F250 Diesel 6.0 problem?
#1
F250 Diesel 6.0 problem?
I am in the market for replacing my F150 with a F250 Diesel (purpose: towing a camping 5th wheel). Started looking at the 2008's, shocked at some of the prices and thought maybe to look at used. In talking to the dealer he indicated that the 6.4 liter just came out in 2008 and prior to that there was a 6.0 liter. He further indicated that Ford moved to the 6.4 liter because people were unhappy about the 6.0.
Does anyone know of problems with the diesel 6 liter F250's?
Thanks for any an all info.
Does anyone know of problems with the diesel 6 liter F250's?
Thanks for any an all info.
#2
#3
Hi troutfly, welcome to FTE.
First, Ford went with the 6.4 because it would have been cost prohibitive to bring the 6.0L engine up to the new pollution control standards.
The 6.0L Power Stroke diesel was somewhat problematic, especially the first few years. What compounded the problem was repeat service by some dealerships to fix the same problems over and over, since a lot of dealerships didn't understand the 6.0 systems and would only guess at how it could be fixed. if you have a problem and have to go back to the dealer 4-5 times to fix that problem, you're going to say bad things about the truck, the engine and Ford, regardless of what the problem really was.
Saying all that, you will find guys here who own 6.0L Power Strokes and love them. They can tell you how to set one up for maximum reliability and great power output.
The 6.4L, while not problematic like the 6.0, has it's own detractors. Fuel consumption on the 6.4L has been far greater than the 6.0L or the 7.3L. No one really likes the REGEN cycle on the particulate filter, or the particulate filter for that matter. Also, Ford has taken a very harsh NO MODIFICATION stance with the 6.4L engine. Any modifications, including downloading a new program into the computer, will void your engine warranty.
First, Ford went with the 6.4 because it would have been cost prohibitive to bring the 6.0L engine up to the new pollution control standards.
The 6.0L Power Stroke diesel was somewhat problematic, especially the first few years. What compounded the problem was repeat service by some dealerships to fix the same problems over and over, since a lot of dealerships didn't understand the 6.0 systems and would only guess at how it could be fixed. if you have a problem and have to go back to the dealer 4-5 times to fix that problem, you're going to say bad things about the truck, the engine and Ford, regardless of what the problem really was.
Saying all that, you will find guys here who own 6.0L Power Strokes and love them. They can tell you how to set one up for maximum reliability and great power output.
The 6.4L, while not problematic like the 6.0, has it's own detractors. Fuel consumption on the 6.4L has been far greater than the 6.0L or the 7.3L. No one really likes the REGEN cycle on the particulate filter, or the particulate filter for that matter. Also, Ford has taken a very harsh NO MODIFICATION stance with the 6.4L engine. Any modifications, including downloading a new program into the computer, will void your engine warranty.
Last edited by redford; 02-12-2008 at 08:39 PM.
#4
#5
2007 F-250 PSD, love the thing. You can ask in the 6.0 forum and get good, mostly balanced responses. Remeber though, lots of the noise you hear can be from a few ticked off people, lots of us just drive the engine, do regular maintenence , and don't have problems.
The 6.4 exists for lots of reasons. More complex than just for emissions or just for ticked off customers to be happy. Salesman probably just wanted to get you all set on a new truck with lots of bells and wistles so his commission gets better. You can probably pick up a used 06/07 6.0 for less than a new 6.4, with a lot of miles still left in the engine and the trans.
The 6.4 exists for lots of reasons. More complex than just for emissions or just for ticked off customers to be happy. Salesman probably just wanted to get you all set on a new truck with lots of bells and wistles so his commission gets better. You can probably pick up a used 06/07 6.0 for less than a new 6.4, with a lot of miles still left in the engine and the trans.
#6
#7
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#8
I enjoyed my 6.0L. Towed like a dream, great all around performance. Bought the truck used and put 90K trouble free miles on the odometer. At 137K miles, I had to leave it on the lot, too expensive to repair, lets say it was 1/2 the value of the truck. And that was without knowing what, if any, permanent damage was done to internal components not monitored by the computer.
No matter what year you buy, you should be able to put 100's of thousands of mile on the engine. I doubt you'll get that longevity out of the very costly subcomponents.
I decided to go petro this time, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another diesel IF I towed larger loads more often. Reliability became my deciding factor, 2 months down time and repair costs killed my business. Things change, now I tow 6K a couple of times a week and upwards of 10K a few times a year, no real need for diesel.
Not trying to cause a war about reliability issues, my point is if you have a newer diesel, any manufacturer, repair parts are very expensive. Labor is what it is.
The reasons to own a diesel are dimenishing with every new improvement and change due to environmental related improvements. Shorter production runs are now the norm, and it appears that Ford will not utilize International motors in the future.
If your towing heavy loads on a consistent schedule, diesel all the way.
Either way, I would not recommend owning a newer diesel out of it's warranty period.
.
No matter what year you buy, you should be able to put 100's of thousands of mile on the engine. I doubt you'll get that longevity out of the very costly subcomponents.
I decided to go petro this time, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another diesel IF I towed larger loads more often. Reliability became my deciding factor, 2 months down time and repair costs killed my business. Things change, now I tow 6K a couple of times a week and upwards of 10K a few times a year, no real need for diesel.
Not trying to cause a war about reliability issues, my point is if you have a newer diesel, any manufacturer, repair parts are very expensive. Labor is what it is.
The reasons to own a diesel are dimenishing with every new improvement and change due to environmental related improvements. Shorter production runs are now the norm, and it appears that Ford will not utilize International motors in the future.
If your towing heavy loads on a consistent schedule, diesel all the way.
Either way, I would not recommend owning a newer diesel out of it's warranty period.
.
#12
#13
Trout, as Green mentioned the Oasis report is a must if you're going the used route. If you see a truck you're interested in, get the VIN and then go down to the 6.0 diesel forum, which is a little lower down on the forum listing. Once in the 6.0 forum, you'll find an Oasis Request thread pinned to the top of the thread listing. Just post your VIN and within a day or two, maybe three, one of the techs or service reps that work for a Ford dealership will send you the report. Why is an Oasis report important? It will tell you any and all work (including warranty work) that has been performed by any Ford dealer on that specific truck. It will give you a good measure of whether the truck you have your eyes on is a cherry or a lemon. Good luck on the search.
#14
Ahhh.... truck shopping. Fun stuff. When I was looking for a truck a year ago I avoided the 6.0L. I didn't focus on all the little details or personal testimonies. Just took a big picture view....
1. Everywhere you go people talk about questionable 6.0L quality and reliability. That's a big red flag in my mind.
2. Ford is suing Navistar because of high warranty cost and moving away from them as an engine supplier. That's a huge red flag in my mind.
3. Just the fact that there is a service on this site for the OASIS report supports the reputation of poor quality and reliability of the 6.0L engine.
4. There are other trucks and engines available without a dark cloud of suspicion hanging over them. One of those would certainly work for me and I didn't have to wonder if I made a really poor choice.
So my field was down to 7.3L, Duramax, and Cummins. I really liked the refined street manners of the Duramax but couldn't stand the archaic '80s-like modular Chevy dash layout. The Cummins is a great engine but the truck it's in seems overpriced in the used car market and rides like a trail wagon. The Ford interior has the most upscale feel and largest short box at 7'.
In the end I got a 7.3L with 6-speed manual and saved a bundle of money since it's an older truck. It's loud and won't win any drag races, but I have a very reliable truck with little to no risk of depreciation for a few more years. In the mean time I'll watch the 1/2 ton diesel market develop and see if that tickles the right spot.
1. Everywhere you go people talk about questionable 6.0L quality and reliability. That's a big red flag in my mind.
2. Ford is suing Navistar because of high warranty cost and moving away from them as an engine supplier. That's a huge red flag in my mind.
3. Just the fact that there is a service on this site for the OASIS report supports the reputation of poor quality and reliability of the 6.0L engine.
4. There are other trucks and engines available without a dark cloud of suspicion hanging over them. One of those would certainly work for me and I didn't have to wonder if I made a really poor choice.
So my field was down to 7.3L, Duramax, and Cummins. I really liked the refined street manners of the Duramax but couldn't stand the archaic '80s-like modular Chevy dash layout. The Cummins is a great engine but the truck it's in seems overpriced in the used car market and rides like a trail wagon. The Ford interior has the most upscale feel and largest short box at 7'.
In the end I got a 7.3L with 6-speed manual and saved a bundle of money since it's an older truck. It's loud and won't win any drag races, but I have a very reliable truck with little to no risk of depreciation for a few more years. In the mean time I'll watch the 1/2 ton diesel market develop and see if that tickles the right spot.
#15
3. Just the fact that there is a service on this site for the OASIS report supports the reputation of poor quality and reliability of the 6.0L engine.