I shoulda kept my Ford 7.3!

My 3500 now has about 1900 miles on it. I drove 450 miles on Sunday and realize how big a piece of junk it is.

When accelerating between about 50MPH and 62MPH, the engine makes a terrbile droning sound. This is really bad when on a 2 lane highway because the engine makes this noise every time there is the slightest grade to go up. I'd rather listen to a 24V or a 7.3 than this terrible droning noise. At 70MPH on the interstate, the noise isn't there.

Both front doors leak air like crazy if there is the slightest wind. The first two hours of my trip I had to listen to all kinds of wind noise.

The temperature control is poorly designed. At one ssetting, I'm way too hot. Move the control one notch and much cooler air blows out.

The wheel alignment was off from the factory. The dealer did an alignment and it still pulls to the right.

I'm starting to wish I had kept my Ford.

Brian Elfert

 

Brian,
Sorry you're having problems with the truck.
Air noise around the front doors is a known problem. The dealer can realign the doors to solve the problem.

The droning noise during acceleration. Give it time, the engine is very tight. Mine did the same when new but now with 8k miles it's gone.

Temp control. Not sure about this one, I have the dual climate control and it's great.

Steering pull on the 4x4. Another known issue. I think someone on the TDR forum found a fix for this. Something to do with the torque on some suspension bolts.

MikeyB

 

Thanks for your suggestions on getting some of some of this fixed. Maye once I hook up my 8,000lb trailer and go on a 2,000 mile trip, the engine will behave better. I haven't hooked the trailer up yet because I never take it out in the winter to prevent rust.

I hadn't read about anyone having problem with wind noise., I'll see the dealer about that.

I did see a posting about caster problems, but I'm not about to tackle that myself.

Brian Elfert

 

Go back to Ford then.

 

Whew I'm glad you got the bad one. I wondered where that one went. Statistically speaking DC cannot build all perfect trucks. I gotta get another one so since the poor one is out of the loop I should be okay. rolleyes: Lighten up a bit. Search here a bit. You'll find information for your problems. Be happy you don't have fuel in your crankcase, dead pedal, ICP etc that the 6.0 is having. Look at the glass half full instead of half empty and you will get these minor problems sorted out. Gotta run I see a good one at the local dealer...

 

The engine drone is more than a minor problem. If I can't get it fixed, I might just sell the truck and not get another one for a few years.

If I thought the dealer would fix the problems, I wouldn't have posted a message.

I'll bet if I visited the service dept at every one of the dozen Dodge dealers in town, they would all tell me there is nothing wrong with my truck.

Brian Elfert

 

Belfert,

Where are you?

CR

 

Yeah... why actually go to them and see if they can fix it, when you KNOW for a FACT that they're going to blow you off. Supposition is ALWAYS better than investigation.

But.... if you DO go to a service dept., make SURE you tell them up front you know they're all a bunch of lying crooks, and probably won't even look at your truck. Spitting on the SM's shoe is also a nice touch.

Of course, if you do enough pissing and moaning, the problems JUST MIGHT fix themselves. No... really. Try it.

Okay... that's enough sarcasm for one post... don't want to over-do it.

 

Belfert ....Are you sure the engine drone isn't possibly coming from the Rear End ?

 

I've never been the least bit mean or rude to anyone at any service dept.

Yes, I'll take it in for service, but I already expect I'll be wasting an hour of my time as I can almost guarantee they'll tell me it is all normal.

Dealers never want to fix anything unless it is out of warranty.

I had my Ford in five seperate times for steering repair and they either told me it was normal or the fix made it worse. I don't expect a 1 ton truck to steer like a Ferrari, but it should at least track straight down the road.

Brian Elfert

 

Dude gimme that shovel. You're digging yourself a hole. Reread your posts. WORK with the techs, not against them. Hey why'd you sell the Ford anyway??

 

Belfert,
You have got me confused. I thought you were wishing you had your ford back, and then you tell us you had a steering problem that never got fixed!!

 

SBishop, you don't seem to understand.............that is the typical mindset of a ford owner. Always looking for problems and wishing they would just go away. And not expecting anyone to fix them.

 

Please play nice or I'll close the gate to the playground and you'll have to take your ball and go home.

Lighten up a little bit,,,,, I've seen plenty of folks need to vent and things not come out quite the way it is meant.

We need positive thinking here,,,,, not negative.



Thanks,
Dennis

 

as for the pulling, i took mine into the dealer for the pull to the right, they aligned it, and said it was " in spec." which i believe is 1 degree +-
well that did nothing to fix it, so i took it back in the next time i had a chance, and they put i onto a machine that checked the pull of each tire measured in pounds... they then rotated my tires to allow for the pull, and it has tracked straight ever since. and they told me which rotation to use next time in order to continue having the pull corrected.

the air coming into the windows bothers me as well, but it seems to only happen when running 80+ and with some type of crosswind.


chris