Hi all, just bought a 92 F150 FlairSide on weekend. Genuine car from a straight up old fellow.

Drove a dream but the next day was a bit rough after we switch fuel tanks to run from.

Car drives well but just seems a tad rougher and you feel the gear shift between some gears. Idles just the same and great. Also maybe a bit laggy when you put your foot down.

I noticed that the Overdrive button doesn't always work first press. Reason we know this is because the O/D is on everytime you start her up. The old guy said unless going on a long journey then switch off Overdrive once you are at around 30miles/hr.

We rang the old owner up and he said that it does have these symptoms intermittently and he and his mechanic have never worked out what it was. Noting that he rebuilds cars as a hobby so is quite competent.

Wondering weather or not it is an issue to do with the overdrive? Just seemed coincidental that it happened after we switched from using the rear fuel tank to using the front.

Feel a bit bummed seeing we just bought the truck and weren't told about it. But oh well. The old guy is really genuine and I guess he has lived with it for 6 years this way and never worried too much as was intermittent so didn't think to mention it. Other than this the truck is great and real clean underneath.

My guess so far is faulty overdrive switch, transmission, maybe the electrics for the ignition system (not sure if this is the right term but the electrics that controls the firing of cylinders.

So any advice on where to start would be great.

Lawrence

 

 

First: you need to put ALL the truck's details into your signature so that YOU & we know what truck you're talking about. Click this & read the caption:


(phone app link)

BTW
It's "FlareSide".

Second: you need to clarify what you mean by "the O/D is on everytime you start her up."; do you mean the light on the end of the shifter stays on after you start it? It should "prove-out" during cranking &/or for a moment after the engine is running, and then go off.

Third: pull fault codes as this caption & the links in it explain:


(phone app link)

Fourth: put a fuel pressure gauge on it:


(phone app link)

Next: get a Haynes manual, and read it cover-to-cover at least once to familiarize yourself with what's in it & where to find things. Read this caption to get the best edition for your truck:


(phone app link)

Next: clean/repair the battery terminals, ring terminals, & block ground:


(phone app link)


(phone app link)


(phone app link)

Last: don't expect a silver bullet. It's an old truck with many problems, so it will need continuing repairs & maintenance. And it's not worth what it would cost you to pay someone to fix it, so you're going to have to learn & DIY.

 

Awesome...thank you so much for the great start to trying to get the issue sorted!!!

 

We genuinely believe he is a straight up fellow. Hard to explain unless you met him. A nuisance he didn't mention the issue, but when we called him he immediately said she, the truck, did this every so often and didn't try hiding it. I think he had just lived with it so long he didn't think to mention it.

He wasn't actually selling it at the time, someone we know of knew we were after a truck so approached him to see if he would consider selling.

We even got vetted before selling to make sure the truck would go to a good home.

Anyhow, I guess at the end of the day it is what it is and we can't change it.

Got to suck it up an move on, plus try and get the ol' girl sorted/

Thank you

Lawrence

 

Will need to check the details on tranny. He said he was advised by his mechanic it was an oversized model transmission at time of service.

Also the OD light on the stick doesn't illuminate anymore. you have to feel or see the rev change when you press the button to know if when it is switched off. Sometimes you got to press it 2 or 3 times. Which makes me think maybe there is an issue with the OD switch?

It is my wife's dream vehicle and she will drive it daily to work. This morning she says it was running better with no clunky gear shift. She also did not touch the OD switch. Here is hoping.

 

So an update on the truck.

The truck is my wife's and so to date I posted her views on the issue and sensed this as a passenger. Out of necessity I was allowed to drive the truck to work today as she needed the Prado .

Started up well and idled nicely. Driving was a little rough, maybe almost a lag. I drove it gently.

Shifting into second was noticeable. A bit of a jerk. So I got a little more heavy on the pedals and gear shift was smooth thereafter.

So I tried to take it out of overdrive at around 30miles/hr. Nothing. No change in rev.

In fact felt like the button has lost its spring or similar. No bounce back.

Then 5 minutes later twice within a few minutes I get shuddering, rapid and not violent shakes as such. Almost like strong vibrations.

Then all good to work which was another 20mins away.

I have ordered a new overdrive switch from AutoRock. to replace what I think is a broken switch. If faulty perhaps interfering with something?

Thinking that it must be the engine rather than transmission if not the O/Drive Button. The concept that it may be the O/D button seems too simplistic.

Any thoughts everyone?

Cheers

Lawrence

 

Hiya Steve,

Slowly working through your list. Currently looking for the right manual. Will check the plate for the truck so I can advise what it is more accurately.

Cheers again.

Lawrence

 

The buttons and or the whole shifters werent uncommon

 

Did you mean not uncommon to have caused the problems I am experiencing?

Thank you

Lawrence