Lack of Maintence on a 5.4L
The other day I won the lottery at work. Yeah, you heard that right... I got chosen to work on a 2005 F150 equipped with a 5.4L 3valve engine with approximately 170K miles...
TechTales Blog
Customer Self-diagnosis on a 6.4L
The other day I got the pleasure of working on a 2008 SuperDuty with a 6.4L under the hood. All I am told when I am handed the ticket is that the customer wants the exhaust leak fixed. Wonderful. When it is started cold, you can hear the leak as well as see smoke coming from back by the firewall. A quick peek through the fender opening reveals a exhaust manifold leaking but the rear pipes are also suspected. In our shop, we pretty much pull the cab for a lot of different repairs. Its rather easy.
I get the cab off, see the exhaust manifold leak but rear pipes look good. I replace the exhaust manifold gasket, torque all the pipes down to spec, and reinstall the cab. I start it up and do not hear a leak, so I take off on a test drive. The truck falls flat on its face whenever half throttle or more - so I wonder, what did I do?..
Misdiagnosed 2010 F150 with transmission troubles
The other day a couple brought to the shop a 2010 F150 equipped with the 6R80. They just happened to have left the nearest dealer who painstakingly tried to fix it, but having failed, these customers were at our door. Their issue was their truck would not shift out of 3rd gear. The previous dealer tried to install a new valve body and a megatronix assembly to no avail. Not only did it not fix the problem, but they also went ahead and did a warranty repair claim to Ford for the valve body...
My thoughts on the 2013 Escape Recall
For those who are unaware, Ford has recalled several thousand 2013 Ford Escapes with the 1.6L Ecoboost engine due to a fire hazard. Simply put, the cylinder head overheats causing a stress crack on the back side of it above the exhaust and turbocharger assembly. The crack allows oil to ooze out onto the hot exhaust system and down into the wiring looms for the crankshaft position sensor and turbocharger controls. Hot exhaust plus fresh oil can lead to a fire...
Transmission Fluid as Diesel Fuel
Looking for a cheaper alternative fuel source for your diesel Powerstroke? Maybe you work in for an automotive shop, know someone who does, or if you have access to used transmission fluid by the drum load, either way I may have some good news for you. Diesel trucks will burn almost anything* and transmission fluid is one of the more efficient choices. Extra benefit - smells great...
Tune-Up in a Bottle
Let's be honest here; if your car is running like crap nothing added in the fuel will fix it. Think of these products as preventative maintenance. There are several products on the market that advertise that you should just add it to your tank to magically clean the fuel injectors. Other products say to add it directly to the crankcase to get the gun out of the oil system. In my experience, most of these products are an expensive sham. You'll be surprised which one does the job!..
Truth about Shop Supplies
These days supply costs are inflating and the dollar is depreciating, so naturally the cost of doing business has went up as well. One thing that is popular these days is for shops to charge an expense on shop supplies to help aid their falling profit margins. In todays topic, we will explain why this charge is needed, what it covers, and why it is legitimate in some cases...
Power Probe 3
The Power Probe 3 is a very powerful, compact, and useful diagnostic tool. I would recommended that any technician specializing in electrical diagnosis pick one of these test probes up. The Power Probe III is so easy to use; It could be used by a oil change guy, a general service tech, a master diagnostic tech, and even the back yard mechanic! This tool is easily one of the most useful in my toolbox. You wont regret getting one, I sure don't!..
