Low on coolant- oil pressure started to drop, coolant in oil. After reading considerably about this on internet found out about tsp #99b29 and the resulting onp do not believe this was ever fixed I am second owner and the onp expired in 2001. Ford should have to correct this problem leaking gasket. Many many complaints on websites regarding this. I have small children and cannot afford a $4000 motor because ford did not get it right and will not fix the problem with a recall. Someone needs to make ford responsible for their errors.
1997 Ford F-150 engine complaints
Page 5 of 19: complaints 101 to 130 of 544, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I own a 1997 ford f150 4.2l. My truck has been losing coolant for a while! I have replaced the water pump, replaced hoses, replaced thermostats,etc. My truck is now having a ticking sound when I start it in cold weather. I have come to find that ford motor company had previously issued a recall on this trucks engine for a faulty intake manifold gasket. I was never informed of this recall!!! I was informed of other recalls like lug nut failure, cruise control cables,etc, but never about the most expensive, most vital part of the truck the engine. The information of the recall was discover as I was on the web trying to find out how to fix the knocking sound. The web site had over 350 messages of people with the same problem!!! Please help!!
My 1997 ford f-150 4.2 l 6 cylinder mysteriously through a rod at 80k miles resulting in the replacement of the entire engine. From what I have read this has been a common problem plaguing many ford customers, yet ford has provided no relief. An expensive $4000 repair!
Coolant running low,started my truck and it started knocking very loud,and the engine locked up almost instantly,had to have engine rebuilt and now it is knocking again.
On occasion, truck would hesitate, taking a bit of tlc on the gas pedal to clear it up. One occasion, in traffic, attempting to avoid a near miss, I accelerated through this. White smoke began pouring out the tail pipe. Head gasket failure. Limped home. Engine hydro-locked. Diagnosis = replace head gaskets ($2,100) in this same 'weak' 4.2 v-6 or replace motor ($2,500) with newer 4.2 v-6. Replacement will be done tomorrow. Ford faulty engine / gaskets - not my fault. My problem though.
F150 ford right side upper head gasket failure.
My 1997 ford f150, 4.2l v6, has been losing coolant since about 2004. My son had a difficult time starting the vehicle one afternoon. Finally I got it started and drove 5 miles home. The next afternoon the car started quickly but immediately started banging away. My mechanic says the engine is dead - bad rod. Now I find out from the internet that this is a known issue with this engine but ford refuses to acknowledge it. Trade in value on the car is zero because all the 2nd tier dealers know about the engine problem. I'm out the cost of a new engine (seems only fair after my 96 windstar needs new head gaskets because they wear out at 30k miles) apparently if you know a ford mechanic, he will tell you the motor has been bad since the day it was first manufactured. This motor should not have failed and had it not been for the faulty gasket leaking coolant into the motor it wouldn't have. From reading web sites I have found that ford issued a recall on the gasket and then pulled it. I never received a bulletin on the faulty gasket. Don't expect to own another ford, but some financial help would sure soothe my frustration if someone wants the parts to use to acquire compensation from ford I can keep the dead engine for a couple of weeks.
Hydro-lock on 1997 ford f-150 with 4.2l v6 caused bent rod. Engine had to be replaced. The ford on-99b29 was exercised in 2000 which was suppose to prevent this type of failure.
1997 ford f-150 4.2l v6. Engine failure. Broken rod following hydro lock. Problem preceded with coolant leak and replacement of timing chain cover gasket.
I have a 1997 ford f150 pickup. It has the 4.2l v6. I had 84,000 miles on the vehicle and had to replace the motor due to a bent rod. The rod damage was caused by a leaking gasket that allowed coolant into the cyclinder. When the truck was attempted to be started the fluid (does not compress) prevented the piston from full travel and bent the rod. This is a serious defect. Ford is aware of this and denies everything. After this happened, I became aware of many many others with the same problem.
Manifold studs rusted away causing exhaust pipe to separate from manifolds. As a result of this failure, emissions portion of nys inspection was failed. Repair is required to pass inspection, and is estimated by new country ford to be approximately $2200.00. I believe this to be an excessive expense as a result of the manufacturers poor design and quality of parts.
Ford f-150 v-6 4.2l motor coolant caused the motor to throw a rod.
This is short. My 5.4 blew a spark plug out of the head. Ford heads only have .250 in. Of threaded depth in head not enough.
I bought a 1997 ford xl v-6 4x4 from noller ford in topeka, ks brand new . I was told this v-6 engine was the greatest thing ever invented by ford. I noticed that about every oil change I had to top off the coolant. I called topeka ford about this approximately 6 months after I drove the truck--I was told it was normal for this motor. I took their word. My son is in the military at nellis afb in las vegas nevada. He drove my truck there and called me last night saying the motor locked up.(it has about 112,000 miles on it) I called the las vegas ford dealership and talked with fernando and he informed me that there was nothing wrong with the ford v-6---please look into this!!!! I then called a former ford mechanic and asked him what my son could do---he stated that ford had many problems with the v-6 and most was due to some head gasket problems (or something like that) and many people have had their engines seize up due to this. I have read several websites with a lot of people having the same complaint as I do---why doesn't ford step-up? I have bought quite a few fords but if they choose not to fix this problem, this will be the last one. Some ford owners have had ford send them a recall notice for the gasket issue---why haven't I???? My son is due to be deployed to iraq soon and he shouldn't have to worry about what will happen to this truck. He does not have the money to fix it, nor do I---fernando was quick to point out that for $4000 it could be fixed, I asked how he came up with a figure that fast and he refused to answer my question----what does that tell you???--this has happened to other people on a regular basis!!!
1997 ford f150 4.2 motor failure. I have had to add coolant a few times over the past few years and could not find any leak, kept the oil changed every 3 thousand miles. The motor threw a rod and all the oil leaked out of the back of the engine. I found out on the internet that this is an ongoing problem with ford, and they will not fix the problem.
I own a 1997 f-150 . I purchased this truck from a private party when it had 52,000 miles. The truck now has about 90k miles. On may 16 I started the vehicle and heard a raucous noise from the engine compartment. On may 17th I had the truck towed to auto specialties, an independent repair shop. They identified the noise as a bent connecting rod. They discovered steam coming from the tailpipe and believe coolant seeped into the cylinder through a blown head gasket. I asked how this could have happened. They said probably overheating. Yet, in the entire time I owned it, the temperature gauge has never registered high, no steam arose from the engine area. I have always changed the oil every 3k miles. I have always maintained correct fluid levels. I have never towed anything with this truck and never carried anything more than a half-ton load. I always let it warm up and drive it gently while it is warming up. In addition, the truck speed control device was replaced by the local ford dealer on sept. 14, 2005. In their inspection of the vehicle they uncovered no problems with cooling or overheating. This is the first ford I have owned, the first american car. I have owned 1 mitsubishi and 2 toyota pickups which I bought second hand. I owned them until they had over 125k miles and they needed no repairs other than normal maintenance. I have driven a pre-owned integra to over 140k miles without problems and a honda civic which I drove from 60k-120k without the slightest problem. A truck with 90k miles should not need a new engine. By just about any maker standards the engine should last over 200k miles. I have contacted ford customer service and spoke with charles who said ford was not responsible for the problem, since this problem was not part of a recall. Shouldn't ford be concerned about a lemon, even if it is not a common problem? I believe ford should replace the engine, since its failure is premature.
Head gasket failed on my 1997 ford f-150 with 4.2 liter (v6) engine. It leaked into crankcase and the engine locked up. It is a total loss of the engine and I can't afford to buy another engine. I have found out that this has happened to many other people.
Normal use of 4.2 v6 ford engine oil pressure drops to 0 psig at engine idle after trying to fix the problem my self (25 years auto mechanic 17 years aviation tech) and searching the web for others with the same problem and there are thousands I have found the fix is rebuild or replace the engine $2000.00 - $6000.00 fomoco should share in this expense but I have not heard of anyone with help from ford I will state that many have been and will be injured momentarily.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact determined the spark plug ejected from the cylinder head. The vehicle has not been seen by the dealership, but the manufacturer was alerted.
Started vehicle in driveway, loud bang, white smoke out of tailpipe, and knocking in engine. Mechanic says the engine is ruined - bend rods. One owner vehicle with 55,000 miles.
I have a ford f150 v6 4.2 with a blown engine. I started it one morning to a loud knocking and smoke from the exhaust. I understand this has been a frequent problem that ford refuses to take responsibility for. My truck has 81,000 miles on it.
Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, there was a loud knocking noise coming from the engine followed by the illumination of the check engine light as well as smoke from the exhaust. Although the problem persisted, the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer.
I noticed my ford 4.2l v-6 was losing coolant. But, there was no leaks externally. I went out to start it the other morning, and it would not turn over. I searched the internet, and found info on hydrolocking and bad gaskets. I removed all the spark plugs, and cranked the engine. Lots of coolant came out of cylinder 1. Now, I'm looking at best all new gaskets, or possibly a new engine if the timing cover gaskets weren't replaced under the recall.
I have a 1997 f150 v-6 4.2l pick up truck. I have been loosing engine coolant and my engine oil leaks out. I have found that the lower intake gasket problem is very common with this engine type and truck. I found out that ford had a recall on this gasket but they did not send me any information about it. The recall on the gasket expired in 2005 ( I was told by ford). I only have 66,000 miles on this truck. Can you guys help me?
I own a 1997 ford f-150 truck, 4.2l v-6. My wife was driving the truck and with no warning the engine started knocking very badly, she was frightened and drove the truck home very slowly, which almost got her into an accident. After doing research with ford mechanics and private mechanics, I found out the engine is a defective engine the years were 1997 and 1998. I contacted ford and they will not stand behind their product. There customer service in detroit was no help at all. I bought the truck with 36,000 miles on it, took very good care of it, and it now has 64,000 miles on it and cannot be driven. I recently received a recall for the cruise control saying it could catch on fire. Unfortunately the truck can't be moved until I replace the engine, and it is in my garage. If this truck catches on fire and burns my house down ford will be sued. There was no warning when the engine went, failure was total loss of engine, again ford has done nothing.
My 1997 4.2l v6 f150 would not start, replaced starter motor, pulled plugs found coolant in #1 cylinder. I'm currently digging into the engine to replace the head gasket.
1997 ford 150 v6 4.2 l engine failure, never received notification from ford about lower intake gasket recall, or the recall on the front cover gasket. Both defects cause engine failure by hydrostatic lock, bending or breaking the connecting rod(s) in 1 or more cylinders.
11/16/2005 ~ go in for a routine oil and lube. Attendant gives me details, I have air filter replaced and coolant added because it was low. 2/23/2006 ~ go in for my routine oil and lube. I ask the attendant to look at the coolant, I tell him that it keeps getting low. Sure enough he comes back and lets me know its very low, did I want to put coolant in it. 4/28/2006 ~ I go to my 97 f-150 to head out to an interview, shirt and tie, cup of coffee and paperwork in hand. Put the key in the ignition and it wont turn over. It isn't the "battery is dead" won't turn over, its a "I want turn over but I can't" over and I call my mechanic. He arrives and gets out his jumpers to see if it is a dead battery. We look at the starter, electrical everything and can't seem to figure it out. He says to me, "you don't have very low or little coolant, put some in the resevoir" he asks me if I noticed anything odd, any hesitation the previous day, I tell him no, I literally drove 3 miles to go to the market and that was it for driving that day. He asks me to put it in reverse and we try and push it backwards to turn the motor over. It won't budge, at this point he says there has to be something in the cylinder(s), gas, water, oil, something and we'll pull the plugs and see what comes out. We pulled the plugs and coolant came pouring out of cylinder #2. I have pictures etc of the coolant and plugs. I found there are many people having issues identical to this within the same timbering of mileage and even the same cylinder. Http://forums.treemedia.com/fb/showthread.php?t=224 http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=473230 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ford_essex_v6_engine_(canadian)#4.2 my mechanic is now pricing a complete gasket kit and will need to take the motor apart to fix the problem. The motor sounds as if it is ok and we are going to try to remedy the gasket situation and see if we can't get it to run normally.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle lost power intermittently while driving at any highway speed. This happened more often while towing something behind the vehicle. The engine spewed coolant onto the engine block. The vehicle has been to the dealership five times. The heads have been changed once; the reservoir system has been changed twice. The egr valve has been changed twice. However, the problem still persists.
Re: 97 ford f- 150 pickup w/ 4.2l v 6 it has come to my attention that this engine gives trouble w/ failing head gaskets . Mine failed at 86,560 mi. Engine coolant/antifreeze leaking into #s 3 & 6 cylinders so both sides of engine were affected ford owes me $1765 dollars if they knew of this problem please help!
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