2006 F250 powerstroke

[Chuck52]

It's finally coming to the time when my '91 F150 must be replaced. It's been a good truck, but the little problems have grown into big ones, and it probably didn't help that I was hauling 1800# loads of compost. Sure was fun going down the interstate with the front in the air and compost blowing off the back. Got lots of amazed looks as I drove along using the steering wheel to suggest which way I wanted to go.

One of my buddies scored a good deal on a '97 F250 gasser a few years ago and I'm always jealous of how he can load that thing up without bottoming it out. Anyways, I was out shopping around today for a "new" truck. Looked at the new F150s, but I really don't like the idea of carrying manure and compost and such in one of those shiny new trucks, and without pushing I'd probably be looking at $18-19K for the very basic model. Then I saw an '06 F250 powerstroke on the lot. It's got 118K miles on it, but I think I can get it for about $10.5K. I know there are lots of Ford diesel owners here on TBN, so am I seeing a decent deal on this rig? It ran rough enough that I told the salesman I'd have to see how it did after the tune-up they should have already done. Also needs some minor body work and new tires. I can get a gas model F150 with less than 80K miles for considerably less, but that diesel is tempting. Am I just suffering from truck envy?

Chuck

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Chuck,
Im like you I have allways been tempted at looking into a Ford F250 diesel, its quite a truck !

The problem that I have with the one that you looked at is why was it not running properly while sitting on the lot for sale ?

I would want a good reputable diesel mechanic to go over that engine and truck with a fine tooth comb before makin a commitment ! JMO !

 

[Chuck52]

Yup. I agree. Finding a good diesel mechanic may get interesting because I suspect most of them in this area are at the dealers. Apparently this truck had not been serviced since it arrived....don't know how long they've had it. The dealer has a pretty decent rep, but if I decide to get this rig I'll probably spring for an extended warranty of some kind. They also have some "factory buy-backs" which the sales guy says are mainly from California, with the usual comments about California laws and eye-rolling. Those come with a 12/12 warranty, have much lower miles, and are listed at below the blue book retail, but are still quite a bit more than the rougher unit I was looking at. I'm going to drive it again after it is serviced and will look into finding a mechanic. I really don't often need such hauling and towing capacity, and I doubt I'll put a lot of miles on it, but it sure would be nice to be able to do what that one will do when I need it.

Chuck

 

[Phils]

I drove along using the steering wheel to suggest which way I wanted to go. Chuck

I'm still chuckling over the image of that!

I'd suggest you also pose your questions over at Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Ford truck and SUV owners and enthusiasts Community And Information Source. There is a specific forum catagory for that truck/engine and those members are dang near almost as friendly as those here at TBN (not quite, but no other forum is as friendly as TBN anyway).

I bought an '03 F250 diesel almost a year ago. Like you I knew I needed one LONG before I finally bought. After A LOT of research, I found the newest F250 that still had the 7.3L (the second production quarter of '03 is when they started putting the 6.0L in them).

I would be concerned over the "running rough". The first 6.0L engines had a lot of problems. Does this one have the 6.4L? Both of those engines will run circles around the 7.3L BECAUSE they are tuned to do so. Meaning... while a person can mod and tune the 7.3L engines w/o problems, the 6.0 and 6.4 will likely have problems if modified.

One thing that I specifically DIDN'T like about the newer trucks: for a lot of the engine work, and even CHANGING THE FUEL PUMP you have to lift the cab! This truck you are considering already may have some problems so even if they are fixed, yes you should get the extended warranty. A "tune-up" probably won't fix 'running rough' and NO deal is good enough if it's only problems waiting to happen.

PS... there's a great looking '01-03 F250 4WD supercab at a lot a block from me with NO body damage for under $10K. Nice truck and if it'd been there a year ago it'd be mine. Dunno where you are but IMO you should be wary of this one and check out those forums at FTE.

(on edit) I see this truck has the 6.0L engine. My understanding is that by '06 they had pretty much worked out most of the bugs but the running rough would still be scary.

Phil

 

[Lasgambler]

I'm still chuckling over the image of that!

I'd suggest you also pose your questions over at Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - Ford truck and SUV owners and enthusiasts Community And Information Source. There is a specific forum catagory for that truck/engine and those members are dang near almost as friendly as those here at TBN (not quite, but no other forum is as friendly as TBN anyway).

I bought an '03 F250 diesel almost a year ago. Like you I knew I needed one LONG before I finally bought. After A LOT of research, I found the newest F250 that still had the 7.3L (the second production quarter of '03 is when they started putting the 6.0L in them).



(on edit) I see this truck has the 6.0L engine. My understanding is that by '06 they had pretty much worked out most of the bugs but the running rough would still be scary.

Phil

I too, searched and found a 7.3PSD crewcab 4 wheel drive and could not be happier. I have heard Ford mechanics call the 6.0L the "Sick 0 L". Terry

 

[Stimw]

It's harder to give advice when you are in your secret location.
In my area many local construction guys did the "my truck is newer and bigger than your truck thing" and now that the economy has crashed and fuel went through the roof they are trying to sell them. There should be some good deals from private sellers. Check craigslist.org for starters.

 

[Dargo]

I bought an '06 F350 4X4 and was irritated with it at first. After a couple of minor things were repaired on it (mainly a fan clutch, fuel filter and a minor oil leak) it's been great. I've pulled heavy loads with it for about a year now and don't at all regret going with the 6.0. I've added a tuner to it and it will absolutely run circles around my neighbor's '03 that has a 7.3 with major modifications to it. That's besides the point that he's put 4 transmissions in his truck since 03. The newer Ford trucks with the 6.0 have much better transmissions. Everybody has their own opinions, but I couldn't be happier with my '06 F350 and it will out run any gasser I've seen even unloaded.

 

[streamin]

I have a 2001 f250 with the 7.3 .The trans went out at about 100k pulling about 11k for 1500 miles.Not sure if that is common but it's been fixed 10k ago and runs great ever since. I have added a tuner and I'm happy with the power. I don't have any experience with the newer ones but hear mixed stories.

 

[Chuck52]

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm in the middle of Missery, BTW. I've been reading up on the 6.0 L and there is a fair amount of buzz about it, though seems like its mostly from '03-'04 with some comments about things improving later. Sounds like a complicated engine. I'm not jumping on this one fast because there were several 250's on that lot and I don't figure any of them will evaporate overnight. What seems harder to find are gasser 250's at least locally. And then, if I'm logical about it, I don't even really "need" a 250, and there are several good deals on 150's out there. However....when you want to haul a ton+....

My truck lasted me 15 years. My handle gives my age when I signed up on TBN, and that was 8 years ago. If I can find another truck to haul the stuff I need for 15 more years I may not be hauling so much after that. I'll surely have all the trees and raised garden beds and such by then!

While I'm thinking things over....what kind of mileage do you get with a newer truck, various engines? My straight 6 has been sick so long I haven't even measured it. Mileage isn't real important because I won't put more than maybe 5K/year on whatever I buy, but it is another data point I suppose.

Chuck

P.S. I already belong to the Ford Enthusiasts group....just can't remember my name/password!

 

[Dargo]

Don't forget that you can get a Ford F250 with the V10. I have an Excursion with the V10 and it really is a decent engine and has comparable torque and hp when compared to some of the older diesel engines. Fuel economy isn't great but I didn't expect it to be great with that big and heavy of a vehicle while feeding ten cylinders. If we get back to where diesel is a buck higher than gas, it is actually far less expensive to run a gasser than a diesel. GM had some equally strong gas engines when they had big blocks available in their 3/4 ton pickups but, to my knowledge, they stopped putting those out a while back. If you look up the PowerStroke engine in Wikipedia you'll see that in 2006 the 6.0 PSD had fewer warranty claims than any Ford engine produced that year.

I'm not particularly partial to any brand and currently own at least one vehicle from every domestic manufacturer as well as vehicles from 3 Asian manufacturers. My last pickup was a 1996 Dodge 3500 4X4 dually diesel. It became quite the toy for me as I discovered how powerful and fast you could make the old 12v Cummins engines. When I sold it, it was putting out well over 1000 ft. lbs. of torque. I suppose that is why all of the newer offerings felt anemic on power to me when I drove them. Without any doubt the GM diesels were felt the quickest when stock. It may be unfounded, but my personal opinion is that I don't want to fool with a 2007 or newer diesel pickup that has a DPF on them. Service managers from all three domestic manufacturers have told me horror stories of loyal long time customers being extremely upset when they constantly had problems with the DPFs and how expensive they are to maintain and replace. That left me looking at 2006 model year diesel pickups. I drove all three before I bought. I still think the Cummins in line 6 is likely the most reliable engine that will run more miles before a rebuild is needed, the GM and Ford offerings were good enough to me. I just liked the way the ride and drive of the Ford the best and they seemed to have larger cabs (which was important to me) than the others.

 

[Jimbrown]

I have an 06 F250 it has 36000 on it and never had a wrench on it except for filters. But 118000 looks kinda high to me depending on what it was used for. if its running rough it is most likely the exhaust gas recirculation and or turbo. You need to be sure that it is fixed before you buy it.

 

[dgl24087]

Also, if it was not dealer serviced, it may not have had the latest software reflashes.

 

[anojones]

I have a gasser '95 F-250 with the big 460 in it. I had a Toyota Tundra before that. The F250 is a real truck compared to the Tundra, load capacity, towing and ride quality- the Toyota was like driving a car (and there are days I miss that smooth ride). I also recommend that you look at the Ford Truck Enthusiast forums that were mentioned above. Just browse thru the forums to see what your getting into.

 

[Duffster]

If we get back to where diesel is a buck higher than gas, it is actually far less expensive to run a gasser than a diesel. .

Huh?

When fuel was high I was thankful everyday that I had diesels instead of gassers.

 

[Chuck52]

I'm going to try it out again after they service it, and I plan to also try out a new diesel truck...my only experience with diesel besides my Kubota L210 was with a 1981 Chevy Impala diesel. I know those vehicles got a rotten reputation, but I was actually pretty happy with that car until I took it to Puerto Rico. I think it must have been the only diesel car on the island in 1984. Anyways, I need to hear and feel what a properly running diesel is like. This one seemed to smooth out quite a bit when it warmed up after a few miles. The problem is that the new F250 have a different engine. However, they do have several lower mileage 6.0 L trucks on the lot, and I'm not jumping at anything until I research it and am satisfied.....then when as usually happens to me, I'll still have myself to blame!

Thanks again for the input....still waiting for mileage data. Duffster, what you got and what does it get?

Chuck

 

[Duffster]

Duffster, what you got and what does it get?

Chuck

I have a pair of 7.3's, both in the 200k range

One in the low 200's and the other in the high 200's

They both get ~16mpg

VERY reliable trucks

 

[Dargo]

Huh?

When fuel was high I was thankful everyday that I had diesels instead of gassers.

I assume you have to be joking. If not, I don't know what to tell ya. Just in case you never put a pencil to it I'll give you an extremely simple example. Truck 1 is a V10 gasser and truck 2 is a diesel. Fuel prices in my area were $3.80 for gas and about $4.95 for diesel. My V10 gasser averages about 12 mpg and my diesel averages about 14 mpg. To run 1000 miles the diesel would burn 71.42 gallons of fuel at $4.95 a gallon; costing me $353.53 per 1000 miles in fuel alone. The gasser would burn 83.33 gallons of fuel at $3.80 a gallon; costing $316.65 per 1000 miles in fuel alone. Figure in the higher expense for the diesel vehicle, higher maintenance costs etc., and you'd be waaaay ahead running a gasser. I'm a huge diesel guy and own about a dozen diesel powered machines but the plain and simple math is indisputable in favor of running gassers unless you need diesel power to tow your load. Diesel would have to be back to being considerably less per gallon than gasoline for it to come out in favor of the diesel. The only other way to justify diesel in that situation is if you just plain want a diesel. Again, I have to assume that you were joking.

 

[anojones]

It's off subject, but our passenger cars are diesel (both VW)- the Golf gets around 50MPH and the Jetta > 40MPH which makes diesel economical even when it was more expensive (in our area it's about 20 cents more a gallon than regular right now). My '95 F-250 gets about 8 MPH- but don't use it except as a chore truck. Also, I tend to skip over posters signatures, but Dargo's was pretty dang funny.

 

[Duffster]

I assume you have to be joking. If not, I don't know what to tell ya. Just in case you never put a pencil to it I'll give you an extremely simple example. Truck 1 is a V10 gasser and truck 2 is a diesel. Fuel prices in my area were $3.80 for gas and about $4.95 for diesel. My V10 gasser averages about 12 mpg and my diesel averages about 14 mpg. To run 1000 miles the diesel would burn 71.42 gallons of fuel at $4.95 a gallon; costing me $353.53 per 1000 miles in fuel alone. The gasser would burn 83.33 gallons of fuel at $3.80 a gallon; costing $316.65 per 1000 miles in fuel alone. Figure in the higher expense for the diesel vehicle, higher maintenance costs etc., and you'd be waaaay ahead running a gasser. I'm a huge diesel guy and own about a dozen diesel powered machines but the plain and simple math is indisputable in favor of running gassers unless you need diesel power to tow your load. Diesel would have to be back to being considerably less per gallon than gasoline for it to come out in favor of the diesel. The only other way to justify diesel in that situation is if you just plain want a diesel. Again, I have to assume that you were joking.

LOL No I wasn't joking, but here the price diffference in fuel wasn't as bad as what you quoted. The V-10 I fuel is hard pressed to get an 11mpg average which makes a little difference.

I am a believer that it costs less to maintain and repair a diesel, I have spent so little on mine that it would be hard to beat with a gasser. Plus I would have had to replaced the engines by now.

I can't base what kind of truck I am going to bye on the price of fuel today, plus the time span of the price spike is was minor compared to the life span of the diesels.

 

[Chuck52]

I don't really have the experience to jump into the gasser vs diesel discussion, though I was always under the impression that the best diesels were cheaper to maintain and more reliable for longer mileages than the best gassers, I was also under the impression that the "best" adjective was where the rub entered into the equation. I just wish I had a 1971 Kubota 2-banger diesel truck, since I haven't been able to kill my L210, and I do have experience in killing machines.

Chuck