Hey Guys,

I have a few questions. I got an 08 F450 XLT with 43k miles on it about 3 months ago. I bought it in Texas, and drove it back where I live in Florida. When I got home, i noticed a bit of oil on the ground, brought it to the dealer they said they put die in the oil to come back, I did, they said they replaced the crank case seal. Next day oil again on ground. Went back, they replaced some other seal, still oil on ground. To make a long stroy short, I did not have my truck for 3 weeks! Finally, they figured out it was leaking from the front cover? so they replaced that. Its been about a month and all is well with that. Also, during all this, the radiator of course started to leak, so that was replaced too.

I love the truck! here are my issues/questions

1. The truck seems to regen every 200 miles or so. However. The display on my dash NEVER says anything. It does not flash quickly or anything. I can only tell it does it because i hear and feel it. I do keep the screen always on how many miles to Empty I have, does it still show up on that screen? Also, I have read they do not regen in park. Maybe I am wrong, but when i hear, and feel a regen, and if i happen to come home and put it in part and let it idle, it idles VERY HIGH, tons of air is felt blowing from the exhaust and I feel heat near by. I really feel it is doing a regen in Park.

2. When i got back from my trip by the way, I had the dealer change the oil, oil filters, tranny fluid, fuel filters etc... Just to make sure its all current. Somehow, whenever I check my oil dipstick, before and even after the oil change, it is WAY above the fill line. Normally I would assume its over filled, But wouldn't the dealer know how much to fill it? and even after my new front cover, it said they replaced the engine oil, i get home and its still way over the full mark?

3, and my final question. When I start my truck on a cold start, say the morning. And i start driving off, i get an INCREDIBLY high pitched LOUD! wistle sound when it gets to about 2k RPM or so. Once it shifts it goes to normal. But it does this INCREDIBLY high pitched whistle for about 1 minute or so under acceleration when the tach hits about 2k or so, then stops and does not do it when warm. This is LOUD, and i mean LOUD! when the windows are down you can make people deaf outside with it. I mentioned it to the dealer, he did not seem to care, he said its maybe an exhaust leak, but its no big deal dont worry?

and sorry to stick a #4 on here, but is getting 11mpg on the highway normal with NO load and no towing?

THANKS!

 

Well, congrats on the truck Hope you are going to pull something with that.
I think you may have the original flash that came with the truck. If it is regening in park.
That would require an update from the dealer to bring it current. I would do that.

The latest flash out there though does not allow the message to stay on till finished but will not allow a regen in park and does offer some refinement over previous flashes.

It should show no matter what screen you are on but it is so brief so based upon your ear and nose it is obvious.

If you hit setup and then reset it should be thru several system checks and then you should be able to see the message, again briefly before it disappears.

Now for the oil, review your service order and see if it says 15 qts. Probably does.
they probably did not let it sit long enough before draining to allow the oil to get back into the crankcase completely.

You have to check the motor when cold, level and in the same spot to get a consistant reading.

Use the short stick method. I am attaching an example that was for a TSB but it shows the procedure to do the check. That is how most of us do it.

There is also the possiblity that because of the PCM strategy and it allowing a regen at idle that you are making some oil. So the newer flash will help with that as well.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

This cam efrom the tech folder.
Fuel cooling pump noise:
The 6.4 PowerStroke has a seperate cooling system for the fuel supply system. A loud squealing from the pump mounted on the driver sid of the lower fan shroud can indicate air trapped in the system. Before replacing the pump or performing other repairs, inspect the hose joint attachments, inspect the system for leaks, pressure test the system pressure cap. Verify the system is completely filled and bled as per the service manual. Broadcast Message 7338, SSM 19815.

 

Thank you! Yes, I pull a 12k enclosed car hauler every 2 weeks, and soon will be pulling a 4 car open hauler at about 24k once or twice a month. I just got my CDL also...

I bought the truck with 43k on it, and now have just about 48k on it, i seen many regens, however never once seen it flash even quickly on the dash. I am pretty aware of it, i think i would have seen it. I will try going threw the menus to see next time i hear it regen if i see it under system check.

Regarding a reflash, what do i tell the dealer? I want a new ECU reflash? will they ask why?

Thanks for the oil dipstick test. I will try that out now. The oil has been drained a few times from the dealer when they were trying to figure out why it was leaking, but everytime the stick showed over full. (btw, the service order did show 15qts.

I have a long trip to take and haul my car on Friday. I will be back Monday and then schedule an oil change with the dealer since i am due then. Are you guys doing oil changes at every 3k or 5k miles with stock oil? If it is still showing full today or Monday, I will mention this to them. I just cannot risk briging the truck in now, and risking not having a tow vehicle Friday..

 

always do 5K oil changes....when I tow with my 5er I regen about every 130 miles for about a 10 min regen.

I don't make oil.

 

Thank you! even on my 1,400 mile trip home from Texas i never seen the screen display cleaning exhaust, this is before i brought it to the dealer... I never had smoke come out of my exhaust besides once on the highway... I had just got on the highway ramp, and i look out my rearview and i see like a blackish smoke coming from the exhaust, pretty consistant, and blowing very hard. It did it for about 25 seconds, then i heard it start to regen, and all the smoke stopped right away, and i never seen it again.

If the turbo vanes are sticking, would it only do that breifly when cold? and never during a warm start or regular driving?

The F450 i have has 4:88 rear end. I am assuming my 11mpg is from that. I also go about 70-75mph on the highway, and i have a feeling its because that. Is anyone seeing better at those speeds?

Also, one reason i thought maybe my truck did have an exhaust leake is because at idle if you are in the back of the truck outside, it has a strong HORRIBLE smell. And I know the smell of regular diesel burning, and this is not that smell. this smeels like a stink bomb.

 

Sounds like you may have the earliest version of the regen software yet. It allowed for regen to happen at high idle sitting in park.

As to oil changes, use a good oil analysis lab and change oil as per their recommendations. My interval is 7500 miles and could be extended using the quality oil that I use. My oil samples have never showed fuel in the drain either.

I would also guess you are doing well to get 11 MPG with 4.88 gears in a 450 dually too. The sweet spot on that engine is 2000 RPM. Fuel economy will best at or below 2000 RPM. That's 60 MPH on my F-350 dually with 4.30 gears. I'm sure you'd not get 60 MPH out of yours at 2000 RPM.

 

I have an 08 F350 dually with 4.10s, and I get at best 14.5 on the hiway empty if I'm good and keep it below 65mph. (yeh, right)

I get around 9mpg hauling my 7000lb enclosed car trailer. (at 70mph or more)

sam

 

Thanks! So here is my question. I know some are a believer of if it aint broke, don't fix it. Should I even bother telling my dealer to upgrade it? or not since it seems to be running fine now? Or is the new update just plain better?


Also, I checked my oil with the dipstick method posted above. The truck was cold, not started since yesterday, it is on my driveway, which is not totally level ground, it is on a slight incline. I cannot seem to be able to park it totally level ground near by house while having it cold. the oil was just over the word MAX. So I doubt a slight incline would make it read that high if it was not overfilled? am I correct?

 

That is about where mine reads. Bottom line on the oil readings....unless you change it yourself and ensure a complete drain....followed by a cold check to establish where full it then it is all an educated guess.

Best advice in my opinion is to get the flash. You will not be getting the one that shows the message till it is finished but there are other refinements in PCM calibration and trans strategy.

While I understand the if it an't broke...but in your case I think it would be helpful.

Doing a oil analysis is probably the only way to tell the condition of your oil.

 

I think I'd flash it too, although I currently only have the flash version that continues to show the Cleaning Exhaust Filter message until the task is complete.

I use Archer Gold 15W-40 engine oil. Archer Lubricants provides free oil analysis when one uses our diesel oil. I don't know what area you're in and if Archer is available to you. We can UPS in smaller quantities but shipping gets prohibitive. Archer Oil

 

Thanks guys! Next week then when I go for an oil change, I will tell them I want it reflashed.

I normally do all all work on my cars, I own a small race team that we race in the SCCA, we work on all gas engines from top to bottom. However, this is my first diesel, I know nothing about working on diesel engines, so I am not going to start to play on mine unless I know what i am doing.


I also am scared to mention the whistle at the cold start again, because I do not want my truck sitting there for a long time, and god knows, it can possibly wind up being a cab off procedure. The truck runs great, and I feel like if I have them start poking around, they will break something else.

 

Really? Yours also reads over the MAX word?

Also, a few weeks ago I tried draining the water separator. Got nothing but a drip drip. Closed it and said guess nothing is ready to come out? But after searching. I see people said to have the gas cap open, and then poke in the drain valve with a wire hanger. I did it today, gap cap open, nothing came out, so i used a wire hanger, stick it, in (does not go in to far). Still nothing came out. I got maybe 1 or 2 drops.. I did have my fuel filters replaced, but that was about 4 or 5k miles ago now. I did not get the water in fuel light on, but should i be getting anything coming out? I was assuming fuel would at least pour out.

 

You should get a good flow of fuel! You or your dealer are going to have take the drain apart & clean out.