Better Mileage

[exav8tr]

After reading all the comments about the Ford's, makes me glad I did not buy an F450 this summer. Hope they get things straightened out by next year as we may be looking at upgrading by then......

[Ozzie]

I looked at the Fords when I was in the market earlier this year. They had the package I wanted, but they were going through an engine change and I just wasn't comfortable. If they had a good track record they may well have gotten my business.
I really hope Rich finds an answer to his situation. Ford cannot afford more difficulties and really needs to step up here.

[richfaa]

The general consensus from some of the other Diesel forums is that my DPF is cracked or malfunctioning hence the heavy black soot in the tail pipe. Had a nasty low speed regen today while enroute to Wally mart. EGT jumped from about 250 to 800 and MPG dropped to 6.1 all this while driving at 30 MPH.

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by TLightning

Agree, I've had my share of big block gassers...in their best day they could not hold a candle to this Duramax I have now.

Let me rephrase my comment above...if your V10 is pulling as well as your diesel and is getting the same or better mpg as your diesel, your diesel is not performing as it should.

[quarrles]

Richfaa, good luck on your repair. As I said earlier Ford makes a heck of a truck but I had a run of problems with mine. Hope that it works out for you.

John

[surfer]

guess all the Fords I owned in the past didnt know they were supposed to tear up. Never had a bad one yet but I do think back to the GM diesel conversions. Any thing built by mankind will sometime or nutter give trouble. laughing to myself just wondering how much gm stock quarrles owns. Hope not to much they have their problems also. who can tell maybe a Super truck from "China" ??

[Bruce Lenhardt]

Rich, What is a DPF?????

[HughM]

Diesel Partical Filter

[richfaa]

Well we did 1156 miles,,,384 $ in diesel fuel which was 32 $ under budget. We never got the 10MPG we anticipated but fuel was cheaper than we budgeted. MPG average for the entire trip was 8.8 MPG... We expected much better from the 6.4 Diesel and that is a big disappointment. The V-10 did 8.2 average last year.We will be taking the truck in for a checkout soon.

[Dave Nowlin]

Rich I have been reading this post with some interest and have to wonder if you have checked the weight on the 08 V-10 vs your 05. I believe your old truck was smaller with a smaller frontal area. Ford increased the grille area about 40% on these new trucks and added the side vents to allow them to run cooler. If this new platform has a larger frontal area (wind drag) and greater weight than your old truck you maye be comparing tangerines to oranges not oranges to oranges. They're in the same family but different.
Dave Nowlin

[richfaa]

I was aware of the weight difference..The 08 is a 4X4, Diesel and has the camper package and snow plow package that the 05 did not have.. The actual weight difference, with both trucks loaded for towing, full fuel and Helen and I aboard was 976 lbs with the 08 being the heaver of course, according to the weight slips that we still have. The 08 IS "more square" than the 05.To tell you the truth I do not think we will get much better MPG on the 6.4 than we are seeing (towing). We have been in many diesel forums and what we are seeing is about normal for the 08 Ford. I would stay with your 06 PSD till the wheels fall off.And...MPG is NOT a big issue with us..But I am reminded of all the folks who told me how much better MPG we would get with the diesel over the V-10.. Can't speak for the other 2 but NOT the new Fords.

[Dave Nowlin]

You will find the engine will eventually loosen up and mileage will increase somewhat but it will probably take 25,000 to 30,000 miles for that to take place. Go do some reading over at Diesel Stop. That's a good site dedicated to the Ford Diesels and several Ford Master Techs post there regularly. I'm not sold on all the changes that were made to the 08 trucks at all. I'd rather have what I'm driving. In fact with the very mild program I have in my truck and driving it sensibly since I'm no hot rodder, my truck might well outpull an 08 with the same gearing.
Dave Nowlin

[txkrumm]

Just a quick report:
Steve and I drove our 2004 GMC diesel back to MT from CA; averaged 20.4 miles per gallon for the entire trip. We were incredibly happy. We were not pulling the Monty, but were loaded with quite alot of personal effects and the such. The truck has over 100,000 miles now.
t

[richfaa]

There is nothing we can do about the emmission changes and there are more to come. We are just attempting to understand our new diesel and to seperate fact from a lot of fiction. The diesel stop is a good forum as well as the FTE (ford technicians forum). These new diesels will all perform much the same but the Ford having the smallest motor, the fewest gears and the heavest will be at the bottom of the pile..but all of them will pull a house.. UPDATE Trip from Lady Lakes, Fl to Davenpotrt, Fl..62 miles on RT 27.. lots of traffic, lots of trafic signals. No hills in Fla...MPG
7.4 with the 3400 anchor attached... Is that great or what????

[Dave Nowlin]

Actually the Torque Shift is a 6 speed transmission. The computer tells it which 5 of those 6 gears to use under different conditions.
Dave Nowlin

[richfaa]

You know Dave I wondered why my areoforce guage which monitors the diag port will show us going through 6 gears.

[Dave Nowlin]

Somewhere around here I have the info on the various gears and a little of the logic. When downshifting from sixth, it may pick 5th or 4th if my memory is right.
Dave Nowlin

[richfaa]

The shinny new truck is going in for a complete checkout in the AM. Stopped in this AM and spoke to the service manager about my list of complaints on this 6.4L diesel. Poor MPG, Black and oily exhaust, although it is no longer oily, just black, chatter and shaking when pulling under load and all over performance that is not much better than my 05 V-10. Example my V-10 with the 4:30 diff ran @ 2200rpms at 65MPH...ths 6.4 runs@ 2100RPM's at the same speed 4:10 diff..Diesel right...... He said bring it in first thing in the AM. Hope they can rectify some things or this will be the shortest time I have ever owned a truck.As of now I wasted big bucks on the diesel.

[MacDR50]

Really sorry to hear about your troubles Richfaa. Could you have got some LSD by mistake. My understanding is that this could make a real mess of your DPF and associated regeneration system. The U.S. decided to allow the sale of both LSD and ULSD with the pumps identified accordingly. This makes contamination in the fuel distribution system a real possibility.

The move to ULSD and BIO fuels is a positive move for the quality of the environment and also for conservation of petroleum supplies. The reduction in noxious gases and particulate from diesel engines is significant. Fuel mileage over gasoline engines is better according to tests done by a number of national laboratories. The writing is on the wall for big gas engines both from a emissions point of view and also for fuel economy. GM will introduce a 4.6 litre diesel for the 1500 class PU and the Hummer. Chrysler already offers a diesel in the Jeep. Ford has said it will design its own engine to replace the Power Stroke. I wonder what we will be towing our rigs with 30 years from now?

[richfaa]

We have been extra cautious about the type of fuel but that is no guarantee that a pump was miss labeled. We agree about the big block gas motors. Their days are numbered which is one of the reasons we went diesel. I also think the days of big trucks pulling big campers are numbered.
UPDATE,,The diesel guy was sick this AM(probably inhaled to many diesel fumes) and went home before we got there so we will return when he recovers. Had a nice talk with the service manager about the 6.4 Diesel.Unfortunately..all of his replies began with the word....unfortunately..We talked about poor MPG and less than expected preformance..unfortunately..both are true. They promised a through diagnostic and application of all and any TSB's..when the diesel guy recovers.