So are you, but I'll wait for my last question to be answered before I deal with it .

 

This is a joke!....I requested the spark plugs to be changed and when changed, guess what?? they blamed the problem on the change claiming it was too early! and I think he meant if it is running smooth DON'T change the sparks because it will disturb it (what a fragile toy!) and that what happend in my case and things started to fail drastically!.

These trucks are designed to last for 35000 miles and if you get beyond that you are lucky!. Just don't rivv the engine, don't drive it fast, don't change the fuel type, don't and don't and don't....

and yes trade it off for another one and keep trading it off untill......

these trucks are not relaible unless FORD catch up by extending the warrenty and provide good tunes....and also telling all dealerships not to take advantage of the poor idea!

look at the wiring and the finish in the engine compartment...very cheep and very poor design.........

 

Not reliable, 41K miles and not one problem, tow ocassionaly 7klbs and still no problem. If the wiring was so bad think we would hear of a lot of electrical problems, of which I don't hear the noise!
So what's wrong with the wiring? Think my 41K and no problems blows the 35K theory!

 

This is a joke!....I requested the spark plugs to be changed and when changed, guess what?? they blamed the problem on the change claiming it was too early! and I think he meant if it is running smooth DON'T change the sparks because it will disturb it (what a fragile toy!) and that what happend in my case and things started to fail drastically!.


this is exactly what i mean!! it seems like you need a new service center as you are getting some idiotic advice! unfortunatly it is not just ford with this problem it is all makes import and domestic. the reason most engines do not run smooth is that the fed requires them to run as lean as possible to pass smog requirements. a smooth engine is a rich engine but also a dirty engine
i do agree however about not messing with something unless it is really broken as the more "techs" mess with it the more problems will be created.
jim

 

FX150, I'm not trying to flame you, but what problems have you had? What do you drive? And could you please structure your posts?

I'm having a hard time following your thought process while you bash Ford without offering a reason why other than vague references to problems you haven't had solved.

As for quality. I've had 3 F-150's in the 120,000 + mileage and each has been a great vehicle. I even had a Bronco with 293,000 miles on it when I sold it (original drivetrain minus motor). So far, my 06 has a paint issue I'm trying to get to the dealership to fix and nothing else. I'm expecting 100,000 more miles of driving in this truck with the occasional fix. Hopefully nothing major.

And if something breaks because of my driving and maintenance practices and/or motor mods, shame on me, not shame on Ford.

 

OK!. Prior to the new F-150 design I think it is fine! Like many other cars, problems can happen and the reason I pick up on this carbon thing is the fact that I had so many problems, one after another, and when they fixed the last one, they told me fuel is not good and carbon buildup caused the engine problems...

Fuel is like water for human, and you can't avoid a varying quality fuel, and therefore a fairly designed car should tolerate this "unavoidable problem", Otherwise you will see millions of cars coughing, sneezing and dropping dead all the time.........unfortunately this is what we read & see happening with these trucks
I am not sure about the SMOG thing!...using a tuner and other MODs should fix problems if it is really really because of SMOG control components?...don't you think so?<O

Also, I have driven other cars for along time, and yes some driving habits can cause problems, but I can't see this is the issue in this thread

 

fx150, the one thing your missing here is that generally when people post on the internet about there product, it is because they are having problems with it. So your going to see an unfair sample of trucks here that bias problems. There are how many here with carbon problems? 2-5 maybe? That is a very small percentage. Running premium when it is supposed to take 87 octane could be reason for the carbon problem. That seems to be the common factor in this. Even the owners manual tells you not to use premium and it may cause damage if you do.

 

I was flipping through my sister's owners manual a while back and, though I forget the exact wording, it stated that IF you are having cold start problems high octane is not the cure and may make it worse. It may or it may not, depending on what your problem is in the first place and the composition of the fuel. Much of this has to do with, in particular, methanol content. Some blends are higher, and methanol is known for being harder to cold start on (not because of it's octane properties, because of other properties that may not be present in other blends). It makes sense that if you are having a problem already that it could make it worse/more pronounced.

If your injectors are not spraying correctly and/or are flowing drastically different amounts of fuel (more common than you might think), yes, some blends could make problems worse. Sensors being off could also present a problem that could be aggravated. Octane rating itself isn't a cure for anything besides knocking and, depending on the reason for the knock, may be more of a band-aid than a cure.

Did I miss something in the owners manual besides that?

It also states to use well known national brands and if you are experiencing problems with one to try another. Even if you are in an area where "they all come out of the same tank" (this is not true everywhere), small differences in additives (both % and overall composition) can make a (relatively) large difference in how a fuel can/will perform in a given application. This is true no matter the octane rating.

johntucker09: I apologize if you have already answered this, I didn't see it. I know you were running premium when you did the sea foam. Were you running it prior as well? The fact that you mentioned it then made me think you weren't normally using it, but I am unsure.

What are the directions on the can? Someone made it sound as though they weren't followed correctly.

 

Since this was a thread started for Carbon buildup but appears to be a Ford pros/cons thread...let me say:

I'm afraid to post this, migh jinx myself and my 2001 F150 Screw 5.4L Lariat 4x4.

I've owned her from 24k miles, currently 91k. other than the sunroof track blowing out (covered under FMC's ESP), the keyless entry pad going haywire (also covered) and now supposedly needing inner and outer tierods on BOTH sides, i haven't had any problems with her one bit.

One question i do have, i made the mistake of having the dealer install Ford Platinum plugs (at one mechanics insistance that Bosch, etc. create too many problems)......now i'm wondering, after reading so many posts, should i find the COP's for about $200 and replace them, or will the computer tell me if/when one tosses on me?