Hello everyone! I just bought my first diesel. It’s a 2016 F-250 lariat with 6.7 power stroke. I’ve never owned a diesel so I’m asking for tips, things i should know etc. It has 65k miles on it and is a one owner truck. It has plenty of power but my only concern is the fuel mileage. I haven’t really hit the highway but I’m averaging about 13.7mpg on the lie o meter. Haven’t calculated manually yet as I just got it 4 days ago.

Should I use an injector cleaner etc? When regen starts will it tell me when the regen is over? And should I keep driving until the regen is done?

I apologize for the questions. Just never owned a diesel and worked hard for several years to be able to afford one. Just want to do it right! Thanks in advance everyone!

 

Welcome to the Forum.

1 - 14-15mpg city driving is normal for the SRW trucks. 17-18 mpg is normal for highway only
2 - Injector Cleaner is referred to as Fuel Additive on a Diesel? Yes, it is recommended mostly for the added lubricity that ULSD fuel lacks
3 - No the truck does not notify when regen ends. But there are ways to have this info available
4 - Yes, it's healthier for the DPF if each regen runs to completion. If you must shut down a Regen while active it's best to idle the engine for a couple minutes to run the excess fuel out of the cylinders
5 - There is no need to apologize for any questions...............unless you keep asking the same questions over and over.

 

Start with the tech folder. Download the coffee book table and read up on the motor. It will help a lot towards your education.

Regens will not inform you unless you catch the message. Yes run it until it is over, but you won't know unless you have some way to monitor the status.

Banks makes a idash superguage and there are others that can monitor the vitals and give you true readings.

 

Thank y’all for the information. Is there a preferred fuel additive to use? I was looking today and there are several out there. Also, how long does the regen usually take? Anything else I should watch for etc? This is my daily driver and will also be used to pull roughly a 12k lb fifth wheel.

 

regen length can vary due to a number of factors.

my 2008 6.4 (first generation with DPF) would take 10 miles.
my 2013 6.7 was 6 miles.
I now have a 2020 and have not had it long enough to comment.

Quality of fuel, use, stop and go vs hwy, many factors can change things.

When towing, my 2013 would go from Maryland to Colorado without a regen. But that is not the norm.

I would expect you will regen once a tank of fuel at least if a daily in town driver.

Additives, plenty out there, Ford's is just as good as any.

 

Another thing, use only motorcraft fuel and oil filters, pay attention to the type of oil you use and fluid checks weekly is what I would do.

I would also service the trans, transfer case and rear diff and probably a coolant flush, based upon mileage, unless it was done or otherwise verified to be light use.

Heavy towing changes a lot of the intervals.

 

• Don't screw up and fill up with gasoline.
• Make sure you never poor DEF into the fuel tank. (You got to trust me on this one)
• Drain fuel/water seperator monthly into clear jar to inspect for any water and avoiding that station if any is ever detected
• Make sure you use diesel engine oil and use one that has the Ford Specification WSS-M2C171-F1
• Use Motorcraft filters (Oil, Fuel)
• Take roadtrips whenever you can to ensure complete regens

 

Common issues to look out for:

• Plastic OEM CAC pipe blows, severely reduced power. Remedy: replace with aftermarket CAC pipe before this happens
• Upper oil pan leaks caused by lazy silicone robot at the factory. Remedy is have Ford service department fix it, very expensive since transmission has to be removed
• Vacuum pump leaks oil due to loose bolts. The gasket is not easy to replace yourself but doable. Recommend thread locker when you put it back together.
• CCV sensor malfunctions. Covered under Ford recall
• DPF gets plugged (from ash buildup) after 150k miles, requires cleaning, replacement, or removal
• DEF heater fails and needs replaced.
• DEF injector gets plugged/fails and needs replaced.
• CP4 fuel pump issues, lawsuits pending
• bouncing at 45mph, unknown cause, unknown remedy (I think it's the tires since it started on mine after replacing the tires)
• death wobble/road wandering. Usually caused by worn/loose Track bar ball joint. I've replaced mine 2x at 114k miles. Terrible design.
• Sudden no-start, no power on the dash. Usually one of the 2 batteries is dead.
• Do you get the hint you might need an Extended Service Plan from Ford? Repairs are expensive!

 

WOW my 15 had 2 of those issues. I did however replace my CAC pipe out of a abundance of caution. There were to many failures for me to take the chance of replacing it on the road. I have tools at home. I also had the oil pan fixed. They had to do it twice because something went wrong and oil was leaking from bolts that hold a adapter plate to the block for the transmission. Other than that mine has been trouble free.

 

I've had the CCV, the vacuum pump, bouncing, DEF heater, track-bar ball joint, and no-start/battery issues. The CAC pipe I also replaced with a Rudy's just as a precaution. My dad's CAC pipe blew on his 2015 without any mods or even towing! Told me all I needed to know then.

 

Delete the DPF and tune if you are able. Do it now before it becomes impossible.

 

Just what I fear, when I'm ready no one will be left! Sure wish I could self-insure and kiss the 3yr 36,000 mile bumper to bumper factory warranty goodbye!

 

With all the problems people seem to think they are going to have owning a diesel truck. Makes me wonder why on earth anyone would buy one in the first place. Hi My name is Stroking It and i have $ 80,000 which means nothing to me if I lose it. Hey here is a idea. Buy a Ford diesel truck. I hear they are a big waste of money. I hear they fall apart in the wind. Seems like a great deal to me. I must have one!!!
Now for the real story.
Just like everything. Treat it like crap and that's what you will end up with. Maintain it and do the right thing and the truck will last a long time. You just spent a EXTRA $9,000 just to get the diesel, but why? Most of the guys here don't need a diesel. Most guys just drive them to work and back. They may have a boat but most gas trucks will pull a boat just fine. Owning a newer diesel takes some thinking. I guess thats whats wrong with some people they just don't want to think. DEF in the fuel, Gas in the tank, Some of these problems are from the driver error not the fault of the truck. Now granted the 11/12's had issues with turbos and such but that didn't deter folks from owning them. Not all trucks had turbo problems. For the life of me I just don't understand the need to tune these trucks. It's not a race truck. It's a big *** truck made for towing heavy loads not doing the 1/4 mile. You need to race a Corvette? than the truck is not the ride for you. Removing the pollution systems on these trucks seems to open other cans of worms. My EGR is just fine my DPF is still fine. Spend $3,000 just to save buying a $12 jug of DEF makes no sense to me. You will not increase fuel millage I don't care who you are or how you drive. If you bought a 8,000 pound truck to save a couple pennies on fuel, don't make me laugh. I won't even consider cheap oil. I suppose I would if I didn't have the money but if i had enough to drop on a diesel truck than cheap oil would not be on the list of cheapness.
Sorry for the rant
Stroking It
Out

 

Well said Stroking It

 

You're not sorry! Glad ya got that off your chest, because keeping all that bottled-up inside ain't good for ya! Just curious, are all of these you list in your profile stock?

68 Mustang
12 Taurus SHO
07 Shelby GT500

Some folks can't leave well enough alone, fix until broke. That's me! I mod everything I get. FWIW, can you agree running minimally processed diesel exhaust back into a motor is a stupendously bad idea?