[AT] Ford F250 Diesel makes steam. UH - OH !!!

Stephen Offiler soffiler at gmail.com
Tue Oct 21 07:04:46 PDT 2008


On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 9:36 PM, Roy Morgan <k1lky at earthlink.net> wrote:

> This is a power stroke diesel from 2004.  I know  nothing about either
> diesles or turbos.  We got NO book with the thing, so all I can do is
> read what it says on the engine!

Er, just because it didn't come with one, doesn't mean you can't go
out and get yourself a book.

Another alternative is AlldataDIY.com.  This is an online service that
contains all the same service information used by the dealerships and
independents.  It has troubleshooting trees and it has all the latest
and greatest Technical Service Bulletins.  Many (most?) problems on
modern vehicles simply cannot be solved by a shadetree DIY'er unless
he is armed with accurate information.


> Bev's husband works at a Ford dealer and says most likely trouble is
> the EGR cooler.  I can guess what that is.

EGR is exhaust gas recirculation, a common technique for reducing
emission of NOx.  An EGR cooler is a heat exchanger that cools the
exhaust gas before it is recirculated to the intake.  Here's a brief
generic description:

http://www.tabpi.org/2004/dhm2.pdf

>... The symptom is
> intermittent.  when present, there's more steam under higher RPM or
> higher power.  Some times there is no steam at all.

Does not sound like EGR to me.  EGR flows are typically highest at
light throttle, steady cruise.

> I have not checked the oil for foaming, but the steam comes out the
> exhaust pipe (That's why I did not yet check the oil) and the coolant
> level goes down slowly.
>
> I hope this can be fixed for less than a thousand dollars.  I may be
> dreaming.

Ahhh, the hidden downside of diesel ownership.  Parts and repairs,
when you do finally need them, are expen$$ive.


Steve O.



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