[Doss]

So, I've been following and reading these forums for a long time (about 2 years... ever since I wanted an 2008-2010 Super Duty). Yes, I know this gets asked all the time, but rarely do people list what kind of health their truck is in or which warranty to get.

Now, I've come to that point where I have to decide what to do:
Details
2008 F250 4x4 with 79,000 miles (put about 15k on it a year)
OASIS was clean (no issues)
Pretty easy on it besides city driving
Maintained thoroughly

I've had it for almost 16,000 miles and only had 3 issues:
1. One time (literally once), the trucked "bucked" hard at about 45 MPH like something was wrong with the trans and it failed to accelerate or respond to accelerator pedal. Did this for about 30 seconds. Parked it. Turned it back on... hasn't happened again (over 12,000 miles).
2. A/C turns off occasionally while previously on and will not blow air at all. Happened 3 times and each time was fixed by simply restarting the truck.
3. Under medium to heavy acceleration, black smoke out the tailpipe. Not smokescreen quality, but viewable in mirrors pretty easily.

So, what to do now?

Assuming I can get one of the following:

1. 2 yr 24K PremiumCare warranty
2. 2 yr 24K ExtraCare warranty
3. 3 yr 36K ExtraCare warranty
4. Delete EGR and DPF plus tuner and cross my fingers

What would you do? Thanks everyone.

 

[Doss]

Anyone have anything at all to say about it?

 

[Doss]

Well, this all helps and I knew going in that I'd get this sort of sway in regards to the voting. After all, it's an enthusiast site.

I do drive it daily, but I don't work it hard. Every now and then I drag logs (about 4-7000 lbs) around or pull fence posts, but that's about it for hard work.

So, the common things that break are usually the radiator, EGR, or DPF. Unfortunately, 2 of those are only covered by PremiumCare. What's the cost on these things (EGR and DPF)?

Also, it's not that I can't afford to fix it, but I'm sure you guys understand that no one ever likes to have to pay to have something fixed.

Just for reference, how much (ballpark) is a tune and delete? I haven't really kept up with it in the last few months, but it's probably time I start looking. Also, how many people that are tuned have broken something that would have been taken care of under warranty?

I won't mind getting a warranty to cover another 2yr/24k though. I'm just trying to decide if it's good money spent given the "health" of my truck.

 

[Doss]

Again everyone, thanks for your input.

Well, technically PremiumCare and ExtraCare are not aftermarket warranties. They are extended warranties from Ford. Yes, warranties are like insurance policies. You never know when you'll need it and you're mad because you have to pay for it (and thankful that you don't have to use it) but are relieved when you have it and need it.

The reason it's hard for me to judge is because I've had relatively few issues from my truck so far. I know that does not mean I will not have issues (I'm an engineer so I know how that works).

Exactly how much money should I set aside for repair work on this truck. I've seen some people say $10,000, but is that really a reasonable number? I'd think 3-4000 should be enough.

Like I said, I don't really work it unreasonably hard. I have a Cobra that gets worked when I want to go fast. The truck is a daily and I don't need it to be the fastest truck in town. I could use better MPG though (mine hovers around 12.5-13 MPG city and 16-17 MPG hwy (hand-calculated).

It's looking like the majority here would do delete and tune which is not surprising at all

I have about a week or so to make the final decision as I'll be out of the PremiumCare option and have to pay slightly more for the ExtraCare.

 

[Doss]

Okay, it looks like I'll look towards deleting, but I'll try to get this possible DPF issue fixed before that warranty runs out (does the 5yr/100k cover that?). I've read that if it's blowing out black smoke, it probably has a crack in it.

From there, I may get something like the ExtraCare warranty to cover me for now and then cancel it (it's pro-rated) when I get ready to do the delete and tune. That'd be like getting the best of both worlds except I'd lose some money (but gain peace of mind) while I decide how I want to tune it.

Does this sound like a terrible plan or does anyone else have another path to consider? :help:

 

[Doss]

Thanks wilson. You know the engineering mindset. I often get into analysis paralysis when making these sorts of decisions. I made myself a graph and table to compare all the possible solutions too. LOL... seriously... trying to find the optimum price to benefit solution.

So, I'm at 79xxx miles. I change oil every 5k. Change fuel filters ever 10k. Truck has pretty much no history or signs of major issues.

What do I need the dealer to check before I run out of the 5 yr 100k powertrain or 80k emissions warranties?

Maybe I should start another thread on that.

 

[Doss]

I'll take a look at the stickies.

It took me a little over one year to find the truck I wanted. I drove 600 miles all night to pick it up (left at midnight and picked the truck up at 10:30 AM). I had an OASIS report run on it before I went to pick it up. Pretty much nothing has ever gone wrong on this truck unless it was all fixed at some place besides the dealership (which the dealer said is not the case). I have about 30 other OASIS reports from different trucks I considered. I have them charted and linked for comparison's sake.

You would think this (no issues) would make me feel better, but it worries me more. Now I'm thinking, "Well, they haven't failed yet, but maybe they are just now getting there."

I weigh decisions carefully. Toolbox took me 6 months to buy. HIDs took 2 months.

The Cobra is still waiting on an engine and trans combo since about 2007. Rims and tires have been in the works since 2005. I know all too well how many different things can pile up in even the most simple decision.

 

[Doss]

ATVJoe do you remember how much that repair would've cost out of pocket?

That kind of stuff interests me the most. If some of these repairs are cheap (relatively), I don't mind having to pay out of pocket.

Anyone else have any common repairs they've had done under warranty where they remember the cost (radiator, EGR, DPF, injectors, etc.)?

 

[Doss]

Thanks Joe. These are great things to know when you take the risk of going without warranty.

For the record, in the past I thought all extended warranties were a waste of money. Seeing the cost and frequency of repair on these trucks (and other diesels as well) is what set off the alarms in my head that I need to be prepared.

Maybe we can start a list of the range of repair costs for certain items so we can all have an idea of the what risk we're willing to take.

I know my friend with a 6.0 had to have the coolant system replaced and had other issues that racked up a $12500 repair bill and about 1 week of downtime.

That's the kind of thing that terrifies me.

I'm still willing to take a calculated risk though.

 

[Doss]

Best way to mitigate risk in a cost efficient manner is hope your truck makes it 90K miles stock, blows up before 100K and you get a brand new motor to start fresh at 100K so you can delete all the crap that causes your engine to fail and have a fresh start. the bad part about that is not all components of your motor are replaced--lots are reused and you get the same failure prone parts that have been through hell because of your emissions equipment.

Yep, but that brings out the engineer in me again because of the exact reasons you state. :hehe:


Well, I have a great relationship with one dealer here (who's a personal friend) and I asked who was most likely to be mod-friendly around here and he said, "No one." I talked to him about tuning and he said it would get rid of the stuff that fails that they see pretty often, but obviously doesn't cover everything that'll fail.

So, as we stand, I may get a warranty, take time to make decision on what route I want to go on the delete, and then cancel the warranty when it's time to add the tuner. The warranty is prorated on years and miles.

I'm still unsure on how long I'll keep this truck even though I love it. With the 2014 (or whenever the next gen debuts) getting closer to coming out, I'll have to see how that goes.

I'm fairly convinced deleting is the route to ultimately go. I've seen some people say that deleting the EGR isn't necessary until it fails. What do you guys think?

Anyone have a place they'd go to get the total package (tuner, EGR/DPF-delete, 5" exhaust, intake)? I'm looking at the Spartan packages right now.

 

[Doss]

I'm a little curious now, how many people know the differences between all the different Ford warranties? It seems like some people don't realize what Ford offers in terms of extended warranties.

If that's the case, I may have to make a sticky with a chart listing what Ford offers and what the terms are.

There are several warranties:

PremiumCare
ExtraCare
BaseCare
PowertrainCare
DieselCare
DieselCare Plus

And then there are maintenance contracts as well, but we won't talk about those just yet.

 

[Doss]

That could be helpfull for someone like me, who is new

Sounds like something I'll do then. I'll try to get the chart up in the next week or so.

 

[Doss]

Doss,

I know this is off topic, but the sig pick is awesome!

Thanks. I appreciate it. I took it at an abandoned lumber mill. I'll post more pics up soon (when I get a chance).

Your's is pretty cool too. I like the look of the front on the Harleys.