Quote Originally Posted by THEMUGG:
@wallstreetcappers Yep, & just getting decent replacement parts is a crapshoot nowadays. Fortunately, there is so much info available online now that you can narrow it down. I finally had an issue with my 20yo rig last summer......."camshaft position sensor" code......so I replaced them both......not the most fun I've ever had. I heeded advice, bought the Hitachi oem parts for $40/each instead of the Amazon cheepies, & all is good. But I've heard stories of even some oem parts being crap these days.
I'm gonna share my experience in just the last year as concise as possible.
March 2024, Ford powerstroke hard starting in colder weather, 30F-45F. Research and find rebuilding FICM, fuel injection control module, a good idea. Research ficm rebuilders, find one with many happy customers. Send ficm out for rebuild and get it back quickly. Install and truck starts much better in cold.
Two months later after only three starts from install ficm blows 50a fuse, dead. Send it back and they say yes it's dead and can't figure it out, send a different rebuilt ficm. Install and all good again. One year warranty.
October 2024; drove truck and 5th wheel to northern az. No issuses until at rv park go over speed bumb with truck only at 5mph that slammed the rearend up/down. Hear brake grinding after that. Call Brake shop and take it in next day. Truck brakes grinding bad. Mech. mashing pedal and left rear caliper blows seal, brake fluid all over. Inner brake pad had broken and fell out, caliper on rotor. New caliper, two new rotors. Dually truck, axle shafts have to pulled, rear axle seals replaced.
One week later passanger side axle seal fails, bad. Take it back and brake shop says defective seal and replaced it again.
One week later driverside seal fails. Again, defective seal they say. And they complain parts are often defective. This time I watch them and didn't like how they replaced it.
10 days later drivers side seal leaking, not bad, but leaking. So I throw my hands up and call the Ford Dealership shop. I want rear bearings and seals replaced. Takes two weeks to get in and of course pricey ws hell. But I get it done right.
One week later (around Christmas) truck starts and runs very rough until really warmed up. Call Ford dealership shop again and it will take 12 days to get in. Decide to only use truck in emergency til then. And needed to go to post office to pickup a part ordered for my 5th wheel. Truck dies on way back. 50a ficm fuse blown.
Call ficm rebuild shop and they send another one under warranty. Put it in and truck, start, and truck wants to come apart! Call ficm shop and they say it's fully tested, good ficm, your truck has issues. Call towtruck and off to Ford Dealership. After a few days Ford calls and says "your ficm is bad". Have Ford install new ficm and then they say two injectors are now bad too. Have two injectors installed and almost a month later truck back to normal.
Send the ficm back to ficm rebuild shop, they test it and admit it was defective, offer me a refund and also paid for the two new injectors (not the labor) More than I thought they would do.
Believe the ficm had a cracked solder joint that caused the cold engine rough running and smoothed out when ficm warmed up (it sits just above top of engine) and then finally died.