2003 FORD F-350 SD Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM 2003 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY ENGINE: TRITON 5.4L V8 DATE OF FAILURE: 03-10-11 MILEAGE OF TRUCK: 139414 THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING ON A STATE HWY51 NEAR POSTVILLE, IA EJECTION OF SPARK PLUG FROM NUMBER 7 CYLINDER ON 5.4L V8 ENGINE. DAMAGE TO CYLINDER HEAD OF ENGINE AND SPARK PLUG COIL. THIS IS A WELL MAINTAINED 2003 F-350, SPARK PLUGS REPLACED AT A FORD DEALER 01-19-09: 109156 MILES. *TR

SPARK PLUG BLEW FROM ENGINE ON 2003 FORD F-350 5.4 TRITON ON MAY 10TH 20010. ON FREEWAY APROX.65MPH. CANNOT RE-INSTALL PLUG DUE TO THREAD DAMAGE. *TR

2003 FORD F-350 V10 EJECTED A SPARK PLUG FROM THE #3 CYLINDER. *TR

I'M SURE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HEARD A TICKING NOISE ALSO, THEN MY TRUCK STARTED TO MISS UNDER LOAD. UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH CYLINDER IS THE PROBLEM, SOUNDS LIKE ALL MY BE BAD AT SOME TIME. FORD HAS TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, NOT TAKING THE BLAME IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY RUN THEIR BUSINESS. OOOHHHH WAIT THEY ARE GETTING READY TO GO UNDER. WONDER WHY???? *TR

2003 FORD F350. DIESEL 6.0 LITER. HARD TO START EVEN WHEN WARM OUT, NOW IS NOT STARTING AT ALL, HAVE HAD THE SAME OIL LEAKS, AT SPEED OF 55 TO 60 JERKS HARD AND HAS EVEN STALLED WHILE DRIVING. JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS AND WE KEEP SPENDING MONEY TO HAVE FIXED AND THEY JUST RECUR AGAIN. BEEN READING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS US. FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THIS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD F350 KING RANCH WITH A 6.0L DIESEL MOTOR. THE TRUCK HAS HAD A VARIETY OF SOFTWARE FAILURES WITH RESPECT TO THE PCM FOR THE MOTOR WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE MOTOR COMPLETELY AND INSTANTANEOUSLY SHUTTING DOWN OR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN THE TURBO OVER BOOSTING AND BLOWING UP THE INTERCOOLER OR NO PSI OUT OF THE TURBO LEAVING ME AND MY FAMILY STRANDED TWICE IN THE MOUNTAINS PULLING A FULL TWO HORSE TRAILER (6,500 POUNDS). VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO BAKERSFIELD FORD, VISALIA FORD, RANCHO FORD FOR SERVICE. PCM SYSTEM WAS ALWAYS REFLASHED AND REPAIRS MADE UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL THE MOST RECENT TURBOCHARGER FAILURE 09-28-2008. THE VEHICLE WAS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS FAILURE COST ME $2,700. TODAY 10-6-2008 THE PCM LOST ALL ITS MEMORY AND I AGAIN LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY MULTIPLE VEHICLES TRYING...

TOOK TRUCK IN TO GET COMPUTER UPDATES (132000 MI). DEALER DISCOVERED 12 QUARTS OF FUEL IN CRANKCASE. HAD TO GET INJECTOR SEALS REPLACED ($1200). I KNOW OF AT LEAST 4 OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MODEL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IN AUGUST 2004 HAD TO HAVE FRONT END REBUILT EVEN THOUGH I HAD DONE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE ($450)VEHICLE LOST POWER (12/20/04)(182000 MI). STOPPED TO CHECK FOR PROBLEM. ENGINE RESTARTED. I SHUT IT OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART. IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. HAD TOWED TO DEALER. THEY HAD 20 DIFFERENT CODES COME UP ON COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC. AS OF 12/28/04 IT STILL WILL NOT START AND DEALER STILL HAS NO IDEA WHY. MOST RECENT ESTIMATE FOR THIS REPAIR AT LEAST $1200 AN HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WORK SINCE BREAKDOWN. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. BACKED TRUCK UP AND THEN WENT TO PULL FORWARD TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE. REPLACED OIL PUMP, GEARS, FILTER & GASKET. 28,330 MILES ON TRUCK. *LA

THE PROBLEM IS CALLED DEAD PEDAL. WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL YOU GET NO RESPONSE AT ALL UNTIL YOU LET OFF THEN THE TRUCK LUNGES FORWARD USUALLY LEAVING HALFWAY IN A INTERSECTION. HAPPENED ON 6-26-03 AGAIN, LEAVING ME IN INTERSECTION WITH SEMI APPROACHING AND VEHICLE PULLED UP BEHIND ME, FORTUNATELY THE SEMI HAD ROOM TO STOP. DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX THIS BUT HAS NO IDEA WHATS CAUSING THIS. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS ON FORDTRUCKS.COM/FORUMS I FOUND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.

6.0 LITRE DIESEL ROUGH IDLE, DEAD ACCELERATOR AT TIMES, LOW POWER, EXCESSIVE SMOKE, POOR FUEL MILAGE 8 TO 12 MILES PER GALLON. HAVE 30,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, POOR ENGINE RESPONSE WHEN COLD, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, HAS BEEN TO SELLING DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR REPAIRS, RE-FLASH OF COMPUTER FOR UPDATED INFO FROM FORD BUT PROBLEMS TILL PRESENT! DEALER HAS HAD VEHICLE FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS ,SAID ITS FIXED! PICKED UP LAST NITE, ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT HOME! THEY NOW HAVE BACK TO LOOK AT..HAVE BEEN AROUND DIESELS FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS; THIS ONE IS A DUD!! MOST ALL PROBLEMS STILL PRESENT, NOW FUEL ODOR IN CRANKCASE, DEALER DID REPLACE I.P.C. SENSOR AND DOWNLOADED LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO NO HELP!

THE TRUCK WILL NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT. THE TRUCK WANDERS ON THE ROAD. THERE IS APPROXIMATLEY 2 INCHES OF "PLAY" IN THE STEERING. FORD CALLS THIS NORMAL AND CONSISTANT WITH OTHER "LIKE" VEHICLES. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 3 TIMES, MAYBE 4. I'VE LOST COUNT. THE FACTORY "REP" SUPPOSEDLY HAS DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND SAID IT'S NORMAL. I'VE HAD THE MOTOR PROBLEMS LIKE THE CONCERNS I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET, BUT THE DEALER HAS CORRECTED THOSE. THIS VEHICLE DOES "HAUL THE MAIL", BUT I PURCHASED IT TO PULL MY TRAVEL TRAILER. BUT, BECAUSE I CAN'T "SAFELY" KEEP IT BETWEEN THE LINES, WITH OR WITHOUT THE TRAILER, I DON'T FEEL SAFE HAVING MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE.

MY 6.0L FORD DIESEL WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND IS A DANGER TO MY AND MY FAMILY. BY FAR I AM NOT ALONE AND YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION BY LOGGING ON TO THEDIESELSTOP.COM AND LOOK IN THE 6.0L FORUM.

CONSUMER STATES INTERMITTENTLY LOOSE THE BRAKE. NO POWER STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.