familiar with many of the problems identified on this site, however, there are a couple I don't recall reading about.

1) I've noticed a slight dampness, greasiness on the torque converter cover.

2) It appears that smoke (or something) comes from the tail pipe occasionally, when the truck is first cranked in the morning.

Do any of you have any comments about these 2 issues? Are there any other problems that I should be looking for? Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

look for a different brand of truck!

 

I don't know where Ranger81 is coming from (6 posts?)... anyhow a little smoke every once in a while on startup is ok. I've had it too and 95% of the time it starts without smoke, doesn't burn oil either.

Check for door cracks of course. Other than that I've only had minor ignition troubles with my 98 4.6L. No oil leaks. If it's greasy by your TC open the inspection grommet and have someone spin the motor with a large wrench on the big pulley while you look underneath for the inspection plug in the TC. It could be leaking. Tighten it up a bit. Minor fix. Hopefully not rear main seal. Rare item though.

Check for unusual vibrations while driving (transfer case tail shaft).

Front brake squeaking due to worn out 4x4 hubs (mine is doing that now just a few thousand miles after replacing front brakes. Oh well. Going to do it myself so not bothered.

Get a needle for your grease gun and squirt grease into the balljoints and steering joints by pulling back the rubber and inserting the needle. Check your steering components for wear.

Change your coolant, rear axle lube, tranny fluid, brake fluid if you haven't done that yet.

 

p_ferlow

Thanks for the response. I've actually had very good service out of this truck. I don't have door cracks, rust, PS, or many of the other dreaded problems we read about on this board. I do have the occasional rough idle and some occasional momentary ticking when the engine firsts cranks in the morning. I'll take it to the dealership before the Warranty runs out and have these things checked out. Thanks again.

 

Do you have a rear slider?

I washed my truck every week, never had a leak.
I swear, the first time I washed it after the warranty ran out trickle down the inside of the glass.

If you have a slider, go at it hard with the waterhose before you expire.

 

I also have a 99 F150 SCab 4x4 ORP that will run out of the 3 year portion of the 3/36 in August. The only problems I've had are with the CD player (3d player to be installed later this week) and with the alignment eating the tires.

I have set an appointment to have the truck checked end to end at the local Ford dealer. I have a hesitation (sputtering) problem when the truck is under load. I hook my ATV's and trailer (maybe a ton) and it seems to buck while towing for the first 30 minutes or so. I'm not really sure if it goes away or I just get use to it. I suspect its the catalytic converter(s). There are a bunch of the damn things. I suspect its one of them because of the black soot that builds up on the SS exhaust tips.

I asked the service tech to check the converters and also take a look at the transmission as I think it may also be a cause the problem.

Has anyone else experienced this while towing? It worries me a bit since I expect to tow a lot more weight in the next few months.

I will attempt to get the truck looked at for every problem I can as long as the warranty is in force. If something happens after the warranty period and it was reported prior to the expiration a good, reputable dealership will work with you and help to get the problem covered by Ford.

If someone wants me to come to their dealership every 4 or 5 years and spend $30,000 or more each time, they best be good to me. So far I can't kick on Astorg Ford here in Parkersburg, WV.


99 F150 XLT SCab
5.4 4x4 ORP
Gibson Super Truck Exhaust
K&N filters
Husky floor liners (it is a truck after all)
Ford vent visors and bug shield
Ford Tonneau cover
Cupped and tread bare Goodyear 17 inch tires

Stock CD and speakers (when you have the Super Truck exhaust, what better music is there?)

 

Well ferlow, with all of your posts you must not be reading many of them. Smoke on startup probably means, leaky headgasket, blown motor,who knows what. I have an 01 4.6 that smokes at start up and under hard acceleration, and with only 17,000 miles, don't know where I'm coming from huh. It will be THE last Ford I'll ever buy.

 

Smoke for on startup AND under hard acceleration is a sign of bad valve seals, white smoke on startup in the morning is normal, it's just water in the exhaust system vaporizing. A little ticking or piston slap is also normal after the truck has been sitting awhile, you just have to get the oil circulated.

Seepage from gaskets is also normal with age. If its really wet or dripping then you have a problem, a little dampness i wouldn't worry about.

-Jon

 

My truck doesn't smoke under hard acceleration. If anything, I may just need to get it out on the Interstate and run the crap out of it. This truck has never been run hard. With only 24,000 miles, I would tend to think the smoke is just vapor or carbon buildup.

parmetta,

How receptive are dealerships to doing a bumper to bumper check this close to the end of a Warranty. It would seem they would prefer to point out the problems after the warranty had expired.

 

I've not had any problems with the place I take mine. I try to get to be friends with the service tech and it seems to help. I don't get upset if parts are late or the trucks not ready at the time they say. It helps.

When ever a vehicle is in for service it comes back washed and vacuumed. They seem to be receptive and will work with me. I put it in with a complaint about loss of power, this gets the engine checked out, growling in 4-WD gets the drivetrain checked.

You need to voice the proper complaint and it works. The service folks get paid by the manufacturer. Whoo else would pay $500 for a stock radio?

I like having them check the thing over as often as I can just for the car wash and cleaning if nothing else.

I try to find a good person to work with and only see them unless it an emergency.

 

Just got home from Ford Service. The CD player was replaced (again) and for now works fine.

I had them look at the problem with the soot in my exhaust and the hesitation when under load.

What they found was a bad #4 coil caused by the leaky clamp. Seems to have improved but not able to put the load to it.

The tech said to look over and list anything I find and bring it back before the warranty runs out. Even printed copy of the mauntenance history. Can't get any better, so far. I didn't buy my truck from them, but I probably will me next if they can match the internet pricing.

Astorg Ford in Parkersburg, WV

1999 F150 XLT SCab Styleside
5.4 4x4 SB ORP 3.55 Limited Slip
Gibson Super Truck Exhaust
K&N filters
Husky floor liners (it is a truck and this is WV after all)
Ford vent visors and bug shield
Ford Tonneau cover
Ford bed liner
Cupped and tread bare Goodyear 17 inch tires

2001 Honda Foreman 450ES
26in Titan 589 M/S tires
ITP Steel Wheels
Kimpex Cargo Box and Cooler rack
K&n Filter and Quaker Synth Oil

BRAND NEW ! Stock CD and speakers (when you have the Super Truck exhaust, what better music is there? :-)

 

I have an appointment Monday for a 27-point inspection. I plan to mention the items listed in the first message in this string and anything else I can think of between now and then. I'm also seriously considering an extended Ford ESP warranty. The cost is fairly comparable to Warranty Gold and Warranty Direct, and I've had ESP warranties in the past with very good results.

 

Well the dealership did the 27 point inspection and found nothing beyond what I had already identified as potential problems:

Rough Idle - Too much oil they said, in spite of the fact that I personally changed it and put in 6 quarts. They said it holds a little less than 6 quarts. I said, that's not what the book says. Their summary: Idle a little better, Normal Characteristics of Engine. Actual Results: Idles exactly the same

Occasional Rattle at Startup - Could not duplicate. I just read another post about a similar problem using Speedy Oil filters. Intrestingly enough, I used a Quick Lube during the winter. Since I changed my own oil a couple of weeks ago, using a MotorCraft filter, I have not heard the noise. Of course it's 70 degrees at daybreak down here.

Dampness on Torque Converter - They found a bad seal, pulled the transmission and replaced it. I found this by rolling around under my truck on a creeper looking for problems before my warranty ran out. I strongly suggest doing this as I found a bad CV axle seal a couple of months ago on my wife's Taurus, just before the warranty ran out in it.

 

door cracks and head gasket leaks...

 

Actually my truck has no signs of Door Cracks. I've even pulled the rubber moulding back to see if they were starting underneath. Of course, after reading all the posts on this forum about door cracks, I'm careful not to use the windows unless it's necessary. I almost had to smack my wife a couple of weeks ago when she used the passenger side window. I let her off with a stiff warning instead.