EGR/FICM Who knows issues...(revisited)

[trail rat]

Howdy,

I originally posted this on an engine 911, but (right now) its not really a 911 and I haven't had any responses to my queries so so I figured I'd repost the deal here...

Have an 06 6.0 w/83K on it. I'm a trail contractor by trade and tow 5K-10K loads all over Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Egr failed catastrophically towing on the road last month. I won't mention the fun we had getting the truck, trailer, and equipment towed in... Dealer replaced EGR valve & cooler, head gaskets and heads checked o.k.

Ran fine another 1000K... 2 weeks ago it started hiccuping/missing and puffing the blue/white smoke on short drives to and from the job site but runs fine after 15 minutes or so. Took it back in and they replaced the FICM and found a code on the fan clutch so they replace that too. They say the injectors and egr tested fine but they did not test it on a cold start. Ran fine for one day. Now hiccuping and puffing again til 1st drive of the day is done unless I let it sit for more than about 4 hours. My hunch is injector(s) but it also may need a reflash? Two nights ago I plugged in the block heater overnight (even though the lows are high 40's, 50's) just for the hell of it and it ran great yesterday morning so I did it again last night. THis morning it hiccupped just a bit but didn't blow any smoke... It's scheduled for the dealer again on Wednesday. Any opinions on my hunches would be appreciated

The rub is, I live by this rig. I've got a bid to get to in Colorado Tuesday (tomorrow) but the dealer here can't get me in til Wed. Is it safe to drive 500 miles with this going on?

The other thing is since I got the thing in May 07 it's been reflashed twice, two rear end pinion bearings, front auto hubs rebuilt (because of the piddly *** vacume lines they run), the egr thing that left me on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, and since the things been in the shop twice in the last two weeks chasing this hiccuping thing. Thankfully everythings been under ford or extended warranty but there's been alot of $100.00 deductables going out. I'm to the point where I've lost confidence with it and am ready to upgrade...

But there's a whole new can of worms 'cause it seems like the 6.4, GM and Dodge have their own set of problems...

Any feedback on this diatribe would be great

[WEWILLE]

Is the check engine light on at all? Can you check the codes and run a cyl. contribution test, buzz test etc..??? To me it sounds like it just needs a reflash. But you mentionedf that it had a ficm replaced recently which would lead me to believe it has the latest reflash. Yes it could very well be injectors, or even another faulty ficm.

[trail rat]

Thanks for the response. Nope, no check engine lights. Dropping it tomorrow evening to dealer. Will have them do the tests on a cold motor Wed morning. This time I'm staying with it and hound them til they get it figured out. Any chance we may be looking at head gasket, head, valve train problem? Anyting else you can think of pending the outcome of the cyl. cont. and buzz test?

[WEWILLE]

Originally Posted by trail rat

Thanks for the response. Nope, no check engine lights. Dropping it tomorrow evening to dealer. Will have them do the tests on a cold motor Wed morning. This time I'm staying with it and hound them til they get it figured out. Any chance we may be looking at head gasket, head, valve train problem? Anyting else you can think of pending the outcome of the cyl. cont. and buzz test?

I doubt it, have you noticed any puking or white smoke or steam?

[trail rat]

No real puking but a little blue/white haze when it hiccups. Hiccupping only manifests itself above 1250-1500rpm and that's when I notice a little haze out the pipe. If I get on it hard it clears out runs up through the revs fine. Checked the egr today myself-clean (of course it's brand new), still runs like a stuck pig once it's good and warm... It's at the dealer now and they'll get on it in the morning so hopefully we'll have some closure tomorrow and I can get down the road. Hey thanks again for the interest..

[Evil Eye]

Glad to hear that they are fixing you up. Keep us posted.

[trail rat]

O.K., #3,4,and 6 injectors bad and replaced. Reflashed with latest update again as well just to be sure (although they did this when they replaced the ficm. Ran like a charm this afternoon. Hopefully all will be o.k. now. Any chance the egr failure and coolant-puking through the motor started this little episode?