01 F150 5.4L problems

[Walleye Inn]

I have a 2001 F150 4x4 5.4L pickup. Was starting rough and brought it in. Fuel pressure regulator was checked and functioning. Fuel pressure I was told was 10lbs low so they think its a fuel pump. Quoted $600. Then I was told my rear axle disc pinion shaft was loose. Said they could try to tighten a bolt or have to rebuild disc is possible or gears? I just had both my rear axle seals replace within 2years and once again might need new fluid in rear axle which last time was $90 for fluid alone. Also, said steering idler arm assembly was bad up front and maybe a tie rod. Along with a serp. belt.

So, how much of this is [PoorWordUsage] and what really need to be fixed right now! oh and he even said my windshield wipers were bad...nice touch. Any ideas on how many cracks per inch I can have in the belt? Pickup ran fine just started tough sometimes is reason I brought it in. Just a bit ticked that I was quoted up to $1500 to fix this and want to know what you think really needs fixing now. thanks and this isnt a dealership but a small shop who I was recommended to go to.

[Walleye Inn]

I'll mention I had a tune up at 82k miles and now there are 102k miles. Runs perfect once its started.

[fishtrap3]

I have a 2001 F150 4x4 5.4L pickup. Was starting rough and brought it in. Fuel pressure regulator was checked and functioning. Fuel pressure I was told was 10lbs low so they think its a fuel pump. Quoted $600. Then I was told my rear axle disc pinion shaft was loose. Said they could try to tighten a bolt or have to rebuild disc is possible or gears? I just had both my rear axle seals replace within 2years and once again might need new fluid in rear axle which last time was $90 for fluid alone. Also, said steering idler arm assembly was bad up front and maybe a tie rod. Along with a serp. belt.

So, how much of this is [PoorWordUsage] and what really need to be fixed right now! oh and he even said my windshield wipers were bad...nice touch. Any ideas on how many cracks per inch I can have in the belt? Pickup ran fine just started tough sometimes is reason I brought it in. Just a bit ticked that I was quoted up to $1500 to fix this and want to know what you think really needs fixing now. thanks and this isnt a dealership but a small shop who I was recommended to go to.

Any other shops in the area to take to get second opinion??

[pheasantpro10]

I just had a fuel pump put in my 99 and it did the same thing your talking about it started fine sometimes then others it took a few cranks. Then one day I went to start it and all it did was turn over. I have 102k on it and they charged me $355 I'm just glad I wasn't in the middle of nowhere. Good luck you might wan't to check around on pricing.

[Scott K]

I would have the fuel filter replaced first, as they should replace it when they do a fuel pump anyhow. Have them tighten the rear pinion nut, then grease the idler arm and recheck it, and have them show you that they are loose. Serpentine belts rarely break any more, but maintenance is never a bad thing.

A second opinion isnt a bad idea either. If you lived closer, I would check it out for you.

[Walleye Inn]

Thanks guys the mechanic called at 6:30 to give me good news the fuel pump was the cheap one ($161 and not the $300 one). I hope its just the nut on the rear axle. I will be asking to see whats wore out. he offered to drive to my work and pick me up and show me whats all wrong so I trust him. I was refferred to this guy by my boss who has used him forever and talking to him I trust him...mostly. Not on the belt. Ive read there can be a crack every 1/8inch and its still ok. He did say the filter was black and plugged tonight. Reason I want it fixed is the lake of the woods trip I have planned friday morning..not that I wouldnt mind being stranded up there but when I run out of beverages A guy has to get home.

I really appreciate the advice. This forum is great.

[HooknHorns]

I have a 2000 with a a 5.4. One thing I learned at about 80 to 100,000 miles is that almost all of the coils will start going around the same time. Its a 52 dollar part just to have a spare to have on board, if not all have been changed. Its an easy fix to make on the road if you have to.

[Scott K]

I have a 2000 with a a 5.4. One thing I learned at about 80 to 100,000 miles is that almost all of the coils will start going around the same time. Its a 52 dollar part just to have a spare to have on board, if not all have been changed. Its an easy fix to make on the road if you have to.

A quick way to make them all go out around the same time is to wash the engine. I will assure you a minimum of 4 bad coils within 5k. I have 110k on my Ford, and havent had one coil go bad. In fact, I havent had any issues with it at all, not even a flat tire.

[pureinsanity]

my serp belt has cracks all over it! It should have been replaced by the dealer when i bought my car. I should probably order a new one, but it has over 150K on that belt. Since im replacing timing I might as well replace the serp as well.

Ive seen pulleys burn out and fall apart before ive seen a serp belt break.

[HooknHorns]

A quick way to make them all go out around the same time is to wash the engine. I will assure you a minimum of 4 bad coils within 5k. I have 110k on my Ford, and havent had one coil go bad. In fact, I havent had any issues with it at all, not even a flat tire.

If you have seen my truck I barely wash the outside love it dirty or not.

[HNTNBUX]

I had two coils go out while in western SD and had them replaced before coming home. If I carry a spare what is the easiest way to tell which is bad? 2002 with 170K and still going strong.

[HooknHorns]

If you unplug it one at a time and the engine misses more and idles rougher that coil works. If the unplugged coil makes no difference, thats the bad one. It helps with someone in the truck to watch rpms. If you go through them all and doesn't make a difference it might be a bad injector or what happened to me was the CPM went bad. That was a little on the spendy side.

[archerystud]

Just had a coil on my 2000 replaced this week. I have 98K on it and it was the first problem I've had......knock on wood!

[BobT]

I have a 2001 F150 4x4 5.4L pickup. Was starting rough and brought it in. Fuel pressure regulator was checked and functioning. Fuel pressure I was told was 10lbs low so they think its a fuel pump. Quoted $600. Then I was told my rear axle disc pinion shaft was loose. Said they could try to tighten a bolt or have to rebuild disc is possible or gears? I just had both my rear axle seals replace within 2years and once again might need new fluid in rear axle which last time was $90 for fluid alone. Also, said steering idler arm assembly was bad up front and maybe a tie rod. Along with a serp. belt.

So, how much of this is [PoorWordUsage] and what really need to be fixed right now! oh and he even said my windshield wipers were bad...nice touch. Any ideas on how many cracks per inch I can have in the belt? Pickup ran fine just started tough sometimes is reason I brought it in. Just a bit ticked that I was quoted up to $1500 to fix this and want to know what you think really needs fixing now. thanks and this isnt a dealership but a small shop who I was recommended to go to.

Sounds to me like they were being proactive and informing you of things that may need attention. Pretty obnoxious attitude on your part the way it sounds.

You were having trouble and they diagnosed the problem to likely be your fuel pump. If you don't want to fix the rest of the items they found, don't, but don't cry later if those things become a real problem and cause more damage. The choice is yours. They can't force you to fix any more than you hire them to do.

[HooknHorns]

Correction PCM is what it was on mine, the code came up miss fire on #6 injector. The northland dealership was closing on a Saturday and one of the mechanics stayed late and helped me. Even though he had me replace a fuel injector and changed the oil. It still was missing and my sis-in-laws friend which was a former ford mechanic finally figured it out. I swore if I bought another truck it would be from the dealership that went out of their way. Two dogs, 3 week old new born son, wife and her sister and pulling a boat through the cities in a Sat rush hour. I was a little stressed.

[Walleye Inn]

Fuel pump, steering idler arm assembly, total rebuild of rear axle. This shop checked over everything which is nice I was more irritated with the rear axle as I had the outside seals replaced this summer and they should have seen how bad the axle was, according to the mechanic. $2362 bill. ouch. No fishing trip to LOW this weekend and he's hoping to have it done today.

When I had the tune up done at 82k miles they replaced a few coils then. Reminds me when I bought the pickup at 70k miles after 20miles the check engine light came on and I took it right back to the dealership and they said their person cleaned the engine with a power washer. Might have been why the coils went in 10k more?

[BobT]

Quote:

I was more irritated with the rear axle as I had the outside seals replaced this summer and they should have seen how bad the axle was,

How do you suppose the inside wear with the rearend "should" have been detected 40,000 miles ago? What else do you expect they should know about now that might appear after you have 50% more miles on, e.g., after 200,000 miles? Sounds like you need to consider a career change.

I'm not trying to pick on you, just suggesting that you might be expecting more from those mechanics that they can provide. I personally would be more upset if they found other issues and failed to report them to me so that I could take appropriate measures.

[Walleye Inn]

Bob its friday...lets be happy! This summer I had about 5k less miles on it. The seals were leaking so I had them replaced. To replace them the axle comes out and when they took that cover off they should have seen how bad everything was in there, gears shot and bearings...I'm NOT a mechanic but explaining this from the many calls I've talked to the mechanic fixing it right now. He best explained it to me as I took my pickup to a dealership to be worked on this summer for the seals. He said the service manager types up a work order for the mechanic to fix and the mechanic fixes that part. They usually don't look at much else is what he said as he's worked for a dealership and said you try to get through your workorder as you get paid more.

Do you know what my career is right now bobt? Any suggestions to a new one?

I'm getting things fixed so they don't go out on me. I'm sorry I was just looking for people who have had similar issues with a similar pickup and THANK YOU to all who have replied. Those coils were an issue with me earlier too and I probably will have more issues in the future. Pickups require a lot of maintanance.

[nels2444]

BobT - I'm wondering why you are so fired up about this? Walleye Inn is basically ticked off he has a huge repair bill on his pickup. Fairly certain I'd be the same way with a $2300 bill.

Walley Inn - Maybe you should look into a mechanic career or something that pays you $2300 a week. Any ideas? How about NHL hockey coach? Know anything about hockey?

[Scott K]

I will have to say that if the problem existed back then, the mechanic should have caught it, and wrote it on the repair order. The shops actually make more money by inspecting, and trying to upsell repairs, so to say they just wanted to get through the repair order, because that is how they make more money, I find that hard to believe.

Either the problem wasnt as bad back then, and wasnt obvious, or someone dropped the ball. Could have been the mechanic for not noticing it, but if it was that bad, he would have had his face right in there, and should have seen it, or he or you were in a big hurry to get the truck done, and didnt have time for more repairs at the time. Or the mechanic could have wrote it on the repair order, and the service writer dropped the ball and didnt relay the information back to you.

My bet is the problem just wasnt as bad, and wasnt obvious to the mechanic at that time, and there more then likely wasnt any noise or complaint of a noise at the time, so no reason to inspect the pinion bearing. 5000 miles is a lot of time for a part to wear out, just think in 5000 how many times that drive shaft has spun in a circle, and can cause wear.

[Walleye Inn]

I actually have always noticed a humming around 60mph but never gave it much thought other than speed up a bit or slow down a bit and it goes away.

5k miles is a lot of spinning and again I'm not a mechanic and going by what my current mechanic is telling me as he worked for rancho or something out in utah on racing pickups and said he's done many rear ends and he did explain everything to me. Just not fun to replace that expensive fluid 3 times in the last 1.5years but I know it has to be done.

Ok im just ready to have the pickup back and go out to the lake...anyone else thinking this? Cold front moves in tonight late so this afternoon they should be smackin' anything you put in front of them. After all this is a fishing forum. Again thanks for the help.

[Scott K]

Have fun and good luck fishing, I hope karma swings your way after the truck repairs! I agree repairs suck, any repair does!

[HooknHorns]

Walleye Inn this is a good forum dont let this get you down and dont be afriad to ask more questions. Some guys are the "if it aint broke dont fix it" type and others will change oil every 2000 miles. There are a ton of these trucks out there wth all sorts of issues. If heard from the dealership that most have head gaskets that leak and most people wouldnt know it. I bought mine used at 16,000 miles on it but I paid for an extended warranty up to 105000 miles. It paid for itself with the head gasket alone, at the same time I had them change the plugs to save money. ABS computer went out at 700$, 2 coils and totally new E brake system all under waranty. Some of this might not had to be fix. At a 50$ deductible its hard to pass up. After the expiration of the warranty its just been the power control module that had to have someone else fix. Your header bolt closest to firewall on the passenger side will rust and break. Then your exhaust will leak. It will happen so look forward to that and thats a few hundred. Mines been leaking for a while. If it aint broke dont fix it Good luck fishing.

[BobT]

Quote:

BobT - I'm wondering why you are so fired up about this? Walleye Inn is basically ticked off he has a huge repair bill on his pickup. Fairly certain I'd be the same way with a $2300 bill.

I'm not all that fired up. I just think he’s giving the shop a bad rap for nothing. It sucks to need service and it’s expensive but it’s not the shop’s fault. I'd be upset too but not at the shop.

In his first post he indicated that he had the seals done within the last two years and in his second post he indicated that he had a tune-up done at 82K miles and it now has 102K. I inadvertantly typed 40K miles when it was actually 20K miles since the tune-up. I assumed the tune-up and the rear seal replacements were done at the same time and it seemed presumptuous to think the rear-end play should have been found 20K miles ago.

I am questioning why he is so fired up and PO’d with the shop for warning him about other potential problems. I use the Ford dealership for all my service work because then they have a record of what has been done and they use genuine Ford/Motorcraft parts. They always watch for other issues when I bring my vehicles in and they inform me of potential problems. Here are a couple examples.

I had a 2001 F150 from new until I traded in 2009. During one of my oil change visits they informed me of a leaky rear axle seal. It still happened to be under warranty and I insisted they replace both sides and they did.

At 30K miles the service schedule recommended replacing the transmission oil. They were too busy at the time to do it so I had a local shop do it instead. This was the only time I didn’t use the dealership for service. Two oil change cycles later the mechanic tells me that he is concerned about my transmission because the fluid had a strange odor. The truck was in for an oil change but one of the things they do is check all fluids and he was very pro-active to catch this odor. I suspected the odor was because the shop I hired didn’t use the same brand of fluid as the dealership. Just to be safe, I asked them to change it anyway.

At my 60K service they informed me that my battery load test showed that I may need to replace my battery soon. This was just an oil change but they did a load test on my battery as part of their normal procedure. Because it was in the spring they said I could probably get by until fall but they recommended changing it before winter. When I came back in the fall I was expecting to spend about $100 for a new battery. Instead they informed me that they had discovered their old tester was defective and their new tester showed my battery to be in good shape so I didn’t need to replace it at that time. That original battery was still in the truck when I traded in 2009. I don’t think this sounds like a shop fishing for business.

Shoot, in 2007 I paid $7,500 for a car. Eighteen months later (about a year ago) it blows an intake manifold gasket costing me over $3,200.00 to fix it. We decided not to go all the way and rebuild the entire engine because it would have added another couple grand and I didn't think it was worth it. Four months later the engine is toast. We suspected a rod bearing got damaged when the gasket blew. I ended up selling the car for $200.00 and spending another $3,000.00 for a different set of wheels. On the second oil change on that vehicle the mechanic informs me there is a coolant leak on the intake. $1,000.00 later I have that fixed. Vehicles cost money to own and operate. It's a fact of life.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Some vehicles cost way more money than others!

To things I say a lot.

Everyone knows what is right with there vehicle, It is up to me to find what is wrong.

Half the fun of owning them is wondering what you'll have to fix next!