My son has been driving (abusing) my 92 F150 4x4 for about a year now and has recently brought it back (he has screwed it up so bad he can no longer drive it). I will have to speak in generalities as I haven't made any serious attempts to fix it. Here are the clues.

1. About a year ago he complained the 4x4 wasn't working
2. I later found out he had added an aftermarket radio
3. He complained that it was blowing the fuse for the radio
4. The instrument cluster does not work but guages do
5. It now shifts EXTREMELY hard bone shaking hard

I'm sure the problems are electrical. The trans was rebuilt about two years ago and was working fine before my son. Before my Son will hereafter be referred to as BS. BS it was a very nice truck but now he has destroyed it. He called me one day to tell me it had a bad vibration while driving it at high speed on the interstate. I told him to get off the interstate and stop driving fast. He called me about ten minutes later to inform me that he knew were the vibration was coming from and that we now needed to fix a large hole in the right rear fender. It seems that tires coming apart at HIGH SPEED seem to destroy things around it. I guess you now know that he is not a NASCAR fan (all NASCAR fans know that tires coming apart destroy things) however he does have one thing in common with NASCAR drivers. No it isn't the fondest for speed, it seems he had to call the wrecker to fix the tire. No he knows how to change a tire, it's just that, like a NASCAR driver, he doesn't see the need to carry that extra weight of a tire so the wrecker had to tow him in. BS it had a nice cloth interior. Well we can't have that as he had trashed that too. Oh back to the NASCAR theme why would you want to need a key to crank the truck when it is so much easier to just jam a screw driver in it and turn it. You know I think I see a reoccurring theme here. BS it had a passenger window and side mirrors. Now, just like NASCAR it doesn't have side mirrors and the passenger window has been replaced by 200 mph tape. Ok I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing me brag about my son. If any ones has any suggestions (Homicide is not an option although it has been thought of) I would appreciate them.

PS I need ignition replace tips too

 

I'm assuming your son wired the radio himself?

This sounds similar to a problem on my truck (speedometer/odometer went out, truck shifted terribly etc...) I had just added an aftermarket stereo and just twisted and wrapped the wires in electrical tape. My best guess is that was causing a short in the system and affecting items on the same fuse (im fairly certain electronic 4x4, trans, instrument cluster/gauge is on the same or overlapping fuse). Anyways, long story short, rewired the stereo a whole lot better and problem disappeared.

 

I am sorry to hear about your truck, it is a shame that your son doesnt appreciate that you let him use the truck to begin with. Since he is obviously not treating your possessions with proper respect, you should definately make sure that the expenses come out of his wallet if he has a job and if he doesnt, I am sure that you can find a good amount of work for him to do to recoup some of your repair costs involved.

I agree with ncguy23, I had a 93 mercury cougar that the previous owner had installed an aftermarket cd deck (on his own I am assuming) upon taking it all out to figure out why it was acting all goofy, I found the same thing... wires twisted together and electrical tape. No soldering, or even wire ties... after fixing it all up, my problems (dash lights and other stuff) went away.

Once again, sorry about the truck and hope things turn out good in the end.

 

Tell your son to redo the wiring. Grab a kit from Autozone or advanced auto for the adapter. it will tell you what each wire is for. Then get the system wires and tape them one by one. Then individially wrap the left overs in electrical tape. I bought a $60 stereo from walmart and I haven't had any of these problems. At least for this system is was pretty much wrap and play.

 

about the key
get a new tumbler set from parts house
not sure of when they changed
if like my 96 then turn lockset to acc.
under the column there is a small hole below the tumblers
insert a small punch or drift to push in on a release button
I find it easier to remove the lower column cover
turn switch to run and it will slide out
DO NOT GIVE NEW KEY TO BS
he needs to learn to walk now
when he pays for one he just might respect it
may not
good luck M

 

I don't believe I'd do that. Reread Charles's story.

Sound's like a spoiled little brat, just like most of today's kids.

Sorry Charles, someone had to say it. Time for the kid to buy his own ride. Maybe it will teach him some respect.

I had to chew on one's a$$ the other day.
Every time this guy comes to his buddies house to work on the fart piped rice burner he works for hours "Rev Tuning" it. He doesn't fix the problem as he doesn't have a clue.

So I have to listen to that crap for hours [like 3hr to 4hr each time] coming thru the wall's of my house.

It's obvious that the thing has a dead hole for what ever reason.

This has happened at least 6 days over the coarse of 4 months.

 

That sucks, i couldnt imagine.

Yeah, after the kid has shown how much he respects other peoples possessions, I wouldnt let him rewire something that he (im just guessing) already screwed up.

 

Well then put the old one it... lol

 

Thanks for all the replies. I think fixing the radio, replacing some fuses and ignition tumblers will probably solve the problem. *** (sorry typo I meant As) for my son he hasn't any repair skills. It sounds like the repair will be easier than telling him no. It can be very difficult. Each time you tell your self, OK he is squared away now and things will be different..............

 

What side of town do you live on Charles? I'm on the west side off of Saufaly Field Rd.

 

from ford manual:

disconnect battery

turn key to run

insert 1/8" drill into hole below tumbler

pull lock out

do not move anything

put new tumbler in

than turn to lock

reconnect battery

 

My dad would have kicked the crap out of me if I brought his truck back in that condition. That being said, I knew the consequences of handling his equipment, tools, electronics etc. and this situation never occured.

Not that I was always "spectacular" to his equipment, I especially liked racing around in his trucks. However, I knew if it broke under my watch, it was my problem.

I rented/borrowed/drove his 89 F150 300I6 for 2 years before I could afford to purchase it. He always thought I drove it too hard, beat on the clutch too much .... (blah blah blah is all I heard at that age). He used to make me do all the maintenance work on the rig. He'd be sitting on his bench tying flies or playing with his motorcyle and telling me which bolt to take off, tighten, brake pad to remove, fluid to drain etc. etc. Man I hated him for it at the time, but now I'm ever thankful.

The education I learned from him dragging me underneath the truck, and inside the hood for regular maintenance and repairs was invaluable.

If I was old enough to drive the truck around, I was old enough to learn how to take care of it. That was his motto

I quickly learned to take very good care of my vehicle. To listen for new sounds, keep my fluids clean and fresh, and to take my time working on the vehicle AND DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

He "hated" the way I treated that vehicle so much....he bought it back from me 6 years later. The truck had 195,000 miles when he got it back. And he still drives it everyday to work as his commuter. The truck is almost 20 years old and is approaching 300,000 original miles.

I apologize for the run on response: But spoken from a former punk who had no respect for my Dad's rigs. That is, until I learned how to take care of it.

He's a big boy. Take your son out there and show him how to take care of that rig.

Good Luck!

Mike

 

I was never given a vehicle to drive. Im 17 now and have bought my two vehicles myself. 1st was a $650 chevy truck. I didnt drive it cause I sold it before I got my liscense. My second (my current ride) I bought on my own for 2800. Looking for my third now and still have to pay for it myself. Why am I telling you this? Because I used my own money to buy my own vehicles and I would never abuse any of them. Now If I didnt have to pay for them, things might have been different. The best way to teach someone to take care of a vehicle is to make them pay for it and its repairs themselves.

 

I have one simple solution for BS, give him a $100 car with no A/C or cruise or any other "luxury" and hopefully for a $100 bucks the suspension will be shot. After he drives that for a few months, the "old piece of junk Ford" will suddenly turn into a diamond. I know this, because one of my friends was given an '02 F150, and it didn't take him 2 months to tear up the tranny, another month to have a blowout and keep driving, thus ruining the bed, filler necks, and the rim, a few more months and he broke the transfercase, so he thought floorboarding it would fix it, thus ruining another tranny. This time his Dad took away his truck and gave him a '85 Toyota Tercel that was a complete piece of junk. Now my friend really wishes he would have taken better care of his truck.

 

My advise would be to make sure your insurance is up to date and carry it to jones swamp on the west side of p'cola. It is a safe bet that you will get permanatly immobilized in a very very deep hole. LOL