Taylor Goes Platinum - 2011 Ford F150

[ScottyB]

Your Xterra has a distributor?!?!?!

its a 2003...but keep in mind the engine block is essentially from 1981 when these things came out in the 300zx as a 3 liter.  since then its been in maximas, pathfinders, quests, hardbodys, frontiers, etc etc mostly unchanged. also the reason they're nearly indestructible...built for boost and 30 years of working the bugs out.

[Apoc]

I went to college so I don't have to drive a distributor.

[ScottyB]

i prefer my engine lightning to be administered with a plastic merry go round and your fancy learnin can't tell me otherwise

[Senor_Taylor]

Just checking in to say I'm very happy with this and I really enjoy owning it. Lots of truck stuff. Going to pick up a couch for the GF this weekend. Hopefully towing to PittRace in July.

I just wish it was lower mileage. I don't want this thing to get old. I love the amount of technology it has. Perfect balance of just being a simple truck and having nice simple features added. I found a seating position that works for my back and I've been able to drive hours at a time in pure comfort. Really love this thing.

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[Senor_Taylor]

Things are still going well. Towed to PittRace and VIR without issue. Changed the oil yesterday and found it was almost 2 quarts low. Engine runs a lot quieter now. Just ordered 13 quarts of Mercon LV and plan to do a drain and fill this weekend using my mityvac so I don't need to drop the pan. Ford claims it's all "filled for life" so I won't bother with a new filter and I'd be surprised if the magnet was nasty at 90,000 miles. I'll do the diffs and transfer case before winter hits as well.

It tows well, but I don't buy into saying "you can't even tell it's back there!" It's definitely rough around the edges and has some rust speckles on the front bumper, interior squeaks, paint chips, etc. I slept in it at PittRace and it wasn't too terrible. 







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[Senor_Taylor]

The factory third brake light gasket is trash and falls apart. It's also part of the tail light housing so you have to buy an all new one. Instead, I found a smoked housing with LEDs that has a better gasket. This will give me an actually useable cargo light and hopefully make the reverse lights a little brighter. I don't really think it's looks that out of place since the tail lights are kind of smoked from factory.

The wiring in my doors is starting to go bad and the speakers cut out sometimes. Not sure when I'll work up the energy to fiddle with it. Next on the list is to pump out the old trans fluid using my mightyvac and fill it again with new Ford stuff.

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[Jake]

If all of the speakers are getting funky at the same time, I'd be inclined to think it's a problem with the head unit or amp...

[JPolen01]

Agreed with Jake. The wiring on an 8 year old vehicle should not "go bad".

[Senor_Taylor]

It's the wiring in the loom between the body and the door. Common issue and you can diagnose it by moving the doors back and forth. You'll hear them cut in and out.

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[JPolen01]

That's some really poor build quality. Thanks a lot Ford.

[Jake]

Weird, my 2011 never did that - although it wasn't as old when I owned it, either.

[Senor_Taylor]

Weird, my 2011 never did that - although it wasn't as old when I owned it, either.

If it did, you wouldn't have noticed. I only realized because I was riding the back seat on the way to the beach.

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[Scott]

Agreed with Jake. The wiring on an 8 year old vehicle should not "go bad".

It's a Ford, so that's par for the course.

[Senor_Taylor]

Nothing to update. Truck has been fine. Might need new tires soon.

Finnaly did a transmission fluid drain and fill. Seems mine was underfilled from the factory. Fluid looked fairly rough coming out. Didn't change the filter since I'm not even to 100k yet. The process takes quite a while but is simple enough. You have to have the truck hot and running to fit the last 3 qts in, which is a pain since the fill plug/dipstick is on the trans next to the cat.

Took it for a spin and it maybe feels smoother? May be my mind playing tricks. I have no further plans except for tires if these get any worse and potentially get some new shocks for it if I find a financial windfall.

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[Jake]

I did new fluid on mine at 60k and it helped a little bit. The transmission shop I used did recommend it for the sake of overall lifespan, even though they don't see too many failures of the 6R80. I think they said the occasional torque converter fails but otherwise it's pretty robust.

[Senor_Taylor]

Noticed the rear window defrost button doesn't illuminate when it's pressed. Did some research online and it seems to be a very common issue with the rear sliding window. Also in my research, I learned that I have heated mirrors and they're also ran off of that switch. Tested the fuse and it wasn't blown and is getting power, tested the contacts on the sliding window and they are showing continuity when the window is closed, checked for power at the window and found that the button IS working, but there's no way to know because the light doesn't come on. This also means the relay is also working for the window, so the only answer I can imagine is that the window itself is messed up, which also aligns with what most people online have experienced. The only remedy is to pay $2000 and get another rear window from Ford.

I've also read that the heated mirrors should work if the window is getting power, so I'll give those a shot some time. Shame there's no way to know if they're on or off since the button doesn't illuminate unless the rear defrost is on. This hasn't worked since I bought the truck, but I wish I noticed it sooner so I can say something to the dealer I bought it from.

[Sijray21]

ouch, $2k for the rear window

not sure i'd consider it worth it as long as the side window defrost still work.

[JPolen01]

You'll know the rear defroster is working even if the button doesn't illuminate because the window will become clear...I wouldn't need the button to illuminate in my car after 60 seconds because your can see the defroster lines doing their job.

[Senor_Taylor]

Confirmed the rear defrost does not work at all. Can't tell with the side mirrors, but they've given me no reason to believe they work. Downshifts from 6-3 have been very firm since the fluid change. Rough isn't the word, but it kicks hard enough to make your head make contact with the headrest. No other issues. Will probably be considering tires this year, so I'm open to suggestions. Whatever is good for commuting and towing. I don't care about offroad/snow capabilities that much.

[Scott]

Confirmed the rear defrost does not work at all. Can't tell with the side mirrors, but they've given me no reason to believe they work. Downshifts from 6-3 have been very firm since the fluid change. Rough isn't the word, but it kicks hard enough to make your head make contact with the headrest. No other issues. Will probably be considering tires this year, so I'm open to suggestions. Whatever is good for commuting and towing. I don't care about offroad/snow capabilities that much.

Michelin LTX load range E.