Should I be upset?

[Bigbox99]

I have a 2003 F150 5.4 3v with 139k on it. I took to my local dealer to have the cam phasers, timing chain guides ect replaced as preventable maintenence. I don't drive the truck much because I know it's a ticking time bomb with the 5.4 and have seen saving to have the preventaive maintenance done before a failure occurs. It's never had a CEL or a misfire. It's runs great but is a 5.4 3v so I have been babying until I can get it fixed. You don't use things until they break. You prevent failure through maintenence.

I take it to the dealer to have this maintenence done and they "do a test" that revs the engine to 5,500 rpm. The truck fails this test because it jumped timing and now they say it needs a new engine. I wouldn't rev a healty 5.4 3v to that RPM because of the engines horrible lubricating system. They rev a 5.4 3v brought into the shop to have cam phasers replaced precisely to prevent such a timing failure and they push it to failure right there on the shop floor? I took it to them to prevent a failure and not to create one.

 

Maybe this normal practice for dealers with these engines to prevent spending a bunch of time tearing it apart only to discover it that it needs a new engine.  That if it jumps time then that means that the timing guides are gone and inside the oil pickup.  I know for a fact that this engine did have any of the classic signs of missing guides in the form of timing chain slap on start up.  It was quiet and only really had slight phaser tick from the passenger side head. It overall seemed to be a case of "not too bad" for one of these engines at that milage and have even been told that by other that heard it run and are familiar with these garbage engines.

I don't know what to make of this. If in our conversation this is something they mentioned they would do I would have said absolutely not. Replace my factory defective parts before they fail. Don't abuse the engine and cause a failure but at the same time I can understand why they would want some way to filter out the engines with the timing guides sitting in the pan or oil pickup.  You don't want to to do all the work to take off the timing cover only to discover that it needs a new engine on top of all the labor that has already been done.  

 

I hope it still driveable so i can limp it to my mechanics shop for a reman engine.

[Eric 26]

Me personally I’d be more than just upset although I’m not sure what course of action you can take from here.

[TnRiver46]

Took them a working truck and now it’s broke ? Ouch. Yeah  seems fishy but then again 5500 isn’t all the way redlined, is it ? I suppose you might need that kind of power once or twice a year out on the road. On the other hand you might could avoid revving that high for years if you got lucky and poked around nice and slow like me 😂 

 

kind of sounds like they are either trying to screw you or accidentally screwed you 

[Bird]

5500 RPMs under load is fine but I personally wouldn't advise floating an engine to that, not for long anyway.

 

Yes I'd be upset, seems crazy that the shop evaluates an engine this way.

 

 

[DaubsNU1]

If that were my truck, I would personally have a conversation with the service department manger. Questions:

• Why was this test performed? Required? Optional? Should I have been informed?
• Can you show me documentation from Ford that requires this test?
• If it was not required, why was the test performed?
• What are we going to do to resolve this issue? As @TnRiver46 said, you came in with working truck, and now it's needing a new engine. Not cool

I believe the dealership needs to resolve this issue.

 

If the service manager is no help, then speak with the General Manager. And you may need to connect with Ford district manager.

 

This stinks for sure.  UGH!!

[throttleplate]

Contact Scottie Kilmer

[Susky River Rat]

Man that’s rough. If it is the  test per ford and they are following all of fords protocols on it I’m not sure what you can do. If you fail a test you do not get your money back for failing. 
 

I am also not saying it is right. It might be fords test to get those motors off the road. I hope you have a good outcome on this. 
 

I would be ticked though. 

[Bigbox99]

I got the vehicle back and it drives as I left it.  No CEL, no issues ect.  Drives fine.  I got a quote for over $11,000 to replace the engine from them and a bill for $188 for the assessment that it has a bad engine.  They also let it slip that the engine stalled on them once coming back from the test drive.  That is something it has done to me but only recently after having the throttle body drive-by-wire nonsense replaced with a non oem unit when the factory unit failed last year and the non oem thing my local mechanic put in would sometimes stutter or stall on lift off of the throttle.  I read this is a common issue with these non oem units and I think they mistook this as a the timing being off despite no codes or issues under acceleration.  It seems like the stall spooked them and they decided to pass on the preventaive maintenence and sell me an 11,000 engine upgrade or tick off.  

[12poundbass]

I have a 2010 FX4. I had the cam phaser delete installed and new timing chain. No issues since I had it installed two years ago. Full disclosure, I don’t put many miles on it because I have a company truck I drive every day during the work week.

[DaubsNU1]

Wow, runs and drives. Whew. 

 

If it were me, I would trade that truck in as soon as possible.

 

Wish I would have traded/sold my Daughter's Kia while it was burning oil. It's a long, long story, but in the end, the engine failed, and cost $$$ to just get it running again. Only to have it stolen a few months later. Thankfully had full coverage, and insurance paid her well. 

 

Could have saved thousands if we had just followed our gut instincts and gotten rid that Kia when it was still running. 

 

Note: I am not talking about selling a known defective vehicle via FB marketplace, craigslist, etc. I'm talking about selling to dealership, with full disclosure. Get out while the getting is good. And get yourself in something else. 

[thediscochef]

I have the 2v 5.4 in a 2000 f150 that has about 124k on it. Meticulous with the oil/fluids and filter changes. I would be furious if someone revved it that high without asking and then tried to sell me a new engine. You've obviously been at least somewhat careful with it to get it to the neighborhood of 140k, the 5.4 engines were not known for their reliability without a strong maintenance record. At least your 3 valve won't shoot a spark plug through the hood 😂