It let me down for the last time.......

[WH401]

I would figure the new 6.2 V8 gas engine would debut around the same time as the new 6.7 V8 diesel.

 

[Steve C]

My 08 gmc diesel stranded my family last night in the middle of the UP and after limping it 2 hours to a dealer this morning, they are throwing their hands in the air on fixing it...... I still have 7 hours to drive home..

Anyway, I am going to buy a F250 in gas. I wanted to wait for the 6.2.. But I might not have the opportunity. SO, when is the 6.2 coming out? And what is the most reliable gas engine to purchase in the F250.... Or do I have options? I am going there to build one out now, but any suggestions are very welcome!

A friend of mine had his 08 Chevy go into limp mode on the way back from Florida last winter pulling his 12,000 pound camper. It seems that there is a design flaw in the air intake/sensor gizzy and it becomes slush covered and quits working in Michigan weather. It isn't properly shielded. It is something under one of the front fenders that gets crud thrown on it and causes the problem. There is a simple fix for it but he had to take it to 2 different dealers before he found one that knew anything about it. The dealer he bought it from in Florida of course was clueless, they don't get much slush and freezing snow down there. That was the last trouble he has had with it. He has around 60k on it now.

 

[mjncad]

I've got a '99 F-250 4x4 with a V-10 and 5-speed manual with 4.11 limited slip rear end. I get 12 - 13.5 MPG consistently; though my truck leads an easy life. I can't give you towing MPG as I don't tow very often.

I have towed a mini-excavator a few miles with a decent hill on the route and the V-10 did just fine.

I agree with Diamondpilot about getting the F-350. I should have done that; but as I recall in 1999 I don't think there was a big difference in specs between the F-250 and F-350.

The truck does what I want of it and I'm happy. If you do go for a current truck, I'd go with the V-10 over the V-8 because for $700+/- and two more cylinders you get another 1.4-liters (think compact car engine) in oomph.

The Triton engines are proven, and hopefully Ford will make sure the new diesel and gasser engines are winners; but if you wait for version 1.0 of each engine, you could be in the same boat as you are now if Ford's new engines are duds.

 

[yooperdave]

My 08 gmc diesel stranded my family last night in the middle of the UP and after limping it 2 hours to a dealer this morning, they are throwing their hands in the air on fixing it...... I still have 7 hours to drive home..

Anyway, I am going to buy a F250 in gas. I wanted to wait for the 6.2.. But I might not have the opportunity. SO, when is the 6.2 coming out? And what is the most reliable gas engine to purchase in the F250.... Or do I have options? I am going there to build one out now, but any suggestions are very welcome!

Being stranded in the UP is no fun at all - especially later in the year with a newer vehicle assumed to be able and capable. Hopefully you were near a populated area when trouble hit.

At least the bugs are slowing down. I did still kill a mosquito in December a couple weeks ago.

You have my sympathies.

Yooper Dave

 

[nmu98]

A friend of mine had his 08 Chevy go into limp mode on the way back from Florida last winter pulling his 12,000 pound camper. It seems that there is a design flaw in the air intake/sensor gizzy and it becomes slush covered and quits working in Michigan weather. It isn't properly shielded. It is something under one of the front fenders that gets crud thrown on it and causes the problem. There is a simple fix for it but he had to take it to 2 different dealers before he found one that knew anything about it. The dealer he bought it from in Florida of course was clueless, they don't get much slush and freezing snow down there. That was the last trouble he has had with it. He has around 60k on it now.

I am very familiar with the issues and the fixes. I have the new intake tubes, the holes drilled in the intake, and the updates MAP and MAF sensors. I am done with this BS.

It does scare me to dive into a new gas motor next year. The issue I have is the posibility of gettinbg a V10 and having it drink fuel when a more powerful and less thirsty engine might come out. I am not sure I really like the watered down body style for 2011... I like the aggressive style they have now.

 

[jcmseven]

I am sorry to hear about your trouble. My GMC has been BY FAR the best truck I have owned to date and knock wood, no trouble after a bit over 20,000 miles so far. This is not to say that lemons are not out there and you must have gotten one. This really surprises me as these trucks have generally been trouble free. My advice would be to pursue retribution from GM by talking with their regional rep (if you have not already). In the past, sadly all the domestic makers, but especially GM, have been very unlikely to make right bad cars to their customers. One of my co-workers and friends had a top line Tahoe that was similar to your truck--an obvious lemon. It was constantly in the shop and had left his wife stranded on multiple occasions. GM refused to help him, even though the SUV was in warranty. His dealer would take it in, try to fix it, fail, and then get it back to him. He ultimately had to retain legal counsel to fix it but he did ultimately get a replacement vehicle of equivalent trim. As physicians both he and I have a disdain for lawyers but after trying to handle this on his own it became clear he needed one. Perhaps with the desire to maintain viability GM might be better to work with now on this, but I suspect they will not. You know that if they traded you out you would likely have a nice truck as they really are quite trouble free.

Not that Ford does better, but if you went that way I have experience with the V10 engine in the 250. I can tell you that they do not do THAT badly on fuel unless pulling big loads. They have plenty of power and are really quiet and refined. Mine, which I had about two years would get 14-15 on highway, unloaded, and about 8 pulling. My dad's 150 with a 5.4L and two wheel drive gets about that pulling a smaller load and does not have the same power as the V10 did, so I generally tell people the V10 gets about the same mileage as any gas truck/engine Ford sells. It is true with 2010-11 MY the 6.2L is coming out. Though new to the market, it is not a new engine to Ford. They have been running and testing this engine for a long time and given the modular concept the engine line has been well-proven in other applications. I do not worry about the 6.2L reliability--usually the electronics are the snafu early on. I personally would find a V10 truck if you wanted to get one now.

My question is how are you going to come out financially here?? If you "unload" a poorly running truck you could risk being held accountable to some degree in a private sale, and certainly a dealer would not be pleased to take a lemon on a trade. They also have ways of checking service records via computer and this might set off a red flag for them. Either way it might be best to FULLY exhaust the means you have with GM before dumping the truck entirely. I suppose the other thing is that this truck might have something fairly simple wrong with it that has defied explanation. You might request the regional service "targetshooter" be asked to make one final evaluation of the truck and they might have some answers. They key here I think is to not let the frustration of the situation dictate a move which might be financially better served by riding it out a bit more. How many miles on your truck??? Also bear in mind if you can document the truck was brought in while under warranty for a service issue which has persisted unresolved through the warranty duration, the company has some obligation to make it right even if you are out of warranty. I have several examples of GM dealers doing this on a personal level, thus a precedent has been set there. Good luck, keep us posted.

John M

 

[Diamondpilot]

we USED to have a V10. it only got 5... was terrible,

traded it off for a 76 GMC, 2-ton, much better truck, and it gets around 10

You have to be kidding. Nothing made in 76 holds a candle to anything made in the last 10 years. Only thing a 76 GMC is good at is rusting!

Chris

 

[flusher]

I've got a '99 F-250 4x4 with a V-10 and 5-speed manual with 4.11 limited slip rear end. I get 12 - 13.5 MPG consistently; though my truck leads an easy life. I can't give you towing MPG as I don't tow very often.

I have towed a mini-excavator a few miles with a decent hill on the route and the V-10 did just fine.

I agree with Diamondpilot about getting the F-350. I should have done that; but as I recall in 1999 I don't think there was a big difference in specs between the F-250 and F-350.

The truck does what I want of it and I'm happy. If you do go for a current truck, I'd go with the V-10 over the V-8 because for $700+/- and two more cylinders you get another 1.4-liters (think compact car engine) in oomph.

The Triton engines are proven, and hopefully Ford will make sure the new diesel and gasser engines are winners; but if you wait for version 1.0 of each engine, you could be in the same boat as you are now if Ford's new engines are duds.

No doubt there are a lot of Tritons on the road (I have an 01 F150 with the 4.6L Triton). But they've received their share of bad press--particularly for spitting out a spark plug occassionally resulting in repair bills ranging from $700 to $3000. A bad design by Ford in this case. Just be careful and check the Web for bad news info on the year Triton you're considering.

 

[dgl24087]

The Ford 6.2L gas engine will be the base V8 in the new Super Duty trucks. Debut is set for Spring 2010 when the 2011's are introduced. It is an evolution of the 5.4, not a clean sheet design.

 

[Diamondpilot]

No doubt there are a lot of Tritons on the road (I have an 01 F150 with the 4.6L Triton). But they've received their share of bad press--particularly for spitting out a spark plug occassionally resulting in repair bills ranging from $700 to $3000. A bad design by Ford in this case. Just be careful and check the Web for bad news info on the year Triton you're considering.

This was blown way out of proportion. It was only on the first few model years of the trucks then fixed with new heads.

Chris