Keith Browning

A dealer must have a diesel certified technician to get most engine warranty claims paid. As for sales I think there are also requirements for medium duty sales. I know for a fact we cannot sell trucks with CAT engines if I was not CAT trained and certified... Ill ask around and get a straight answer. The only LCF specific training I have taken and was ever offered to date was the new model training. I do recall that dealers were not allowed to order and sell LCF's until that course was taken. I don't know if that still is in effect at this point. The NMT was a general course about the entire vehicle which was interesting but for me the highlight was the only MD Truck software training I have ever heard of or have taken.

What? You don't get to perform the PDI's on the trucks in your store? There's no way I would let that happen! I will agree with you that now guys who do a piss-poor job on PDI's now have one little watchdog looking over their shoulder. I cant tell you how many trucks come in for their first service with tire pressures at 50 PSI all around. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif That pisses me off like you wouldn't believe.

I took theat link, added two TSB's and posted a quick little article to help get this info out. I think anyone at the dealers should know the information in all three documents at the very minimum! http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/articles/article-07-05.php

Has anyone seen this BlueHeat coolant heater installed in a truck? I came across this in Ford's Super Trucker pamphlet. I think it would be appreciated mostly in the colder areas due to it's $1700+ price tag installed, however, it looks like it could save money using less fuel by reducing the need to idle the engine and lower electricity bills by not needing a block heater. Its actually a little boiler! Check it out.

Wireless icon? If I were to jump to conclusions I would think that there is a wireless option for the VCM... or one coming? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shrug.gif You do know that there is what looks like a PC card slot inside the VCM under the clear cover right?

First, Bruce I am always amazed at how many tools you have open at the same time as shown by your screen shots. But as for the ICP voltage I sometimes wonder myself. Yesterday I had a 2003 with a P2285 and the MIL was on. The KOEO voltage was 0.12V. The ICP sensor was leaking of course and it also received a new harness pigtail. I looked at the PIDS again after the repair and notices that the ICPV was similar too what you show in this screen shot. I usually dont agonize over this because it seems normal... probably hydraulic noise causing the hashed signal. I always do a double take but dismiss it as normal. Is this recording pre or post repair? My signal looked the same afterward as it did prior to replacing the ICP and pigtail.

When you use IDS do you save or delete your vehicle sessions? Do you enter the VIN, repair order number and mileage? Either way I have long suspected that the "Mother Ship" at the Big Bblue Borg has the ability to upload your session files when you connect to their server for updates. You know, the ones you cannot continue to use the tool until you update with??? I SUSPECT that this can be done but I have no idea if it IS being done. I know that it is technically possible and has been for a long time. Think about it. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif

Just curious how business is for you guys? Things got strange in the North East this year as many shops slowed to a crawl and I witnessed several dealers fold. There is one that is still clinging to the edge... Things are picking up now but if you have been following some of my posts my shop has lost a few guys (more that I have not mentioned) and my team is down to TWO guys, myself and another. We are booking trucks two and three weeks out as are other dealers. Owners gripe that when calling around all dealers are saying the same thing. I am noticing another problem. with the exception of the occasional waiter LOF every job seems to be a BIG job. I have warranty jobs like blown 6.4L engines, injectors, heads - you name it. The cash end is surprising too! It seems like most trucks coming in either have a list of concerns or arrive for a maintenance with which we look over really well performing QCRC's. Many turn out huge all day jobs for front ends, brakes all around, major services and a lot of rot caused by NJ road salt. I haven't touched my engine job since Monday and still have work from Tuesday in the rack! Anybody want a job? I never thought I could be so busy and feel like nothing is getting done! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whattodo.gif Whats in your bay?

I laugh at the VC1 flush when it comes to oil in the coolant on one of these. For me, I have found that either Simple Green or my favorite, Liquid Tide works best. I use our BG coolant exchanger to suck the oil out from the degas bottle where it rises to. I then fill the system with water and add the tide. I think the most important thing is to get the engine to operating temp and drive it hard to get the coolant moving. Don't forget to turn on the heater. I'll suck the oil off the top and then drain the system repeating this several times with the last few drain and fills being water only. The hard part is getting all of the oil out of the "chambers" of the degas bottle. I have removed them and cleaned them in the parts washer quite effectively but there was one that just needed to be replaced.

Wow! I finally had time to look it over really good. Are they for real? I looked up just replacing the oil cooler on a 2005 F350 ---> 6.0L DIT 6642A = 5.3 and assuming that there is no other issue that leaves an additional 1.3 hours to do all that testing, replacing the degas bottle if required and flushing the system? Are you kidding? If there is a lot of oil I have spent hours getting them clean. Customers do not want to even a trace of oil when you are done but it's nearly impossible. I can get a system pretty clean but it takes a lot of flushing.

No Ed, I hate myself for not seeing the obvious. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/boink3.gif We have a winner though! Thanx, the nut fits.

Stephen, I believe there are a couple other posts that mention front cover cavitation presumably caused by casting sand. Sounds crazy in this day and age but apparently it is true. It looks as though there are a few problems that are coming to light now that this engine is "in the wild" and really testing it.

I ordered one. We looked at the parts listing again and it looks good! What threw us off was the bolt being shown on that end where in reality its a stud mounted in the stabilizer. Here's a picture of the mis-matched parts

I guess that is where. If the DOC breaks up the chunks wont pass through the cooler so as it bounces around it probably gets pulverized into powder. I saw some whiteness around the outside of the valve but I attributed that to condensation and aluminum. The coolant level was not low so I didn't have any reason to keep digging. If it comes back I'm going to ask what THEY want me to replace.

So I am not crazy, there IS a problem with the part number? The problem with looking it up by application is that the bolt and nut are for an updated stabilizer that is not on the stock "factory" truck and stabilizer.

Who said Jim is SANE? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/icon_crazy.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif Wanna hear something crazy? I have been employed by the same dealer since high School for 22 years! Now THAT is insane! (so I am told)

TSB 07-10-10 for steering wheel oscillation requires the replacement of the stabilizer on 4X4 models. This stabilizer is an updated design that is bolted to a new mounting bracket at the front crossmember. The part listing shows the following parts: W706196-S439 BOLT W520117-S441 NUT The bolt is supposedly matched to the nut but when ordering the nut listed above I get a nut that looks like the track bar mount nut. It is huge in comparison. I called Ford and they tell me the number is correct. We reordered it and I get the same (incorrect) part. Anybody having the same problem or do I have a mislabeled part issue? I don't think this is the case. I keep using used nuts from junk drawers around the shop. I am clueless and running out of options to resolve this!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

LEFT = 4C2Z-12A690-BA RIGHT = 4C2Z-12A690-AB They should come with the o-rings installed. $58.50 each

I have an F550 with a repeat EGR valve failure in 900 miles. The pinpoint tests were straight forward and I couldn't command the valve to move. I decided to pick up the phone and call the fellas at the Hotline. Supposedly they have some reports of DOC failures - told me to check for a whitish powder. Also, the possibility of an EGR cooler going bad was mentioned. I thought this style of EGR valve was supposed to be more robust. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif I think there is more to this truck than its letting me see.

The one I did definitely started AND ran but barely. If I wasn't going down hill in the parking lot I doubt I would have made it into my bay. After reading the problems with reprogramming I'm glad I did that after the repair.

Why not use this TORQUE CALCULATOR which is also listed at the lower right corner of your screen. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif It is an active PDF document meaning that you measure your wrench, adapter and then enter the numbers with the desired torque spec and wha-la!

Having two cats of my own I am trying not to laugh but it is funny... Jim's response. I have had run ins with glow plugs stuck in the head. Damaged plugs with melted tips usually don't come out. The aged ones bound by carbon do for me. I'll repeat that patience is your ally. Soaking with penetrating oil and working the plug up and down proved worth while for me. I recall also borrowing a small slide hammer that threaded into the end of a Vice-Grip wrench.

It finally happened. F550 cruising the NJ highways made a loud noise and stopped running. Now it wont crank, locked-up in both directions. The owners had noticed a lot of black smoke on and off for a few days... That might be explained by the 23+ quarts of fuel diluted oil that came out of the crankcase which is also found in the charge air cooler, intake and air filter. I was able to find some metal shavings in the bottom of the pan as I snaked our boreoscope past the upper oil pan. Couldn't find the affected cylinders but there were two quarter sized chunks laying atop the windage tray. I'll update when I know more. yay. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rotz.gif Remember the early engine failures with the 6.0L? Its Deja Vu all over again!

Had that opportunity today I did! He said he didn't know why it's recommended that inlet restriction be tested unloaded and couldn't think of a good reason either. He basically agreed about looking at data when the condition occurs. I think I'll keep asking others as I speak to them and see If I get different answers.

Tony, I was wondering because I could not find any reason for the other codes I had received. I didn't want to assume that they were induced by the ECM de-rating the engine but who knows? Post EGT repair I could not run the KOER self test because the Cooling fan speed sensor kept setting code P0529 for an intermittent signal, PID monitor showed it nicely and I took a screen shot. Anyway, After the new Visctronic clutch went in everything was good to go. And that sensor was a bitch to get out! I rounded the nut and ended up heating the mounting boss with a torch to loosen the nut then I went home thinking I'd pull it out in the morning when I got the new sensor. Morning comes... damn sensor was stuck in the bore!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banghead.gif Got the torch back out and it too freed-up. GRRRRRR! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif Simple job... kept breaking my stones!