Just bought a 04 f150 w/5.4 motor. Unfortunately I did not allow the motor to come to operating temp. Therefore I did not hear the knock til after the purchase. I have since read much about the issue.

Is there anyone who has had to pay for this out of pocket?

I was trying to decide if I should just purchase a warranty on the vehicle and have the problem fixed later since the seller of the warranty does not require an inspection if the vehicle was purchased within 10 days.

Does it hurt to continue to drive the truck with this issue?

Thank you for your help!!

04 f150 supercrew 5.4 w/ 55k miles.

 

Am I the only one with this problem on this forum???

 

Many if not most states allow annullment of retail transactions within three days. If you're within this time period, check your attorney general's website to see if you live in one of these states. If it is, I'd take the truck back.

Failing that, you might want to have it diagnosed by a reputable shop to see if it's something that won't cost much to fix. Then you can make the warranty purchase decision.

I hope that the warranty you're considering is through Ford. If not, be VERY careful before you purchase a third-party warranty. Read the language carefully, and make sure that you understand what is covered and what isn't. Also, do a Google search on any third-party contract company. What you find out may save you a ton of money and a lot of aggravation.

My wife bought a 2005 VW New Beetle brand new from a dealership, and we were interested in an extended service contract. For some odd reason, VW does not offer an extended warranty, but the dealership offered us a third-party contract. The guy at the dealership said that the coverage period wouldn't start until after the 4-year factory warranty ended. A check of the language revealed that this was NOT true!! At the time, we lived in a small town with the nearest VW dealership a two-hour drive away. He said that we could have the car serviced at a local independent shop, and the warranty would reimburse us. BZZZZT!! WRONG!! Finally, the contract stated that any covered repair must have been the result of a factory defect. EXCUSE ME??? We declined the contract.

Good luck!!

 

If you bought it from a dealer I would take it back and make them fix it, they would have known about it. If you bought it from a private owner I don't know what I would do.
I've been told that it's not a durability issue, but the noise can be annoying.

 

The cam phaser knock is common on the 04's. If you check the tsb link you will see what the dealer will ask you to determine if they should even look at it. A lot of noises from ford engines are "normal" these days. Make sure you have all the info before you get back to the dealer.

 

Don't feel bad, I did the exact same thing. I listened to the engine when it was cold and did not allow it to warm up enough for the knock to show itself.

Anyways I have since fixed mine, I am a mechanic and did the work myself but the parts alone cost me $800.00 CAN

Drew

 

Thanks Drew. Makes me feel a little better. Do you think it is bad to continue to drive it, or should I get it fixed immediatly? Thanks!

 

To be completely honest with you I do not feel comfortable enough telling you that it is OK to drive it. I did drive mine for 2-3 weeks before changing mine. I did notice the knock getting louder as time passed so I decided to change them before something bad happened.

Drew

 

I have the same problem on my 04 SCrew. I bought new cam phasers on ebay for $125 but I have since had an oil analysis done by Blackstone Labs. The report stated that everything was normal as far as wear, no extra metal. The noise has not gotten any louder and two dealers have said it was normal, even though it's only on the passenger side. I think I'll wait and have another analysis done. 70K mi right now.

 

I have since put on 3000 miles. The knock does not seem to be getting worse. I have got mixed responses from mechanics as to if driving with this noise is going to hurt anything. I was told by a dealership that I can damage the lifters. I didnt think the 04 5.4 has lifters. I dont even understand what we are hearing when the motor knocks.

I have since bought an extended warranty for $2000. I will just wait it out and if it gets wose, I will bring it in to a dealership. Its seems pretty pathetic that we cant get a strait answer.

 

I have an 05 fx4 with the knock and from what ive heard from other sites,and some trucks with 80,000 miles on them that if the deiseling noise bothers you fix it. I have 20,000 miles and plan on waiting. If it was a major problem I would think Ford would recall other than putting out tsb.

 

It is my opinion (and only my opinion) that Ford will hide behind any tree, dive in any ditch, or crawl under any rock to avoid a recall! And that 99% of the dealers will avoid any tsb repairs!! (because they are afraid they wiil not get paid by Ford!!!) Let's face it, they (FoMoCo) are in a loosing battle, and their ship is going down fast!

 

You said it Fomocojoe101. Especially about the dealers avoiding the tsb repairs. The dealers seem to employ many service techs and service advisors that are not only hard of hearing, but they are also partially blind. At least when it comes to fixing problems under the warranty anyway. Watch and witness how well they can see and hear if its a billable job however!