Truck Needs Some First Aid/TLC
11-08-2010, 09:09 PM
#11
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I have a 2004, 3 valve 5.4 L, lariat SCrew with 261,000 Km on the odo and she needs some help. And for me to give her the love she needs, I need your 
lol. It has a multitude of problems, some of which I may just be making worse in my own head, but I'm going to tell you all of them anyways. Here's the list
1) Has a shudder at idle when the engine is warm. I noticed it about a month ago, and it was getting progressively worse, and about a week ago I ran Sea Foam through the engine using the 1/3 Brake booster, 1/3 Crank case, and 1/3 Fuel tank. Now I'm not sure if this actually made the shudder a little better, or if I just wanted it to so it seemed like it did. But the shudder is still there but not quite as bad. I changed out the sea-foamed oil after 100km.
2)When I come to a stop, and have to accelerate turning (ie/ stop sign, then making a right turn) it kind of stutters, almost as if one wheel is hopping. I'm thinking that this is the diff starting to go, but I would rather that not be it so I want to know if there is anything else I can look at? If it is the diff, whats the damage (moneywise) and how do I go about fixing it? Keep in mind that it only does it when I've come to a stop and accelerate again, not when I'm going any speed at all.
3)I think the front shocks are crapped out. When I hit a bump in the road its not nearly as smooth as it used to be, and it feels kind of like a thump (a very mild mild one, not an "oh sh** what was that" type thing) rather than the floaty type feeling it used to have. However, I did the front bumper jump test and it passed. So it might be that I lost one of the rubber housings that hold the shock in place at the top or bottom? Or maybe it's not even my shocks, is there anything else I should check?
4)When driving down the road at 100 (***KM/H***) and I put the pedal to the floor (passing someone) there is quite the jolt. Now I'm not sure if its just the fact that the truck is gearing down+has that much power, and I'm going the exact right speed that it makes the jolt. Or is something wrong there?
5)When I got my oil changed the other day I was told that the rear pinion seal is leaking. Not enough that it needed much fluid put in it, but a little bit. What is a pinion seal? How much would it cost to do it myself (the shop said they would do it for $119)? How would I do it myself? And what can continued leaking do?
6)I want to change my spark plugs out. I don't know if the original owner did or not (I'm sure hoping they were changed...) so it might have original plugs in it....
me if it does, especially with this high of mileage. But the real problem I'm facing is that I have no idea how to get to them... 
I know there is a tsb on how to change them, but it assumes you know what the F you're looking for/where to look. lol. I know what a spark plug looks like (i'm not that terrible) but I just don't know where to get at them. I'm also going to buy the lisle tool (95600 I think is the part number, too lazy to look right now. lol) when I can find out where it's sold, just in case I need it... So any pics/detailed instructions would be awesome 
I might be missing something here, but just can't think of anything else right now. As you may have gathered from my posts, I've never done much for mechanic-ing... I pick it up pretty damn easy, but when it's my first time doing something I like to know as much as possible/have pictures if I can/know what I'm actually looking for. Once I find out what something is, I rarely forget it if I've wrenched on it, but I've never wrenched on my truck (other than minor, minor things) so I need some good guidance. Thanks everyone in advance for any help you can manage to throw my way, and if you have any questions I will gladly provide you with any information you need.
lol. It has a multitude of problems, some of which I may just be making worse in my own head, but I'm going to tell you all of them anyways. Here's the list1) Has a shudder at idle when the engine is warm. I noticed it about a month ago, and it was getting progressively worse, and about a week ago I ran Sea Foam through the engine using the 1/3 Brake booster, 1/3 Crank case, and 1/3 Fuel tank. Now I'm not sure if this actually made the shudder a little better, or if I just wanted it to so it seemed like it did. But the shudder is still there but not quite as bad. I changed out the sea-foamed oil after 100km.
2)When I come to a stop, and have to accelerate turning (ie/ stop sign, then making a right turn) it kind of stutters, almost as if one wheel is hopping. I'm thinking that this is the diff starting to go, but I would rather that not be it so I want to know if there is anything else I can look at? If it is the diff, whats the damage (moneywise) and how do I go about fixing it? Keep in mind that it only does it when I've come to a stop and accelerate again, not when I'm going any speed at all.
3)I think the front shocks are crapped out. When I hit a bump in the road its not nearly as smooth as it used to be, and it feels kind of like a thump (a very mild mild one, not an "oh sh** what was that" type thing) rather than the floaty type feeling it used to have. However, I did the front bumper jump test and it passed. So it might be that I lost one of the rubber housings that hold the shock in place at the top or bottom? Or maybe it's not even my shocks, is there anything else I should check?
4)When driving down the road at 100 (***KM/H***) and I put the pedal to the floor (passing someone) there is quite the jolt. Now I'm not sure if its just the fact that the truck is gearing down+has that much power, and I'm going the exact right speed that it makes the jolt. Or is something wrong there?
5)When I got my oil changed the other day I was told that the rear pinion seal is leaking. Not enough that it needed much fluid put in it, but a little bit. What is a pinion seal? How much would it cost to do it myself (the shop said they would do it for $119)? How would I do it myself? And what can continued leaking do?
6)I want to change my spark plugs out. I don't know if the original owner did or not (I'm sure hoping they were changed...) so it might have original plugs in it....
me if it does, especially with this high of mileage. But the real problem I'm facing is that I have no idea how to get to them... I know there is a tsb on how to change them, but it assumes you know what the F you're looking for/where to look. lol. I know what a spark plug looks like (i'm not that terrible) but I just don't know where to get at them. I'm also going to buy the lisle tool (95600 I think is the part number, too lazy to look right now. lol) when I can find out where it's sold, just in case I need it... So any pics/detailed instructions would be awesome I might be missing something here, but just can't think of anything else right now. As you may have gathered from my posts, I've never done much for mechanic-ing... I pick it up pretty damn easy, but when it's my first time doing something I like to know as much as possible/have pictures if I can/know what I'm actually looking for. Once I find out what something is, I rarely forget it if I've wrenched on it, but I've never wrenched on my truck (other than minor, minor things) so I need some good guidance. Thanks everyone in advance for any help you can manage to throw my way, and if you have any questions I will gladly provide you with any information you need.
mine shutters a little at a stop. but not as bad when it is in park. mine shuttered at a stop, and i took it to the dealer and they said its normal, couldnt give a reason, but i went from a 4 cyl ranger to a v8 f150 so a lot of this was new to me.
i doubt its the diff, if im not mistaking the diff(transfer case if your talking about the front case) just transfers the power to the wheels, my guess would be the power steering pump. really dont know any way to check it, but i really wouldnt worry about the transfer, unless you happen to driving it in 4wd or the lockers are stuck, and your locked in 4wd. im guessing though. which to test that, carefully get all 4 wheels into the air and see if they all spin when in gear. might have to bring it a local mechanic on a slow day and see if he can throw it onto a rack for you to check it out.
#4, prob just down shifting, mine jolts a good little bit
your absolute best bet if you want to change your rear pinion and and plugs, go to the auto store and buy the chiltons or haynes manual which ever one, and it will give you the step by step instructions on what to do. i do believe that the rear passenger side plug is a pain to get at and take out, and thats what that tool is for. but get the book, i believe they even tell you what tool it is that you need. i promise you it will be the best 25$ you ever spend on your truck
keep us posted
11-08-2010, 09:59 PM
#12
Senior Member
Can't help much on most of your questions, but I will say that the slight "clunk" you are feeling/hearing in your front end sounds like the same thing mine is doing. I've been meaning to check it out but it seems like maybe some sort of grommet is going bad and leaving a front suspension component a bit loose. Or I suppose it could be a bad shock. It seems like mine only does it on the drivers side. Mine seems to be most pronounced when going over a speed bump and the truck kinda bounces a little. I will let you know if I figure out what it is.
11-09-2010, 12:14 AM
#13
I have a 2004, 3 valve 5.4 L, lariat SCrew with 261,000 Km on the odo and she needs some help. And for me to give her the love she needs, I need your lol. It has a multitude of problems, some of which I may just be making worse in my own head, but I'm going to tell you all of them anyways. Here's the list
1) Has a shudder at idle when the engine is warm. I noticed it about a month ago, and it was getting progressively worse, and about a week ago I ran Sea Foam through the engine using the 1/3 Brake booster, 1/3 Crank case, and 1/3 Fuel tank. Now I'm not sure if this actually made the shudder a little better, or if I just wanted it to so it seemed like it did. But the shudder is still there but not quite as bad. I changed out the sea-foamed oil after 100km.
You should clean your MAF sensor... What kind of oil do you use...
2)When I come to a stop, and have to accelerate turning (ie/ stop sign, then making a right turn) it kind of stutters, almost as if one wheel is hopping. I'm thinking that this is the diff starting to go, but I would rather that not be it so I want to know if there is anything else I can look at? If it is the diff, whats the damage (moneywise) and how do I go about fixing it? Keep in mind that it only does it when I've come to a stop and accelerate again, not when I'm going any speed at all.
When Have you ever changed your rear gear diff fluid... if you do make sure if you have a limited slip diff to use the additives it calls for... it also could just be your tires wearing differently and biting in a little bit different spot than normal
3)I think the front shocks are crapped out. When I hit a bump in the road its not nearly as smooth as it used to be, and it feels kind of like a thump (a very mild mild one, not an "oh sh** what was that" type thing) rather than the floaty type feeling it used to have. However, I did the front bumper jump test and it passed. So it might be that I lost one of the rubber housings that hold the shock in place at the top or bottom? Or maybe it's not even my shocks, is there anything else I should check?
with that many miles i would say your shocks have big the dust.. bad ball joints could make a different ride and definantly a different sound
4)When driving down the road at 100 (***KM/H***) and I put the pedal to the floor (passing someone) there is quite the jolt. Now I'm not sure if its just the fact that the truck is gearing down+has that much power, and I'm going the exact right speed that it makes the jolt. Or is something wrong there?
my truck does this some times it yanks pretty hard...i would guess it just is down shifting pretty hard... or thats what mine feels like
5)When I got my oil changed the other day I was told that the rear pinion seal is leaking. Not enough that it needed much fluid put in it, but a little bit. What is a pinion seal? How much would it cost to do it myself (the shop said they would do it for $119)? How would I do it myself? And what can continued leaking do?
If its not leaking bad... i would not mess with it.. Its a big job to change.. and most of the time after they install one the rear end has a failure... with that many miles i wouldnt worry about it... i would just check it at every oil change.. keep an eye on it make sure it doesnt start leaking bad.. .. i dont know if they make a stop leak for that but you could ask around
6)I want to change my spark plugs out. I don't know if the original owner did or not (I'm sure hoping they were changed...) so it might have original plugs in it.... me if it does, especially with this high of mileage. But the real problem I'm facing is that I have no idea how to get to them... I know there is a tsb on how to change them, but it assumes you know what the F you're looking for/where to look. lol. I know what a spark plug looks like (i'm not that terrible) but I just don't know where to get at them. I'm also going to buy the lisle tool (95600 I think is the part number, too lazy to look right now. lol) when I can find out where it's sold, just in case I need it... So any pics/detailed instructions would be awesome
there is one for sale on here in the for sale section still i beleive... if not ive seen them on ebay.. they are a Pain in the **** to change.. if you got the extra cash i would find a dealer that would do it cheap.. and make sure they give you an good estimate that they cant change down the road if they run into problems... or if they run into problems make sure they give you a estimate of that too
I might be missing something here, but just can't think of anything else right now. As you may have gathered from my posts, I've never done much for mechanic-ing... I pick it up pretty damn easy, but when it's my first time doing something I like to know as much as possible/have pictures if I can/know what I'm actually looking for. Once I find out what something is, I rarely forget it if I've wrenched on it, but I've never wrenched on my truck (other than minor, minor things) so I need some good guidance. Thanks everyone in advance for any help you can manage to throw my way, and if you have any questions I will gladly provide you with any information you need.
anytime man.
thats what this forum is for.. i gave you my best detail and thats what i would do if it were my truck.. others would probably tell you different but thats my 2 cents
lol. It has a multitude of problems, some of which I may just be making worse in my own head, but I'm going to tell you all of them anyways. Here's the list1) Has a shudder at idle when the engine is warm. I noticed it about a month ago, and it was getting progressively worse, and about a week ago I ran Sea Foam through the engine using the 1/3 Brake booster, 1/3 Crank case, and 1/3 Fuel tank. Now I'm not sure if this actually made the shudder a little better, or if I just wanted it to so it seemed like it did. But the shudder is still there but not quite as bad. I changed out the sea-foamed oil after 100km.
You should clean your MAF sensor... What kind of oil do you use...
2)When I come to a stop, and have to accelerate turning (ie/ stop sign, then making a right turn) it kind of stutters, almost as if one wheel is hopping. I'm thinking that this is the diff starting to go, but I would rather that not be it so I want to know if there is anything else I can look at? If it is the diff, whats the damage (moneywise) and how do I go about fixing it? Keep in mind that it only does it when I've come to a stop and accelerate again, not when I'm going any speed at all.
When Have you ever changed your rear gear diff fluid... if you do make sure if you have a limited slip diff to use the additives it calls for... it also could just be your tires wearing differently and biting in a little bit different spot than normal
3)I think the front shocks are crapped out. When I hit a bump in the road its not nearly as smooth as it used to be, and it feels kind of like a thump (a very mild mild one, not an "oh sh** what was that" type thing) rather than the floaty type feeling it used to have. However, I did the front bumper jump test and it passed. So it might be that I lost one of the rubber housings that hold the shock in place at the top or bottom? Or maybe it's not even my shocks, is there anything else I should check?
with that many miles i would say your shocks have big the dust.. bad ball joints could make a different ride and definantly a different sound
4)When driving down the road at 100 (***KM/H***) and I put the pedal to the floor (passing someone) there is quite the jolt. Now I'm not sure if its just the fact that the truck is gearing down+has that much power, and I'm going the exact right speed that it makes the jolt. Or is something wrong there?
my truck does this some times it yanks pretty hard...i would guess it just is down shifting pretty hard... or thats what mine feels like
5)When I got my oil changed the other day I was told that the rear pinion seal is leaking. Not enough that it needed much fluid put in it, but a little bit. What is a pinion seal? How much would it cost to do it myself (the shop said they would do it for $119)? How would I do it myself? And what can continued leaking do?
If its not leaking bad... i would not mess with it.. Its a big job to change.. and most of the time after they install one the rear end has a failure... with that many miles i wouldnt worry about it... i would just check it at every oil change.. keep an eye on it make sure it doesnt start leaking bad.. .. i dont know if they make a stop leak for that but you could ask around
6)I want to change my spark plugs out. I don't know if the original owner did or not (I'm sure hoping they were changed...) so it might have original plugs in it....
me if it does, especially with this high of mileage. But the real problem I'm facing is that I have no idea how to get to them... I know there is a tsb on how to change them, but it assumes you know what the F you're looking for/where to look. lol. I know what a spark plug looks like (i'm not that terrible) but I just don't know where to get at them. I'm also going to buy the lisle tool (95600 I think is the part number, too lazy to look right now. lol) when I can find out where it's sold, just in case I need it... So any pics/detailed instructions would be awesome there is one for sale on here in the for sale section still i beleive... if not ive seen them on ebay.. they are a Pain in the **** to change.. if you got the extra cash i would find a dealer that would do it cheap.. and make sure they give you an good estimate that they cant change down the road if they run into problems... or if they run into problems make sure they give you a estimate of that too
I might be missing something here, but just can't think of anything else right now. As you may have gathered from my posts, I've never done much for mechanic-ing... I pick it up pretty damn easy, but when it's my first time doing something I like to know as much as possible/have pictures if I can/know what I'm actually looking for. Once I find out what something is, I rarely forget it if I've wrenched on it, but I've never wrenched on my truck (other than minor, minor things) so I need some good guidance. Thanks everyone in advance for any help you can manage to throw my way, and if you have any questions I will gladly provide you with any information you need.
anytime man.
thats what this forum is for.. i gave you my best detail and thats what i would do if it were my truck.. others would probably tell you different but thats my 2 cents 
11-09-2010, 09:19 PM
#14
Proudly Canadian
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the help guys. When I get time I'll look more at what you guys mentioned and look to work on my truck.
Pongorulz, I feel retarded now. I bought a Haynes manual when I first bought my truck.... lol. I just completely forgot about it. oops. ha ha. I'm going to buy a Lisle tool soon, and hopefully do my plugs and not need it
Bobkyle, the place I get it changed at is a Dealership place, so I'm assuming Motorcraft? Or whatever it is that is the factory oil. I don't actually know.. lol. Now thats terrible. I do know that it's not synthetic though, if that counts for anything. ha ha. To be honest, I don't know that the rear diff fluid has been changed since I started driving it, and I don't know about maintenance from the previous owner... Maybe I'll look into adding that to the list of what needs to be done. And I'm pretty sure it's a limited slip. Aren't all 4x4's? If not, how do I find out?
Pongorulz, I feel retarded now. I bought a Haynes manual when I first bought my truck.... lol. I just completely forgot about it. oops. ha ha. I'm going to buy a Lisle tool soon, and hopefully do my plugs and not need it
Bobkyle, the place I get it changed at is a Dealership place, so I'm assuming Motorcraft? Or whatever it is that is the factory oil. I don't actually know.. lol. Now thats terrible. I do know that it's not synthetic though, if that counts for anything. ha ha. To be honest, I don't know that the rear diff fluid has been changed since I started driving it, and I don't know about maintenance from the previous owner... Maybe I'll look into adding that to the list of what needs to be done. And I'm pretty sure it's a limited slip. Aren't all 4x4's? If not, how do I find out?
11-09-2010, 10:41 PM
#15
Proudly Canadian
Thread Starter
oh! Forgot to mention. No codes are being thrown right now. But I previously had a Cam position sensor code, about 3 months ago. Replaced the sensor about 3-4 weeks ago, and the code was wiped and hasn't been back since.
11-10-2010, 12:54 AM
#16
#4) Mine was doing this. I got the transmission computer updated to the newest version and it solved the problem. Had to go to the dealer and it wasn't cheap. Where you have a fair amount of miles/kms I'd start by checking the drive line out, U-joints, oil leaks from trans or diff(maybe related to 5 but check the u-joints first). I learned in an auto mechanics class in high school that if you need to locate a problem start with the cheapest problems first.
11-10-2010, 01:10 AM
#17
how much was that computer update on the trans..... mine has needed this since day one... and while it was under warrenty the damn dealer was so corrupt... i have since went to a diff dealer but its out of warrenty now
11-10-2010, 01:18 AM
#19
dealers can update your ecu or pcm ..with the latest tunes to make them run smoother(ecu) or shift smoother(pcm)
01-04-2011, 01:12 AM
#20
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2)When I come to a stop, and have to accelerate turning (ie/ stop sign, then making a right turn) it kind of stutters, almost as if one wheel is hopping. I'm thinking that this is the diff starting to go, but I would rather that not be it so I want to know if there is anything else I can look at? If it is the diff, whats the damage (moneywise) and how do I go about fixing it? Keep in mind that it only does it when I've come to a stop and accelerate again, not when I'm going any speed at all.
However...and this is a BIG however: I've had 3 sets of rubber on the back end, each set lasting roughly 50,000 miles and it doesn't seem to matter which brand (Michelin, Goodyear or the Toyos I have on now), none seem to grab the pavement during turns all that well.