I appreciate the input. We were down to one income for the end of last year and most of this year. We're still catching up. My pockets will heal, its the timing.

 

If the dealer replaced the EGR cooler, and valve but not the oil cooler you should be down there chewing them a new one. If they didn't at least give you the info and options. I would surely go elsewhere and have it checked.

Have you been using coolant or having white smoke out the tailpipe?

 

I've spoken with the dealer about the fact I'm replacing these 18 months after installation....

I picked up the truck this past Monday and noticed yesterday that the coolant was 1/2" below the min mark. It hasn't really moved much. When I took my kid to school this morning I only noticed a puff of white smoke when I put my foot into the pedal a little harder than I usually do. Its not a lot of smoke though. I can't see it in the rear view mirror as I drive. I have to look for it in the side mirror, coming out of the pipe when I push a little on the pedal starting off.

I should be able to have it serviced in the next three weeks.

 

So you are going to drive it for the next three weeks without gauges, because money is tight, when you are worried about a leaking EGR cooler ........... what about that seems wise to you? If you have a plugged oil cooler and a leaking EGR cooler, you are flirting with much bigger costs if you ignore the advice previously emphasized.

btw - something does not make sense in your posts. A puff of white smoke at startup is not an indication of a bad EGR cooler. Doing the test I told you to do and then removing and inspecting the intake manifold (under the EGR valve) will give you a good indication of the issue. Also getting gauges to watch the oil and coolant temps will add important information to the assessment of the condition of the coolers. These are easy things to do yourself.

Please post up how much coolant you are losing now (if any). The coolant level of 1/2 inch below the minimum mark at cold startup is the perfect level at which it is to be maintained. Also, please post up whether or not the fluid leak (reported earlier to be a suspected fuel leak or front cover leak) at the front of the engine has been repaired or not.

 

I didn't mean to give the impression that I was going to drive it til the repair. I drove it this morning to take my kid to school and see how much white smoke was coming out of the pipe. Its not enough to see it in the rear view mirror. I have to see it in the passenger side mirror as it exits the tailpipe. It happens mostly when I pull away from a stop sign and put my foot in the pedal a little harder than usual. I remember what happened when the egr cooler went the first time, and I'm not looking for a repeat of that.

Between your directions and a couple youtube videos I watched I feel comfortable pulling the egr valve to see whats going on inside. Its been raining here the past few days, but I will have another opportunity this weekend. The gauges are coming...

The leak at the front of the enging was repaired. No more drips.

When I picked up the truck last Monday, the dealer advised me that I needed to replace the egr cooler asap, and in the meantime, watch the coolant level and keep it topped up. When I left the dealer the coolant level was just below the min mark. When I checked the level before coming into work tonight, it still about 1/2" below the min mark. It may have dropped, but not much.

Ken Walsh from VIP Auto Service sent me a couple of estimates that were very good. I'm going to have the truck taken out there.

 

Although I don't have a problem with my EGR or my OEM oil cooler at this time and therefore no experience to offer you help with your problem, would it be too much to ask HOW MUCH VIP quoted you to do the work so those of us that will be facing the same problem you now have at some point down the road would have a ballpark figure to compare to what our sources quote us in our time of trouble? Thanks in advance.....Mcrafty1

 

I was given two quotes. The first one was for an extensive upgrade to include installation of the bpd egr cooler, remove oem oil cooler, install air to oil cooler in front of radiator, replace all intake gaskets, O rings and seals, remove hpop cover....coolant, oil. labor, parts, tax = @ 4775

The second one was less extensive and included intall new bpd egr cooler, replace oil cooler wth bpd oem style oil cooler, replace O rings, gaskets, seals, and hpop screen, remove hpop cover and replace snap to connect fitting...coolant, oil, filter. Labor, parts, tax = @ 2678

I'm also planning on adding a coolant filter to help reduce the possibility of a repeat of this.

I'm planning on the second option.


"As we spoke about the Bullet Proof diesel upgrades on your 2005 F-250 I have two quotes on EGR cooler and oil cooler upgrades. We do a lot of Bullet Proof upgrades and with all of bullet proof upgrades we have installed found either way you go on the oil cooler is a huge improvement for the 6.0 engine. In the attached quotes in the Bullet Proof kits listed is a lot of small upgrades like turbo oil feed line, turbo oil drain tube, fuel regulator upgrade(blue spring) and snap to connect high pressure oil pump fitting. If we find any of these items have been done there will be no reason to do them again. Any questions let me know. I keep all bullet proof items in stock so a 2-3 day turn around is what it would take. Look forward to doing business with you. Thank you"


Thank you to everyone who posted and helped me understand this. It is greatly appreciated.

 

Avoid that dealer if he wants $3800 and can't guarantee it won't come back with issues later. He is a theif.
ALWAYS replace the oil cooler with egr cooler failures.
You don't need all that extra stuff, if money is tight just get a new oem oil cooler, and either a bpd egr or a delete kit. After verifying your issues with gauges that is.
Edge insight are very good looking gauges and also functions as a code reader. They work very well but the scangauge does show more parameters.