Anything you think I should know for my upcoming diesel truck arrival? Or any peculiarities for the F250 platform in general?

My previous car was a prius...and I thought with this truck, I could keep it in the back as a spare.

 

This may sound funny........but ALWAYS think about which colored hose to use when you fuel up. You only get one chance at this and if you screw up. $$$$$$$$. You wouldn't believe how many people have put gas in their new brand new diesel truck, or put diesel in their blue cap. Yes, it really happens.....

 

As mentioned above, watch what you are filling the truck with. And this includes the DEF.
And these new diesels do not like short trips.

 

Diesels thrive on work. They want to pull something, haul something, or run for hours on a highway. Don't expect Prius mileage... diesels are more efficient, but this is a truck. Get used to the engine noise - your Prius in electric mode wouldn't make much at all. Oil changes are measured in gallons instead of quarts. Regardless of axle ratio, this truck will respond very well to throttle when the truck is otherwise empty, so be mindful of your right foot driving around town.

You're moving from a rather small car to a rather large truck. Be patient and careful when making turns and parking. You have lots of mirror area to use, so use it - and ideally, you should not see the sides of your truck in the main side mirrors, just in the lower convex. You will not have anything resembling a car-like ride... they're far better than trucks of 20 years ago, but don't expect the ride of an Electra 225 from the mid 70s. Be wary of parking garages, public or private/home. If you're getting a 4x4, they will come very close to the standard 7-foot clearance (and the antenna will hit). You'll also be longer than a typical 19-foot parking space. At night, be mindful of stopped cars ahead of you at red lights/stop signs... your headlights may be on low beam but are still much higher in the air and will light up a car like a floodlight if you pull right up on their bumper. Also at night, remember the rear glass in dark-tinted (unless you have an XL/STX without the tinted option)... this will affect your over-the-shoulder visibility.

 

This is a helpful post to me, too. I've been a truck owner most of my life, but yesterday made the big switch to diesel. I traded in my 2013 F150 FX4 for a 2017 F250 Crewcab Powerstroke. Love the new ride, but I'm new to diesel, so this is going to be an adventure.

 

I was kidding about the prius, I figured it would make for some funny responses. Moving up from a slightly lifted 1/2 ton. Have driven all the brand's of half ton with considerable regularity. I really wanted the seemingly obvious answers like you've provided.

Also sime F250 specific questions that ive seen hinted about on here. How often do I need to check the "water separator?", fuel filter? oil changes are more frequent than gas? What's the deal with the motorcraft oil and filters? How long can diesel sit in the tank before I have to worry about it breaking down?

Good point on backing up...im thinking of putting some rigid lights on the back for that very reason.

 

Just about all the answers you seek are in the manual and diesel engine supplement.
Water Separator: I believe the manual says once a month. But to tell you the truth, I'm on my 3rd 6.7L and I only checked mine periodically on my 2011. I've yet to check it on any of my others as I've learned from reading on this forum that once the WIF light illuminates you're screwed anyway regardless of how often you crawl under there and drain a few ounces of diesel looking for bubbles of water...which I never found when I did check the separator.
Fuel Filter: 22.5K miles. Register your vehicle on the Ford Owners site once you get it. Maintenance schedules are listed there and if you keep your truck updated with Sync3 it will remind you. Also, the FordPass app will remind you as well and send you notifications with maintenance needs.
Oil Changes: The truck will tell you when to change the oil.
Motorcraft Oil/Filters: Use them if you like. If you don't make sure whatever you go with is up to the Ford specs/requirements. It's just easier to stick with the Motorcraft stuff.
Diesel Fuel: Not sure about longevity, longer than gas I believe but, diesel will actually grow algae in it when left too long.

 

Someone mentioned that parking garages are standard at 7 ft. This is true by today's building code, but is absolutely not true for most older garages. Many in the DC area are below 6' 3".

Measure your truck so you know where you can go. These things are soo tall now that it doesn't take much to ruin your new truck.

Pump handles are also a good idea to pay attention to.

 

I am also a first time diesel owner. I have been reading the owners manual as much as possible.

 

Subscribing. My '87 F350 SRW crew-cab and '01 and '05 V10 Excursions were all gassers. So is my '10 F150 FX4, but obviously gas is the only option with that truck. I am good at keeping vehicles maintained ... some say I change my oil too often. I've been looking at the new 2018 F150 with the redesigned front end, but after pricing a 2017 model (2018 prices not available yet) with the features I want, I found I can return to a SuperDuty for about the same $$$. So I've started looking at the new F250 along with some low mileage 2016s.

MPG is typically better with the diesel on the bigger trucks, and resale later will be better on a diesel ... and I've been averaging only 6K miles a year on my F150. OTOH, diesel fuel is the most expensive fuel in our urban area. Not a deal-breaker, but it could swing me back to an F150.

My biggest concern is the DEF ... a system totally new to me. I realize that the complaints/problems I've read online may be few and far between, but it does raise a concern to me. I also realize very few people make posts online saying, "Everything is fine with my truck and I have no issues." Typically, such posts are to describe a problem in search of a resolution. I just wonder what the ratio is between having and not having DEF problems is with the 6.7L diesel.

 

What's the deal with tire pressures. Some say they run lower than required to smooth out the ride...thoughts?

 

My recommendation as someone who is fairly new to diesels also is to follow the maintenance schedule in the owners manual, to buy fuel at high volume stations, and to not let it bother you too much when people on this board start taking about how fragile and expensive the engine and fuel system is. While there are some additional considerations, these sometimes get overblown. I swear from some peoples posts you'd think it was cheaper to daily drive a Lamborghini than an f250.

 

Do you all know of a video or write up on how to drain the water separator? I've never owned a truck before and I haven't seen under the hood of the Super Duty as yet. Can't wait to get mine.

 

Don't be surprised when you look at the oil on the dipstick and find it has turned Black a lot sooner.

 

This is also my first diesel and this one suprised me. I've only had gas trucks in the past so seeing the oil turn black quickly was weird.