Need help. New 90 F250 diesel problems!

[JPeacock212]

Id like to start by saying this is our first diesel. We got it for pulling a horse trailer with and with gas prices now the diesel was going to be a welcome change to my 5.4L 4x4 Expedition. Its a 1990 single cab F250 4x4. Guy we bought it from had it about 2 weeks and its been running great for him(a friend of ours who was oblivious to the problems I will list below). The 3 times we test drove it, the truck started first turn of key... one time we test drove it was pulling a 30ft. bumper pull stock trailer and it drove wonderfully. So we decided to buy it. We paid 3k for it. Body is in mint condition. No rust, not banged up etc. So the day we took it home we took it up to the Ford dealer to have the oil and filter changed (we are in the process of moving also). A/C didn't work so we had them check that out to. Find out it needs a new manafold the tubing and the V-10(I Believe thats what it was called). We decide to hold off on it as it was going to cost about $500.00. Notice next day its smoking a little...every now and then blackish smoke coming out(not all the time). Get up the next morning and it wont start. We have it towed in to the ford place again to see what the deal is. Tell them it was running fine till they did the oil and checked the A/C. They call back saying the wireing harness needs to be replaced ($600.00). I made a drive from KS to TX yesterday and hubby got the truck back todayStill in KS) and said that its now smoking gray no matter if he accelerates or not. At this point we are disappointed, broke and down right mad. Hubby only knows gas engines and has no clue what could be wrong now so he asked me to come here and get some advice. He making a 10 hour drive tonight or tomorrow with this truck. He doesn't have time to fiddle fart with the dealership again and cant have it looked at till he gets it here to Texas. Of course Im worried he's not going to make it here. He's afraid to check the lines for air and screw something up before heading out which is the only thing he can think of that is causing the continuous smoke (air). Its just odd that we have see this truck pull several trailers, ridden in it, drove it and never had a problem till we actually put the cash down then took it to have the oil changed. UGH. Any advice for us at this point would be appreciated. Sorry for the length.

[Spectramac]

Did they change the fuel filter when they did the oil change. If so is it (filter) wet around the bottom? Can't think of anything else that could crop up after an oil change and AC check. If you suspect an air leak in the return lines you could plug or crimp the small rubber hose that goes down off the top of the fuel filter housing. This would help if it starts and dies after sitting overnight.

[JPeacock212]

Seems to be doing pretty good today. Still smoking a little but not to bad as the other day. They didn't change the fuel or air filter. Iv purchased both and will change them both out the next couple days. This truck has 2 17gallon tanks. Odometer is broken but the trip calculator is showing around 160ish per tank(135miles on 3/4 of a tank so Im guestimating by that how many for the full tank). Is this about right?

[Rikc1]

Is that mileage towing?? Also depending where you're fueling up compared to the guy that you bought it from can cause difference coming out the pipe. Are you running any additive for the fuel?? I recommend Standyne or Diesel Kleen.
It sounds kinda funny that the truck was good to go till it went to the dealership, you didn't mention to them that you were moving away did you??

Just a little trick when changing the fuel filter have the truck warm not hot but warm before the change it will start much easier after install.

I would also would take some time surfing the forums-- I know time can be an issue but if your new to a diesel it would be well worth the time.

[Ironpants]

When you say smoking a little, do you mean smoke from the tail pipe or smoke inside the cab? Sorry, I could not figure out what you meant.

As for milage, I can usually make about 350 to 400 kilometers (up here in Canada) per tank depending on cruising speed. I usually end up just eating fuel if I try to keep her up to approx 125 kilometers per hour, so I ususally cruise around 110 KM/h.

Honestly it seems interesting to note it worked fine until they checked the AC. Then it has to have a wiring harness replaced? Interesting. Unless a wire got disconnected, should not have an issue.

Best thing to do is a search on this website for your EXACT symptons.

[JPeacock212]

Originally Posted by Rikc1

Is that mileage towing?? Also depending where you're fueling up compared to the guy that you bought it from can cause difference coming out the pipe. Are you running any additive for the fuel?? I recommend Standyne or Diesel Kleen.
It sounds kinda funny that the truck was good to go till it went to the dealership, you didn't mention to them that you were moving away did you??

Mileage was without towing anything. We have been filing up the same places as the person we bought it from. Not many places to choose from where we were for deisel. And no we are not running an additive. We know nothing about deisels and haven't had it now but 5 days so we are just gaining as much info as possible...

We did not mention we were moving till after the start up problem. They said that someone had tried to rig the harness and they had clamped two pos. wires together making the rest melt and burn threw from the heat. They said everything else looked "okay" and that before to long we should prob. replace the glow plugs..

Hubby said it ran great on the way down. Besides half his body being burned from the drive down and no a/c! lol!

[JPeacock212]

Originally Posted by Ironpants

When you say smoking a little, do you mean smoke from the tail pipe or smoke inside the cab? Sorry, I could not figure out what you meant.


Honestly it seems interesting to note it worked fine until they checked the AC. Then it has to have a wiring harness replaced? Interesting. Unless a wire got disconnected, should not have an issue.

Tail pipe smoking was what I meant. From time to time it still smokes but not constantly. Im sure the fuel just settled from when they were working on it and it just a took a little bit to get it back out of it's system.

I thought it intresting also that it was working just fine till the Ford place tinkered with it. Hubby went in and talked with the people that did the oil and A/C and after that you could tell from the way the guy talked with me on the phone later that day when he had the truck (after we had it towed in to see why it wasn't starting up) he was worried they had done something to it to break it. I personally feel that the harness was messed up but that when they tinkered around under the hood they moved the harness to a place where it got hot enough to finally burn threw. Something that in a way Im glad happened sooner rather then later and caused more damage.