Hey everyone!!

This is my first post on the boards, and I suppose I might as well get everything out all at once. I bought a 2000 F-150 4x4 w/ a 4.6 and 160K rounds and it's been nothing but a headache since I signed the dotted line. First, it drove great off the lot, but then about ten miles away, I wasn't getting very good heat; had the thermostat replaced, problem solved. Engine started misfiring a week later, replaced 2 coils packs and all new plugs, problem solved. Now my new problem is that when I slow down to say a stop light or sign, I get a really bad vibrating/grinding/rattling noise from my rear end and when I'm just about at a dead stop, my RPM's start getting erratic (from 700 to 400 and then levels out at 550-600). I already know that I have to replace the catalytic converter since it's original and rattling at idle. Now after reading all that, don't get me wrong....I love my truck, it's just had a few hiccups....Any ideas?

 

Welcome to FTE TKTrooper! Sounds like the previous owner didn't take very good care of it and you are left holding the bag over a truck that is way overdue on some regular maintenance.

What I would recommend is changing out all of the vital fluids. Oil and filter, transmission fluid, differential fluids, engine coolant, and brake fluid. It would also be a good idea to clean the MAF and to change the air filter and fuel filter. In other words, it needs a good tune up.

The current problem may be a bad IAC valve or a bad TPS. Is the CEL working? Is it lighting up when the key is turned on before starting the truck? Does it stay on when the truck is running? If so have you had the truck checked for DTCs stored in the computer?

Good luck!

 

The grinding might be bad brakes and the erractic rpms are most likely the IAC or mabye a vaccum leak. Also you might have just broke a weld on the heat sheild that surrounds the converter, which would make you think that the converter is bad.

 

I was driving around for about a half hour the other day and I popped a code that said "catalytic converter operating below minimum efficiency level" I don't remember the exact code. Either way, I took it to my much trusted mechanic today and he put it up on the lift and found that the rear wheel bearings are bad, like, REALLY bad. It's to the point where the inside of the rear tires are wearing much faster than the outside. They also checked something with where the driveshaft meets the rear axle, they said there was something leaking back there. Brakes checked out okay.
Does anybody know if a universal cat is made for this truck. If so, would it be ok as a temporary fix until I get my duals put on? Also, I'm wondering about programmers, can they really help me get better mileage? I basically bought this truck for work where it's a 20 mile commute daily and a 4x4 is necessary living here in the arctic tundra, but my current mileage is killing me at the pumps. Where to get, how to do, can a mechanic do it for me......
Anyways, thanks for the responses, they really helped me narrow it down!

Derrick

 

I had a vaccum leak that made my 2001 5.4 idle rough. Drove me crazy and had to go to a second shop before it was located.