# the famous 6.0 P.O.S



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

ford has nice trucks, sharp looking and strong, but there diesels are crap!
we got a 03 f-450 with the 6.0. don't get me wrong when it runs and nothings wrong, its a powerful truck but it always has problems. lately when we start it and let it warm up it runs rough. it was outside at our shop I went to start it to bring it inside and she just wanted to die, had no power bringing it inside. well next day my father went to start it and nothing. she turns over and wants to fire but it don't. its getting fuel. we talked to our guy at ford who had this truck in his shop way to many times. I forgot what it was called but he said it was on the driver side of the motor on top of the valve cover, and he thinks that's what the problem is. has anyone else have this problem?


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Nope. Had the same problem with a P.O.S Dodge though. Burned it, collected insurance money, bought a Ford and never looked back.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

I think hes talking about the ficm. The engine computer


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

dieselss;1804544 said:


> I think hes talking about the ficm. The engine computer


I believe that's what he said


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Sawboy;1804541 said:


> Nope. Had the same problem with a P.O.S Dodge though. Burned it, collected insurance money, bought a Ford and never looked back.


I never heard bad about dodge. I love mine. but the ford an 03 with less then 60k miles with more money in it then its worth, its getting to be to much.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

There is a lot of updated parts available for your 6.0 if it's never had them. 

The FICM needs 48v, less then that is no bueno. Old crappy batteries don't help things either.

Unfortunately you're on the wrong side of the country otherwise I have just the person to put you in contact with about your truck to go through it and make it ready to go without worrying about future problems.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804590 said:


> There is a lot of updated parts available for your 6.0 if it's never had them.
> 
> The FICM needs 48v, less then that is no bueno. Old crappy batteries don't help things either.
> 
> Unfortunately you're on the wrong side of the country otherwise I have just the person to put you in contact with about your truck to go through it and make it ready to go without worrying about future problems.


I know theres a lot of updated parts but that's financially impossible for us, plus its just a work truck to us, plow and salter in the winter and seal tank in the summer. it does sit a lot witch I know is not a good thing. as far as batteries goes they are fairly new and the alternator was just replaced last year. the alternator went after the battery light kept coming on during the summer, lights been off but recently been back on


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804613 said:


> I know theres a lot of updated parts but that's financially impossible for us, plus its just a work truck to us, plow and salter in the winter and seal tank in the summer. it does sit a lot witch I know is not a good thing. as far as batteries goes they are fairly new and the alternator was just replaced last year. the alternator went after the battery light kept coming on during the summer, lights been off but recently been back on


Unless you need headgaskets/studs the rest of the updates and possible repairs aren't terrible. The truck being turn key without worry is worth it to most people alone, no more snow storms hoping it's still running at the end.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804627 said:


> Unless you need headgaskets/studs the rest of the updates and possible repairs aren't terrible. The truck being turn key without worry is worth it to most people alone, no more snow storms hoping it's still running at the end.


if I really had the money I would swap it with a cummins or even a 7.3. past few winters it was mainly a salt truck because the site it was at had machine to plow with and ran fine but are main work is the sealing and it seems like ever summer problems happen. my father is just fed up anymore.

actually we have a 02 gmc 2500hd with the 6.0 vortec over 180k miles and cant kill her but she is getting tired. I should tell my dad to put the vortec in the ford and be done haha


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804648 said:


> if I really had the money I would swap it with a cummins or even a 7.3. past few winters it was mainly a salt truck because the site it was at had machine to plow with and ran fine but are main work is the sealing and it seems like ever summer problems happen. my father is just fed up anymore.
> 
> actually we have a 02 gmc 2500hd with the 6.0 vortec over 180k miles and cant kill her but she is getting tired. I should tell my dad to put the vortec in the ford and be done haha


You'll spend way more money swapping to a cummins or a 7.3 then it would be to fix the 6.0 correctly and then not worry about it. Plus you'd be going back to an old school motor and unless you wanted to swap transmissions to an old, dumb 3-4spd auto you're asking for a lot of money to spend on stand alone controllers and such for the 5R110 to make it work. The cheapest route no matter what is just fix the 6.0 correctly.

A guy just called the shop the other day about his 04 6.0 and how he wanted a Cummins or a 7.3 because it would be cheaper then making is 6.0 reliable. I think he had this idea that he'd be dropping 8 or 10 grand on the 6.0 and then would still be hoping for the best each time he turned the key. He sounded relieved when he heard that even if it needed headgaskets/studs it wouldn't be over 4k unless there was unexpected problems with extra parts being needed that normally aren't. Then you just have to pay for the part since the labor is already covered in the headgasket job. They really aren't as terrible as everyone makes them out to be when you give them to a diesel tech who understands their downfalls and knows the proper way to fix them. Driving around I can't tell you how many shops I pass that advertise 6.0 repair, 6.0 bulletproofing,etc. There's probably 6-10 of them within a half hour of me. I wouldn't trust a single one of them, I've saw first hand the work that comes out of those shops and then ends up at my friends shop either because they failed to repair the truck or they repaired it but then a month or two down the road the same problem came back. It's scary when you call over there and ask for the mechanic that worked on the truck and start asking questions and he starts asking you what those parts look like and where they are found on the motor. He's not sure what the part is called or what roll it plays in the function of the motor but somehow he is trusted to make the truck reliable. They're basically parts changers and don't see what the failure is and what caused it. They're missing the big picture. Generally it's better to not call and ask them anything, diagnose it ourselves and go from there. If they can't figure out what parts are needed to repair the truck their diagnosis was probably wrong anyway and even asking if they remember the truck is a waste of time. It's all about education and understanding before any wrenches are turned on the motor, it's not an old carbureted 350 Chevy where it's straight forward and there's only so much you can really do to it even if you had no clue the difference between metric and standard tools.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804689 said:


> You'll spend way more money swapping to a cummins or a 7.3 then it would be to fix the 6.0 correctly and then not worry about it. Plus you'd be going back to an old school motor and unless you wanted to swap transmissions to an old, dumb 3-4spd auto you're asking for a lot of money to spend on stand alone controllers and such for the 5R110 to make it work. The cheapest route no matter what is just fix the 6.0 correctly.
> 
> A guy just called the shop the other day about his 04 6.0 and how he wanted a Cummins or a 7.3 because it would be cheaper then making is 6.0 reliable. I think he had this idea that he'd be dropping 8 or 10 grand on the 6.0 and then would still be hoping for the best each time he turned the key. He sounded relieved when he heard that even if it needed headgaskets/studs it wouldn't be over 4k unless there was unexpected problems with extra parts being needed that normally aren't. Then you just have to pay for the part since the labor is already covered in the headgasket job. They really aren't as terrible as everyone makes them out to be when you give them to a diesel tech who understands their downfalls and knows the proper way to fix them. Driving around I can't tell you how many shops I pass that advertise 6.0 repair, 6.0 bulletproofing,etc. There's probably 6-10 of them within a half hour of me. I wouldn't trust a single one of them, I've saw first hand the work that comes out of those shops and then ends up at my friends shop either because they failed to repair the truck or they repaired it but then a month or two down the road the same problem came back. It's scary when you call over there and ask for the mechanic that worked on the truck and start asking questions and he starts asking you what those parts look like and where they are found on the motor. He's not sure what the part is called or what roll it plays in the function of the motor but somehow he is trusted to make the truck reliable. They're basically parts changers and don't see what the failure is and what caused it. They're missing the big picture. Generally it's better to not call and ask them anything, diagnose it ourselves and go from there. If they can't figure out what parts are needed to repair the truck their diagnosis was probably wrong anyway and even asking if they remember the truck is a waste of time. It's all about education and understanding before any wrenches are turned on the motor, it's not an old carbureted 350 Chevy where it's straight forward and there's only so much you can really do to it even if you had no clue the difference between metric and standard tools.


what exactly gets done to fix it correctly? now im not mechanic so I don't know a lot I just know the normal mechanic stuff (brakes, suspension, ect.) but I heard egr delete helps a lot?


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

dodgegmc1213;1804613 said:


> I know theres a lot of updated parts but that's financially impossible for us, plus its just a work truck to us, plow and salter in the winter and seal tank in the summer. it does sit a lot witch I know is not a good thing. *as far as batteries goes they are fairly new and the alternator was just replaced last year. the alternator went after the battery light kept coming on during the summer, lights been off but recently been back on*


i bet this is you whole problem. 
check the plug on top of the alternator. it is either loose or burned up and not charging the batteries properly. 
get the light turned off and charging again and you problems will most likely go away.


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## 90plow (Dec 22, 2001)

If your alternator wasn't charging your batteries probably died and killed the ficm. Batteries on these trucks generally last about two years if your lucky.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

The batteries are fine they are charging, I should rephrase what I said about the light, It does come on and turns off when u start driving, sometimes dont come on and then it does when driving. But this happened everyday last summer with no problems until 1 day the alternator just died. Replaced it and the Light stayed off but I believe my father told me it came on once or twice during the winter. I will check the plug tomorrow. The batteries normally last about 4 years in this truck


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804699 said:


> what exactly gets done to fix it correctly? now im not mechanic so I don't know a lot I just know the normal mechanic stuff (brakes, suspension, ect.) but I heard egr delete helps a lot?


Egr delete helps a lot but it's not the sole fix.

Updated oil cooler, egr delete, blue spring kit, STC fitting, dummy plugs, coolant flush, metal cac tube, if needed studs and gaskets, ficm, injectors, etc.



dodgegmc1213;1804733 said:


> The batteries are fine they are charging, I should rephrase what I said about the light, It does come on and turns off when u start driving, sometimes dont come on and then it does when driving. But this happened everyday last summer with no problems until 1 day the alternator just died. Replaced it and the Light stayed off but I believe my father told me it came on once or twice during the winter. I will check the plug tomorrow. The batteries normally last about 4 years in this truck


Just because the batteries still start the truck fine after 4 years doesn't mean they are totally ok. They might be fine in another vehicle with a motor that isn't as picky as the 6.0 but they probably aren't doing the FICM any favors.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804754 said:


> Egr delete helps a lot but it's not the sole fix.
> 
> Updated oil cooler, egr delete, blue spring kit, STC fitting, dummy plugs, coolant flush, metal cac tube, if needed studs and gaskets, ficm, injectors, etc.
> 
> Just because the batteries still start the truck fine after 4 years doesn't mean they are totally ok. They might be fine in another vehicle with a motor that isn't as picky as the 6.0 but they probably aren't doing the FICM any favors.


There only a year and half or so old, im just saying they normally last 4 years. For all we know the ficm is what ford is telling us is bad, so its possible the batteries have nothing to do with the problem right now


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Mark13;1804754 said:


> Egr delete helps a lot but it's not the sole fix.
> 
> Updated oil cooler, egr delete, blue spring kit, STC fitting, dummy plugs, coolant flush, metal cac tube, if needed studs and gaskets, ficm, injectors, etc.
> 
> Just because the batteries still start the truck fine after 4 years doesn't mean they are totally ok. They might be fine in another vehicle with a motor that isn't as picky as the 6.0 but they probably aren't doing the FICM any favors.


It's sad when a truck that costs as much as the others, needs that much work to operate normally. Anybody that says it's a good truck is full of it.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

djagusch;1804761 said:


> It's sad when a truck that costs as much as the others, needs that much work to operate normally. Anybody that says it's a good truck is full of it.


Thank you, wheres the like button?
It is a good truck when running a 100% but its not always at 100%


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## fatheadon1 (Dec 27, 2007)

you have an 03 diesel with 60k miles and an 02 gas motor with 180k thats a big part of your problem Any diesel with emissions on it needs to RUN and RUN HARD weather is says Ford,Dodge,Gmc,Mack,freightliner or Westernstar from big truck to pick ups if they have egr dpf or def the more they work the more reliable they are. just and observation of mine. if you plan to keep the ford for a 160 bucks you can buy a scan gauge 2 that will monitor all the vitals of your engine and save you in the long run. if you keep the truck spend some time reading up on the flaws the 6.0 has because an educated owner can be a happy 6.0 owner. if not just dump it and get a gas truck because at just 60000 miles in 10= years a diesels not really needed


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## 2006Sierra1500 (Dec 28, 2011)

Either fix the truck right, or dump it and get a gasser. Your probably like "Hey look at my diesel its so cool and its got only 60k but its a piece of ****"..yeah well, 6.0s are. Factory, at least. Get them fixed right and they are reliable and powerful.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

fatheadon1;1804785 said:


> you have an 03 diesel with 60k miles and an 02 gas motor with 180k thats a big part of your problem Any diesel with emissions on it needs to RUN and RUN HARD weather is says Ford,Dodge,Gmc,Mack,freightliner or Westernstar from big truck to pick ups if they have egr dpf or def the more they work the more reliable they are. just and observation of mine. if you plan to keep the ford for a 160 bucks you can buy a scan gauge 2 that will monitor all the vitals of your engine and save you in the long run. if you keep the truck spend some time reading up on the flaws the 6.0 has because an educated owner can be a happy 6.0 owner. if not just dump it and get a gas truck because at just 60000 miles in 10= years a diesels not really needed


I know it has to run more and it does a lot in the summer, but in the winter if its not snowing its just sitting and I try to run as much as I can but I got my own truck to drive and its not like we wanna drive a dually 450 all over the place. the guy who owned this business bought this truck new as only a plow truck so it sat during the summer, my father bought the sealing end of the business from him and he got big into snow work. a year after we had the business we needed another truck and he was selling this one so we got a good deal for it. I believe it had 30 something thousand miles on it with a 4yd downeaster and a 8611 blizzard plow and its only 2wd. if my dad knew this was gonna be headaches he wouldn't of bought it. and its not only motor problems (even tho majority of it is) we went through ball joints, tie rods, sway bar links (they need to be done again!) oil pan, replaced the transmission because it popped a hole in the casing, tranny lines, rear seals and bears like no tomorrow. a lot of stuff for a truck that sits. he wants to fix it and then go and trade it in for another pickup.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

2006Sierra1500;1804793 said:


> Either fix the truck right, or dump it and get a gasser. Your probably like "Hey look at my diesel its so cool and its got only 60k but its a piece of ****"..yeah well, 6.0s are. Factory, at least. Get them fixed right and they are reliable and powerful.


theres no money or time to fix it up right. and its not like I go around saying that neither. is it a nice truck, yes. I like fords just not there diesels. even our guy at ford who was in service but now is sales says the diesels suck but the gassers are fine.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

A 03 doesn't have emissions, ie no, nox, dpf or def just a cat...



fatheadon1;1804785 said:


> you have an 03 diesel with 60k miles and an 02 gas motor with 180k thats a big part of your problem Any diesel with emissions on it needs to RUN and RUN HARD weather is says Ford,Dodge,Gmc,Mack,freightliner or Westernstar from big truck to pick ups if they have egr dpf or def the more they work the more reliable they are. just and observation of mine.


I agree to a point, 
Run it, don't baby the diesel.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

dodgegmc1213;1804800 said:


> theres no money or time to fix it up right. and its not like I go around saying that neither. is it a nice truck, yes. I like fords just not there diesels. even our guy at ford who was in service but now is sales says the diesels suck but the gassers are fine.


The diesels do not suck

They just need to be used.

You'll come out ahead fixing a truck you already own


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

djagusch;1804761 said:


> It's sad when a truck that costs as much as the others, needs that much work to operate normally. Anybody that says it's a good truck is full of it.


So a guy puts a couple thousand into his 6.0 and it's the end of the world.

A guy puts a couple thousand+ into the trans behind his cummins and it's totally cool and no one sees a problem with it.

A 7.3 has to be pulled for an oil pan, no problem

A 6.4/6.7 Has a tune/delete/egr block and it's totally fine, maybe even has the cab off for other work.

A duramax has multiple sets of injectors before 200k, head gaskets, etc and no one cares.

How come the second anyone puts more then $300 into a 6.0 everyone looses their mind?



dodgegmc1213;1804763 said:


> Thank you, wheres the like button?
> It is a good truck when running a 100% but its not always at 100%





dodgegmc1213;1804800 said:


> theres no money or time to fix it up right. and its not like I go around saying that neither. is it a nice truck, yes. I like fords just not there diesels. even our guy at ford who was in service but now is sales says the diesels suck but the gassers are fine.


I'm confused, how can you operate a business year around, multiple trucks, plows, salters, this that and the other but can't properly fix a truck you rely on? If you just keep limping it along that's why it's not always at 100% and not a good truck.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Mark13;1804847 said:


> So a guy puts a couple thousand into his 6.0 and it's the end of the world.
> 
> A guy puts a couple thousand+ into the trans behind his cummins and it's totally cool and no one sees a problem with it.
> 
> ...


I know a couple guys with Cummings and no Trans issues.

7.3 oil pans are a rust issue not a major design flaw.

6.4, 6.7 no comment. Super duty cabs coming up for repairs is common for them.

Duramax injectors have seen some done but not very common.

Now a 6.0 where the mfg bought back trucks because they could not fix them is a major issue. They need for non factory parts to solve the issue is a major issue. The issues are wide spread and if you haven't noticed people are loosing tons of money on resale because no one wants to buy them due to their issues.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

No one wants to buy them because they think they have issues. 

Sorry but cummins are known for trans. So are 7.3 oil pans. 

6.4s are good motors. 6.7s are excellent. 

Maybe so some research instead of going by hear say


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

djagusch;1804857 said:


> I know a couple guys with Cummings and no Trans issues.


What's a Cummings?


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Sawboy;1804883 said:


> What's a Cummings?


It's phone auto correct I think.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Whiffyspark;1804868 said:


> No one wants to buy them because they think they have issues.
> 
> Sorry but cummins are known for trans. So are 7.3 oil pans.
> 
> ...


If you knew my background and ties to a dodge/ford service department you wouldn't act like such a smartarse.

Just own gas engines as I used to see warranty and repair tickets go through a decent size shop. 6.0 repair tickets were the most common. Seeing super duty cabs off the frame for engine work was a daily occurrence.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804847 said:


> So a guy puts a couple thousand into his 6.0 and it's the end of the world.
> 
> A guy puts a couple thousand+ into the trans behind his cummins and it's totally cool and no one sees a problem with it.
> 
> ...


if you want to supply the money, time and man hours to properly fix it, be my guest you can come fix it. I just posted a thread on our problem and everyone thinks fixing it correctly we wont have anymore problems with the truck. we're not the type of business that makes tons and tons of money that we can just throw out the window, we struggle everyday. trying to make a dollar just to pay $3 towards bills, we raise prices but with all the cut throats out there not so easy. summers we do great, falls not so much, are sealing season ends way before our winter contracts start, so no money coming in, winters are iffy, no snow were good, a lot like we had this year it kills us. now spring comes are contracts end but still to early to start are sealing so again no money coming in but its going out. so whatever goes wrong with the truck we fix and just hope nothing else happens.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

dodgegmc1213;1804889 said:


> if you want to supply the money, time and man hours to properly fix it, be my guest you can come fix it. I just posted a thread on our problem and everyone thinks fixing it correctly we wont have anymore problems with the truck. we're not the type of business that makes tons and tons of money that we can just throw out the window, we struggle everyday. trying to make a dollar just to pay $3 towards bills, we raise prices but with all the cut throats out there not so easy. summers we do great, falls not so much, are sealing season ends way before our winter contracts start, so no money coming in, winters are iffy, no snow were good, a lot like we had this year it kills us. now spring comes are contracts end but still to early to start are sealing so again no money coming in but its going out. so whatever goes wrong with the truck we fix and just hope nothing else happens.


I think everyone here would say don't bring it to oem specs or It will go down again.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

djagusch;1804892 said:


> I think everyone here would say don't bring it to oem specs or It will go down again.


I understand that but right now that's all we can do


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

djagusch;1804857 said:


> I know a couple guys with Cummings and no Trans issues.
> 
> 7.3 oil pans are a rust issue not a major design flaw.
> 
> ...


Things must be different in MN if Cummins truck's don't have auto trans problems and the Duramax trucks (specifically the lb7's) don't have injector failures.

On a 6.0 most of the parts replaced/updated are OEM Ford. When the 6.0 was being produced (03-07) these parts were not yet available. In the years after the 6.0 they continuously worked on the motors to figure out the weak points and create better parts. Ex:The oil cooler you buy today is not the same oil cooler that would have been on the truck in say 2005.

6.0's aren't to much cheaper then anything else around here, if they're dirt cheap up by you I'll come buy at least one if not 2.



dodgegmc1213;1804889 said:


> if you want to supply the money, time and man hours to properly fix it, be my guest you can come fix it. I just posted a thread on our problem and everyone thinks fixing it correctly we wont have anymore problems with the truck. we're not the type of business that makes tons and tons of money that we can just throw out the window, we struggle everyday. trying to make a dollar just to pay $3 towards bills, we raise prices but with all the cut throats out there not so easy. summers we do great, falls not so much, are sealing season ends way before our winter contracts start, so no money coming in, winters are iffy, no snow were good, a lot like we had this year it kills us. now spring comes are contracts end but still to early to start are sealing so again no money coming in but its going out. so whatever goes wrong with the truck we fix and just hope nothing else happens.


I can't help your financial situation, I'm just trying to help you understand that the 6.0 is a platform that can be made reliable with proper understanding and willingness to overcome their short comings. It costs money to make money and as much as I don't like spending money I worked hard to make it's what needs to be done before progress can be made.

A couple of us have given you the information you need, you can do with it what you please. That's your choice and out of our control.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Mark13;1804918 said:


> Things must be different in MN if Cummins truck's don't have auto trans problems and the Duramax trucks (specifically the lb7's) don't have injector failures.
> 
> On a 6.0 most of the parts replaced/updated are OEM Ford. When the 6.0 was being produced (03-07) these parts were not yet available. In the years after the 6.0 they continuously worked on the motors to figure out the weak points and create better parts. Ex:The oil cooler you buy today is not the same oil cooler that would have been on the truck in say 2005.
> 
> ...


This...absolutely. THIS! Thumbs Up


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

well ive been watching some videos on the ficm, ima see if my dad will let me check the voltage and if need replacing I found a good one (well I hope it is) from bullet proof diesel. also gonna see if I can check the egr valve, its been a few years for that thing. I also wanna start using diesel kleen or something to help clean crap the only stuff we run in the fuel is the diesel supplement so it wont gel in the winter.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804925 said:


> well ive been watching some videos on the ficm, ima see if my dad will let me check the voltage and if need replacing I found a good one (well I hope it is) from bullet proof diesel. also gonna see if I can check the egr valve, its been a few years for that thing. I also wanna start using diesel kleen or something to help clean crap the only stuff we run in the fuel is the diesel supplement so it wont gel in the winter.


Get a FICM from Ford. I don't have the # handy but I'm pretty sure they will just sell you 1/2 the FICM assembly as well instead of the whole thing. You need the part number for it when you call unless you have a parts guy in the know and knows how to look it up.

Edit, if you need an EGR delete PM me. Also replace the oil cooler with an OEM Ford unit when you do the EGR delete.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

Tasca ford on Arizona is cheapest


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804929 said:


> Get a FICM from Ford. I don't have the # handy but I'm pretty sure they will just sell you 1/2 the FICM assembly as well instead of the whole thing. You need the part number for it when you call unless you have a parts guy in the know and knows how to look it up.


i can buy half or complete from bullet proof, they said there better then oem, even tho its like $400+ for the half and $700+ the complete


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804934 said:


> i can buy half or complete from bullet proof, they said there better then oem, even tho its like $400+ for the half and $700+ the complete


Your decision.

All ours come from Ford.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark13;1804939 said:


> Your decision.
> 
> All ours come from Ford.


how much they normally run? is it an easy do it yourself?


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

dodgegmc1213;1804942 said:


> how much they normally run? is it an easy do it yourself?


I don't have pricing info. A close friend own's the shop and is the tech along with his brother. When I'm not running my truck and gooseneck or skid steer I do odds and ends for him, moving trucks around/errands for the shop/small projects,etc. I'm not the master tech, sorry if I came across as that. He's forgotten more then I know about the PowerStroke's. The info I have is what I've gained from helping him and watching trying to understand the methods to making everything work like a swiss watch.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

well hopefully I can get some answers tomorrow and get this truck back running so we can start our season. and hopefully its easy to replace so we don't have to pay to get it towed or pay for someone to work on it. then again if it is the ficm that's causing this problem but with everything Im seeing and reading it sounds like it is.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Ok I dont want to start another war here, but just curious, my uncle who always had fords but traded his 2011 in for a dodge his wife has a 08 f250 and his daughter has a 2011 f150. He keeps telling me that ford told him in 2016 there coming out with the cummins in the trucks? I heard a few other people say the samething. True??


----------



## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

dodgegmc1213;1805001 said:


> Ok I dont want to start another war here, but just curious, my uncle who always had fords but traded his 2011 in for a dodge his wife has a 08 f250 and his daughter has a 2011 f150. He keeps telling me that ford told him in 2016 there coming out with the cummins in the trucks? I heard a few other people say the samething. True??


They're putting the 6.7 in the f650 and 750 as well in '16 clearly they believe in that engine and have no intentions as they are getting rid of Cummins


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1804648 said:


> if I really had the money I would *swap it with a cummins* or even a 7.3. past few winters it was mainly a salt truck because the site it was at had machine to plow with and ran fine but are main work is the sealing and it seems like ever summer problems happen. my father is just fed up anymore.


Save up and do it, you'll never look back.



Mark13;1804689 said:


> You'll spend way more money swapping to a cummins or a 7.3 then it would be to fix the 6.0 correctly and then not worry about it.
> 
> So you're guaranteeing that once $4K worth of work is done he will never have another no start condition with a 6.0. All the electronic BS will work fine every time. No HP oil leaks. No LP oil leaks. No HP or LP oil sensors will ever go bad. STC fittings--even the new ones fail. Injector O-rings--even Ford fail. Does the "newly" designed FICM still need 48 volts or it goes bad? How about the turbo? Coolant filters?
> 
> ...


And for $4k you're about halfway to the most reliable, only medium duty diesel on the market.

FWIW, my Cummins will outplow and outpull a 6.0 any and every day of the week. With better mileage.

And as long as it has fuel and air, it will run until either one runs out. No sensors, no HP or LP oil problems to worry about. No FICM. No STC. No blown O-rings on injectors.



djagusch;1804761 said:


> It's sad when a truck that costs as much as the others, needs that much work to operate normally. Anybody that says it's a good truck is full of it.


And all the people said AMEN.



fatheadon1;1804785 said:


> you have an 03 diesel with 60k miles and an 02 gas motor with 180k thats a big part of your problem Any diesel with emissions on it needs to RUN and RUN HARD weather is says Ford,Dodge,Gmc,Mack,freightliner or Westernstar from big truck to pick ups if they have egr dpf or def the more they work the more reliable they are. just and observation of mine. if you plan to keep the ford for a 160 bucks you can buy a scan gauge 2 that will monitor all the vitals of your engine and save you in the long run. if you keep the truck spend some time reading up on the flaws the 6.0 has because an educated owner can be a happy 6.0 owner. if not just dump it and get a gas truck because at just 60000 miles in 10= years a diesels not really needed


That's all well and good, except when someone can't. Not everyone fits into the mold of running them hard every day. A better idea is to just build reliable engines.



Mark13;1804847 said:


> So a guy puts a couple thousand into his 6.0 and it's the end of the world.
> 
> Because it still isn't reliable.
> 
> ...


Because sometimes you just don't have enough money to do everything right.



dodgegmc1213;1805001 said:


> Ok I dont want to start another war here, but just curious, my uncle who always had fords but traded his 2011 in for a dodge his wife has a 08 f250 and his daughter has a 2011 f150. He keeps telling me that ford told him in 2016 there coming out with the cummins in the trucks? I heard a few other people say the samething. True??


That rumor has been floating around since 2000. It's BS.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Mark, I hear what you are saying and don't doubt that your friend knows what he is talking about. 

The difference is you don't have your own company where your name and reputation is on the line and you don't\haven't owned 1 or more of these POS engines. 

In this case, if you don't have either of these experiences\backgrounds\situations, you shouldn't be telling people what is best for them. The 6.0 is a totally different animal. There are so very many things that can go wrong with them that "bulletproofing" may or may not solve, that someone who has experienced a junk one(s), is leary of spending another $4k that does not guarantee anything. 

I spent enough money on 2 of my 6.0's in 18 months that I could have bought a new truck. Cash. That doesn't even include lost revenue, tow bills and time spent picking up those trucks. The amount of money I have spent on 3 6.0s with half the miles of 4 7.3s is unbelievable. Again, that's just flat out cash, not all the lost revenue and extras that go into a broken down truck. 

The stress of not knowing whether 1 or 2 or 3 trucks are going to start for a snow storm is immeasurable. And whether they would make it through each storm. 

Unless you have owned 1 or more, you really can't speak to it.

I know, cue the peanut gallery that tells me I didn't maintain them and that is why I had all these problems. Never mind the 4 7.3s and the 2 Cummins and a Cat and and Bobcat and John Deere and Toolcat and JCB and Kubota M125X that I have that I don't have problems with. So don't even go there. These engines are unreliable because there are too many things that can and do go wrong with them.

Can anyone tell me which mfg has been using the same basic engine since 1989? Just upped the displacement? Or the same one since what, '99 or '00? While the other has been through 4 different diesels in that time? Can someone name me how many lawsuits were filed against Cummins or Dmax in those years? Or that the truck manufacturer filed against the engine manufacturer?


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Myths and roomers.
Like ford owns cummins. (they don't, not even a part of it) it pops up on the diesel forums at least 3 times a year.

It will stay as it is.
If ford got cummins for the f250 &350 then why design a new diesel from the ground up for their F250 &350?



dodgegmc1213;1805001 said:


> Ok I dont want to start another war here, but just curious, my uncle who always had fords but traded his 2011 in for a dodge his wife has a 08 f250 and his daughter has a 2011 f150. He keeps telling me that ford told him in 2016 there coming out with the cummins in the trucks? I heard a few other people say the samething. True??


----------



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Triple L;1805007 said:


> They're putting the 6.7 in the f650 and 750 as well in '16 clearly they believe in that engine and have no intentions as they are getting rid of Cummins


oh ok yea idk what my uncle heard he said there going in the 3/4 and 1 tons


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

the old I heard it form a guy on PS that his dads brother heard it at the barbershop...

He may not be as right as he has been in the past.

You can tell your uncle,
it ain't happening any time soon.



dodgegmc1213;1805018 said:


> oh ok yea idk what my uncle heard he said there going in the 3/4 and 1 tons


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

so I checked the ficm, turned the key on it was below 20volts, then about 5secs later jumped to 50volts???


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

SnoFarmer;1805020 said:


> the old I heard it form a guy on PS that his dads brother heard it at the barbershop...
> 
> He may not be as right as he has been in the past.
> 
> ...


I was just curious because SUPPOSIVLY that's what ford themselves told him


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

If the FICM voltage drops below 46 volts...then it is "bad"...
FICM's as low as 17volts...some 19v's...some in the twenty's and low thirties...
Obviously...the lower the voltage...the 'worse' the FICM is...
and the morelikely that (cold) rough running would be a result of a bad FICM.
However..if your FICM is dropping to 43-44volts...while low.. 
You may have some underlying injector
issues that may be contributing to your cold rough running, as much as the slightly low voltage FICM


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

A salesman  at ford.??
They'll say anything and they do.

It's not true.
it's a urban myth that makes the rounds.....
I think they keep spreading it around, just to get a rise out of the Ram guys.



dodgegmc1213;1805025 said:


> I was just curious because SUPPOSIVLY that's what ford themselves told him


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

SnoFarmer;1805027 said:


> If the FICM voltage drops below 46 volts...then it is "bad"...
> FICM's as low as 17volts...some 19v's...some in the twenty's and low thirties...
> Obviously...the lower the voltage...the 'worse' the FICM is...
> and the morelikely that (cold) rough running would be a result of a bad FICM.
> ...


I cannot remember if ficm is affected. But ford does not allow anything to get full amperage/voltage for a few seconds after starting


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

SnoFarmer;1805027 said:


> If the FICM voltage drops below 46 volts...then it is "bad"...
> FICM's as low as 17volts...some 19v's...some in the twenty's and low thirties...
> Obviously...the lower the voltage...the 'worse' the FICM is...
> and the morelikely that (cold) rough running would be a result of a bad FICM.
> ...


well our guy at ford thinks the ficm is ok if its reading 50volts, he said the reason it started at 20volts is because the glow plugs were pulling juice and once there were done it jumped up.

idk if it was a sales man I think it was the gm. but then again that dealer cant do anything right.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

While I loved my buddies 6.0 and it really had no troubles, went like a scolded ape with a tune, I'd never trade my 7.3 in on one. I just turn the key and it goes, 189k miles as of yesterday and with some custom tunes, it pulls quick enough for me. 

Plus pulling a 7.3 to do the oil pan really isn't that hard because of how simple the motor is.


----------



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

well its getting towed to ford


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1805044 said:


> well its getting towed to ford


Find a reputable repair shop and stop taking it to Ford. They're the only ones coming out ahead in your situation.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark Oomkes;1805055 said:


> Find a reputable repair shop and stop taking it to Ford. They're the only ones coming out ahead in your situation.


whats the repair shop gonna do different then ford? ford's been fixing any major problems we've had and she runs great when we get it back. and so far when she breaks down it has nothing to do with the work they have done before its just something new everytime.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

The dealer will always cost more, just in their labor rates alone it will be more expensive. Second, most are flat rate and are trying to get you in and out so they can make more money. Third, OEM parts are crap, the aftermarket (As mentioned) has fixed most of the failing parts shortcomings.


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

1 The dealer will cost you more $$$
than a independent shop.
2,They are unwilling to work with aftermarket parts or venders for parts.

3.Dealers rarely have good diesel mechanics.


----------



## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

SnoFarmer;1805073 said:


> 1 The dealer will cost you more $$$
> than a independent shop.
> 2,They are unwilling to work with aftermarket parts or venders for parts.
> 
> 3.Dealers rarely have good diesel mechanics.


Yup. I've fixed trucks dealers could not figure out.

Most techs are on flat rate and do not like working on complicated problems.

I was flat rate and still worked on them everyday. We just didn't charge full rate for diagnosis. A lot of people just wanted their trucks fixed after going through hell.

It really takes someone that understands them to work on them. Working on a 6.0 is nothing like a 5.9

They all have their issues regardless of what anyone on here or anywhere else will tell you


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

I understand where your all coming from but at the same time its not my call on were the truck goes, its my fathers


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Come to find out it was the ficm


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Unless you have an absolutely smoking dealer, they suck. 

I can go on with the stories of stupid service writers and mechanics and service managers at dealers, but everyone knows that. 

SO what caused the FICM to fail? 

Did they check the injectors? 

Batteries?

Alternator? 

A bad injector will take out the FICM. So will bad batteries. So will an underperforming alternator.

This is why you take it to a mechanic and not a parts changer. Hopefully this solves the problem for you.


----------



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Mark Oomkes;1805108 said:


> Unless you have an absolutely smoking dealer, they suck.
> 
> I can go on with the stories of stupid service writers and mechanics and service managers at dealers, but everyone knows that.
> 
> ...


They didnt say


----------



## 2006Sierra1500 (Dec 28, 2011)

They didn't say because they don't know. If your father is like mine, its a pain in the ass to tell him how to get his **** fixed. He does it his way, even though half the time I know for a fact it won't work. Tell your dad all the stealership is doing is changing parts to make it run. Thats what they do. They change parts without repairing the underlying problem that caused said part to fail. SO, it'll fail again and there goes all your $$$.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

2006Sierra1500;1805148 said:


> They didn't say because they don't know. If your father is like mine, its a pain in the ass to tell him how to get his **** fixed. He does it his way, even though half the time I know for a fact it won't work. Tell your dad all the stealership is doing is changing parts to make it run. Thats what they do. They change parts without repairing the underlying problem that caused said part to fail. SO, it'll fail again and there goes all your $$$.


Its a possibility that the ficm was just bad on its own? I did tell him to have it towed back to our shop and ill change it myself but he gave the ok to ford


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1805123 said:


> They didnt say


And that's why you don't go to the stealership.


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## 03fordboss (Sep 30, 2011)

dodgegmc1213;1804613 said:


> I know theres a lot of updated parts but that's financially impossible for us, plus its just a work truck to us, plow and salter in the winter and seal tank in the summer. it does sit a lot witch I know is not a good thing. as far as batteries goes they are fairly new and the alternator was just replaced last year. the alternator went after the battery light kept coming on during the summer, lights been off but recently been back on



This is what more than likely what caused the ficm to fail. Get yourself a scanguage 2 so you can monitor the ficm voltage.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

so talked to ford they test drove the truck and the battery light came on so their gonna check it out but said that wasnt the reason why the ficm went


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1805389 said:


> so talked to ford they test drove the truck and the battery light came on so their gonna check it out but said that wasnt the reason why the ficm went


again, the reason you don't take it to the dealership.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1805389 said:


> so talked to ford they test drove the truck and the battery light came on so their gonna check it out but said that wasnt the reason why the ficm went


Low voltage can cause the FICM to go out just as a bad injector can cause it to go out.

The service guy at the dealership is an idiot.

Find another shop to get your truck repaired.

Tell your dad some guy on the internet that you never met told you so.

It is actually good advice.


----------



## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

dodgegmc1213;1805389 said:


> so talked to ford they test drove the truck and the battery light came on so their gonna check it out but said that wasnt the reason why the ficm went


Your dealer is an idiot

Friend or not find a new one.

Tow it down to md I'll fix it


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

Whiffyspark;1805407 said:


> Your dealer is an idiot
> 
> Friend or not find a new one.
> 
> Tow it down to md I'll fix it


the battery light could be for something else doesn't mean it caused the ficm to go, ficm is an electronic device so it could of been just old and worn out. I mean its been in the truck since 03. do I agree that It should of went to ford no. but its because my father took his word that the ficm was fine but the mechanic found out it wasn't, in wich case I could of changed it my damn self and save money. now if they found the problem for the battery light to come on and it did end up ******* the ficm then ill be pissed, but if it has nothing to do with the ficm going, like maybe a ground wire or something then I cant complain at ford for fixing the problem and getting the truck to run again. so for now it comes down to what they find out and ill be waiting for there call.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

ok well just heard from ford, they said the alternator is charging then not charging then it is again. so since this alternator was put in September 2013 now we're going back to our part store and better give us a new one


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

dodgegmc1213;1805412 said:


> the battery light could be for something else doesn't mean it caused the ficm to go, ficm is an electronic device so it could of been just old and worn out. I mean its been in the truck since 03. do I agree that It should of went to ford no. but its because my father took his word that the ficm was fine but the mechanic found out it wasn't, in wich case I could of changed it my damn self and save money. now if they found the problem for the battery light to come on and it did end up ******* the ficm then ill be pissed, but if it has nothing to do with the ficm going, like maybe a ground wire or something then I cant complain at ford for fixing the problem and getting the truck to run again. so for now it comes down to what they find out and ill be waiting for there call.


Marks told you several times

Ficm goes 9/10 because of a voltage problem. If the voltage isn't correct it craps out.

What provides voltage?


----------



## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

I have electronic devices that are over 50years old that they work fine as long as they get the proper voltage.

Your right, the batt light could have been caused by several things.
but because of the fluctuating voltage the ficm wore out, ie it ruined it.

of course the dealer isn't going to come clean on it and pay for it..... it has to be something else....



dodgegmc1213;1805412 said:


> the battery light could be for something else doesn't mean it caused the ficm to go, ficm is an electronic device so it could of been just old and worn out.


----------



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

we're going to get the truck now, ill talk more to the guy and get more info


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

dodgegmc1213;1805412 said:


> the battery light could be for something else doesn't mean it caused the ficm to go, ficm is an electronic device so it could of been just old and worn out. I mean its been in the truck since 03. do I agree that It should of went to ford no. but its because my father took his word that the ficm was fine but the mechanic found out it wasn't, in wich case I could of changed it my damn self and save money. now if they found the problem for the battery light to come on and it did end up ******* the ficm then ill be pissed, but if it has nothing to do with the ficm going, like maybe a ground wire or something then I cant complain at ford for fixing the problem and getting the truck to run again. so for now it comes down to what they find out and ill be waiting for there call.


You have several of us telling you that low voltage whether it be from a bad alternator or batteries or bad injector _can_ cause the FICM to go out.

I have already been proven partially correct when I asked what else was wrong and it turns out the alternator was bad.

Bad alternators can kill your batteries which can kill your FICM.

Just don't complain about the truck if you have advice from numerous people telling you what the problem probably is and you don't listen.


----------



## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

Mark Oomkes;1805422 said:


> You have several of us telling you that low voltage whether it be from a bad alternator or batteries or bad injector _can_ cause the FICM to go out.
> 
> I have already been proven partially correct when I asked what else was wrong and it turns out the alternator was bad.
> 
> ...


I think it's his dad more than him.

My father is the same way. His way is the only way


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

I didn't believe it is the batteries, nor the alternator do to being replaced in September but that's what they said. now I still don't believe the alternator caused the ficm to fail cause how does it fail with a new alternator that charges most of the time but how come it didn't fail previous times with bad batteries or even last summer when the light was always on and we couldn't start the truck sometimes? did those previous times just worn the ficm out but not completely blowing it and now with the new alternator and running all winter it finally went? that's why I feel it just was old and went on its own. this truck might do a lot of sitting but it does do a lot of starting and shutting off and restarting and idling.


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## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

djagusch;1804761 said:


> It's sad when a truck that costs as much as the others, needs that much work to operate normally. Anybody that says it's a good truck is full of it.


You are speaking and sound completely ignorant


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

ultimate plow;1805453 said:


> You are speaking and sound completely ignorant


As an owner of 3, now 1, I agree with him completely.


----------



## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

Mark Oomkes;1805455 said:


> As an owner of 3, now 1, I agree with him completely.


I get it Mark. Where your at in life you don't have time for repairs and updates You expect to get in return what you pay for. But $1K in updated parts it will truly make it a different truck. If those 6.0 trucks you bought new back in the day came with the current proper $1K in updated parts more so than likely those trucks would still be running just fine. I understand your points but its a lot more simple than everyone thinks. Back then ford didn't how the hell to fix them. You have a 50/50 shot of going to a good ford service mechanic. Some will just slap the same failing parts on them some ford mechanics will tell you to put a erg delete etc... But your best option is to have a AWSOME ford private diesel mechanic. I guess we are spoiled MARK 13 having jason 20 minutes away. MY 6.0 going 9 years with ZERO, I repeat zero mechanical problems.


----------



## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

This is as good as any Birdd thread. Love it.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Sawboy;1805607 said:


> This is as good as any Birdd thread. Love it.


Couple of those are my all time fav's

I had 3-6.0's, loved them all. Ford did buy one back after it was tuned and ran hard. Did they have issues, don't they all?

I remember my 1st family diesels, a 79 Chevy pickup and a early 80's Cadillac. That was the worst motor ever.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

dodgegmc1213;1805415 said:


> ok well just heard from ford, they said the alternator *is charging then not charging then it is again*. so since this alternator was put in September 2013 now we're going back to our part store and better give us a new one





Mark Oomkes;1805402 said:


> *Low voltage can cause the FICM to go out *just as a bad injector can cause it to go out.
> 
> The service guy at the dealership is an idiot.
> 
> ...





Mark Oomkes;1805108 said:


> Unless you have an absolutely smoking dealer, they suck.
> 
> I can go on with the stories of stupid service writers and mechanics and service managers at dealers, but everyone knows that.
> 
> ...


What's really sad is your dealer did exactly what a bunch of people on the internet told you they'd do- found a bad part, replaced it and sent you on your way. It took you calling to find out why it was bad for them to test and find that the alternator was bad. You could've driven the truck for another 100-1000-10,000 miles and had the FICM crap out AGAIN.

This is exactly why people are saying take it to another shop. They would do a proper test to find out why it went bad and FIX the entire problem.

Lastly - you need to research the FICM and how sensitive it is on that motor and stop saying you don't believe it was caused by the alternator. There is a reason you should swap batteries every two years on that truck, the smallest change in voltage can take out the FICM (at times).


----------



## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

plowguy43;1805685 said:


> What's really sad is your dealer did exactly what a bunch of people on the internet told you they'd do- found a bad part, replaced it and sent you on your way. It took you calling to find out why it was bad for them to test and find that the alternator was bad. You could've driven the truck for another 100-1000-10,000 miles and had the FICM crap out AGAIN.
> 
> This is exactly why people are saying take it to another shop. They would do a proper test to find out why it went bad and FIX the entire problem.
> 
> Lastly - you need to research the FICM and how sensitive it is on that motor and stop saying you don't believe it was caused by the alternator. There is a reason you should swap batteries every two years on that truck, the smallest change in voltage can take out the FICM (at times).


they thought it was just the ficm and so did I, it just so happens when they were test driving it the battery light came on and they called us asking if they can diagnose it and that it would be an extra charge, my father gave them the ok and that's when they found out it was alternator. if the light didn't come on then they wouldn't know about it and gave it back to us. so yes they can be ******** and be expensive but they fixed the problem on why it didn't start (ficm) and found the light problem (alternator), but we're gonna take care of it ourselves. but it was ford themselves that said the alternator wasn't the cause of the ficm failing and I didn't believe it neither with a new alternator because it didn't make sense when all the other alternators failed and we ran the truck alil before we changed them they didn't cause it to fail. from now on ima tell my father to take it somewhere else like my mechanic where I take the dodge, that's if they'll even wanna mess with it, and idk how much cheaper they can be. but at the end of the day its his truck not mine.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Ford doesn't know their rear from a hole in the ground. They're the ones that allowed these POS to be on the market. 

As for not knowing why the FICM went bad, way back when, my '05 wouldn't start one morning. It was under warranty and this was when many of the problems were just starting with the 6.0s. Had it towed to the dealership. FICM crapped out. Ran fine the day before. 

STC fittings go at will.

Injector o-rings go out. 

These things have so many sensors and crap that have to work in order for it to start, it isn't funny. It may have been the alternator, it may have not been. But when you tell us that the battery light is flashing, it is either the batteries or alternator and it WILL cause the FICM to go out.


----------



## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Mark there's more to the 6.0 story then you know. Yes they released it, but what other choice did they have?


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

1olddogtwo;1805673 said:


> I remember my 1st family diesels, a 79 Chevy pickup and a early 80's Cadillac. That was the worst motor ever.


Oh come on... you didn't like the 5.7 diesel??


----------



## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

Mark Oomkes;1805706 said:


> Ford doesn't know their rear from a hole in the ground. They're the ones that allowed these POS to be on the market.
> 
> As for not knowing why the FICM went bad, way back when, my '05 wouldn't start one morning. It was under warranty and this was when many of the problems were just starting with the 6.0s. Had it towed to the dealership. FICM crapped out. Ran fine the day before.
> 
> ...


Someday I'll have to email you my brother's phone number. He bought an '07 with a 6.oh-oh about a year and a half ago. He's got $10,800 into it in that time to keep it running. I'm sure you two could share war stories.............:laughing:


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

jomama45;1806196 said:


> Someday I'll have to email you my brother's phone number. He bought an '07 with a 6.oh-oh about a year and a half ago. He's got $10,800 into it in that time to keep it running. I'm sure you two could share war stories.............:laughing:


This is impossible.

These engines are fantastic.

And the later models ('06-'7) have no problems at all because they have all been worked out.


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## Polarismalibu (Sep 20, 2012)

jomama45;1806196 said:


> Someday I'll have to email you my brother's phone number. He bought an '07 with a 6.oh-oh about a year and a half ago. He's got $10,800 into it in that time to keep it running. I'm sure you two could share war stories.............:laughing:


11 grand is cheap! Right after i got mine it cost me 4k then a few months late 9k plus all the other $500 fixes. Probably didn't help I was running a race tune but it was a fun truck.

I loved that truck and if I had money to keep fixing it I would have kept it just to have. I just traded it last month for a new 6.7 didn't even have 180k on it yet


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## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

Thats non sense 10K into a truck. I guess when they where new and stock it was just a matter of time when something would happen. But 11 years later since the 6.0 was introduced, I think the diesel tweaks have fixed this motor more than ford. Id hate them too if I bought 3 new trucks and they didn't run like my 7.3s.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah my 7.3 has had an oil change and I upgraded the Glow Plug relay for $14. Running 189k miles currently. This is beside the tuner that I purchased for the fun factor.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Mark13;1805742 said:


> Oh come on... you didn't like the 5.7 diesel??


It had a cool factor build right in, how many 18 year olds had a diesel in the early 80's with factory dual exhaust?


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## SGSMAN (Feb 7, 2010)

Sound like low voltage at ficm.get a reflashed 58 volt ficm instead of the stock 48 volt.it will stard better in the cold.


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## Ramairfreak98ss (Aug 17, 2005)

dieselss;1804544 said:


> I think hes talking about the ficm. The engine computer


yeah lol, they always fail eventually too, get a rebuilt one or upgraded... you realize a bad FICM when its a cold start... eventually even with block heater plugged in on a spring day it starts like its -15 out. or doesnt start.


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## fordboy (Nov 24, 2005)

Buy a scan gauge 2 and monitor whats going on with the truck, then fix your problems. Now after this keep the scangauge connected and monitor for future trouble. They are not as bad as everyone says, just have there quirks. No different than your chevy 6.0 having exhaust manifolds leak or the rockers rot off the truck. Just need toknow what to watch and do to prevent. I would pretty much gurantee ignoring why that light was coming on killed that ficm. If you had fixed that correctly you probably could have prevented another breakdown. Once again thats where the scangauge is your friend.


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## dodgegmc1213 (Aug 21, 2011)

fordboy;1896020 said:


> Buy a scan gauge 2 and monitor whats going on with the truck, then fix your problems. Now after this keep the scangauge connected and monitor for future trouble. They are not as bad as everyone says, just have there quirks. No different than your chevy 6.0 having exhaust manifolds leak or the rockers rot off the truck. Just need toknow what to watch and do to prevent. I would pretty much gurantee ignoring why that light was coming on killed that ficm. If you had fixed that correctly you probably could have prevented another breakdown. Once again thats where the scangauge is your friend.


That 6.0 vortec is more reliable and will out work that 6.0 powerstroke, its been proven. With almost 200k miles on it the only big thing done to it was intake gasket last year. 
We wasnt ignoring the light, we just didnt know what was causing it to come on, and since the alternator was newer and our volt meter showed it charging we had no believe it was that, so assuming ford has better and newer meters they were able to search deeper and find out it was the alternator in which we took it back to the part store and got a new one and the truck's been fine ever since


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## fordboy (Nov 24, 2005)

dodgegmc1213;1896087 said:


> That 6.0 vortec is more reliable and will out work that 6.0 powerstroke, its been proven. With almost 200k miles on it the only big thing done to it was intake gasket last year.
> We wasnt ignoring the light, we just didnt know what was causing it to come on, and since the alternator was newer and our volt meter showed it charging we had no believe it was that, so assuming ford has better and newer meters they were able to search deeper and find out it was the alternator in which we took it back to the part store and got a new one and the truck's been fine ever since


If that 6.0 vortec out works that powerstroke you either have something seriously wrong with the powerstroke or you have the superman of vortecs. If you had a scangauge on there you would have seen the change in charging from the alternator. Buy a scangauge 2 if your going to keep the truck it will pay for itself guaranteed. Plus you can use it to read codes and monitor stuff on the other trucks you own.


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