I need some help with my 2002, 7.3L. I took the truck into a Ford dealer today to get the oil and oil filter changed. When i got the truck back, it seemed to take a second or two longer to start and then died. However, it restarted normally. I noticed a slight diesel smell in the truck cab and a vibration through the steering wheel and did not give it much thought. I drove the truck about 10 miles back home and noticed a more pronounced diesel smell when I got out. Upon investigation, I found fuel leaking around the fuel filter cover (I had personally changed this filter about 4,000 miles ago and it has not been leaking). I called the dealer and returned with the truck. The service rep. informed me that the service tech. who worked on my truck is new and did in fact fool around with the fuel filter cap thinking it was the oil filter. The dealer replaced the fuel filter and O-ring and the fuel leak problem stopped. However, I still have the vibration in my engine at low rpms (approx. 750-1000) I noticed this when I first got the truck back and it still remains after the fuel filter replacement. I know it is related only to the engine as I can put the vehicle in park and rev the engine and get the vibration which I can feel though the steering wheel. I plan to return to the dealer again tomorrow morning and ask them to connect it to an analyzer in hopes that something will show up. I am not getting any engine light and the vehicle seems to run fine at normal operating speeds. The vibration is noticable only at the rpms mentioned above.

What could this person have done to my truck engine simply by changing the oil? Help!

 

Thread moved to 7.3L PSD section.

 

Once again, this web site has come through for me. Last night, I performed a search for the word "Vibration", in this forum and read through the threads for four hours. One thing that kept showing up as recommendations was to look into an oil related problem. Since the last thing that was done to my truck was an oil change that had already caused me a fuel leak, I suspected another dealer induced problem that caused my engine vibration. So this morning, I got up and went outside and checked my truck's engine oil level and discovered that it was about 5" above the full mark on the dipstick. I checked it twice because I couldn't believe my eyes. I then called the dealer and took the truck in and personally observed the installation of a new oil filter and the correct amount of oil. When I got in and started the engine, my vibration problem was gone. I am beginning to hate taking my truck to the people who are supposed to know how to service it.

Thanks again for all of the great information available on this web site. I hope to be able to contribute more over time.

 

Wow, unbelieveable. Glad you got it fixed.

 

unbelieveable. i never take my truck to the stealership. how can they get someone to work on your truck that doesnt know the difference between fuel filter and an oil filter?

 

That is simply outrageous. The "service tech" did not know the difference between the fuel and oil filter. Wow.

Glad you got your problem fixed. That search feature sure comes in handy! It's amazing how there are quite a few issues that can arise from the wrong oil level. I've seen folks post it as the cause of issues they've had a number of times.