newstudent
Seasoned Expediter
I bought a 2006 E-350 Ford Econoline with a 6.0 Diesel for expediting.
I'm new to this and I didn't know to check the average reliability and maintenance cost for this particular van. I've been led to think that Diesel engines are the way to go for a long life high mileage vehicle. Before I bought, I had it looked over for general problems, but the mechanic was not a Diesel Mechanic. There were 3 ball joints that needed to be replaced.
After buying it I replaced the ball joints but when talking to Diesel mechanics I'm told that that van with that engine is a nightmare to maintain. The van has 169,000 miles mostly all highway. The mechanic says that's high miles. I thought they would be good for 3 hundred thousand to 5 hundred thousand miles if maintained well.
It has a start up problem blowing white smoke for 15 seconds or more and rough running until warmed up. I thought Diesel was like that and it didn't concern me at first. The mechanic says it shows an injector #1 code. Another mechanic says the hard start could be a glow plug.
It has an Sinister EGR delete, Set programmer, and 5 inch exhaust. The seller claims he had no problems with the van for the two years he used it carry dirt bikes but he kept it in a garage.
I was advised to have the engine re-shocked. The dealer didn't ask me about aftermarket add on. Once the engine was re-shocked with program updates, it is no longer in sync with the Sinister EGR delete. I will reload the EGR delete to fix that problem. If the cold start is still a problem after using a fuel additive to clean the injectors and the engine, the injector will be the likely suspect.
Mechanics are telling me they don't like to work on them because vans are so difficult to maintain and gain access to perform the work on the engines. Can anyone advise me about the reliability of this engine and the expenses and problems I could be looking at in the future? Can you provide me with your experience with this particular Van with this engine?
I'm new to this and I didn't know to check the average reliability and maintenance cost for this particular van. I've been led to think that Diesel engines are the way to go for a long life high mileage vehicle. Before I bought, I had it looked over for general problems, but the mechanic was not a Diesel Mechanic. There were 3 ball joints that needed to be replaced.
After buying it I replaced the ball joints but when talking to Diesel mechanics I'm told that that van with that engine is a nightmare to maintain. The van has 169,000 miles mostly all highway. The mechanic says that's high miles. I thought they would be good for 3 hundred thousand to 5 hundred thousand miles if maintained well.
It has a start up problem blowing white smoke for 15 seconds or more and rough running until warmed up. I thought Diesel was like that and it didn't concern me at first. The mechanic says it shows an injector #1 code. Another mechanic says the hard start could be a glow plug.
It has an Sinister EGR delete, Set programmer, and 5 inch exhaust. The seller claims he had no problems with the van for the two years he used it carry dirt bikes but he kept it in a garage.
I was advised to have the engine re-shocked. The dealer didn't ask me about aftermarket add on. Once the engine was re-shocked with program updates, it is no longer in sync with the Sinister EGR delete. I will reload the EGR delete to fix that problem. If the cold start is still a problem after using a fuel additive to clean the injectors and the engine, the injector will be the likely suspect.
Mechanics are telling me they don't like to work on them because vans are so difficult to maintain and gain access to perform the work on the engines. Can anyone advise me about the reliability of this engine and the expenses and problems I could be looking at in the future? Can you provide me with your experience with this particular Van with this engine?