2011 Ford F-150 FX4

[V1GiLaNtE]

Wow. Alright. Officers of MM. Offer Colton Chipotle dinner and do a MM meeting presenting the differences on 4wd.

I think quite a few people would find that pretty interesting. Fuck I'll even pull together a powerpoint slide shell for you guys using my baller consulting skills!

[Jake]

Fun in the snow the past few days! This thing is pretty great as-is and would be even better with real snow tires on it.

Saturday morning - backed it out of the driveway without shoveling anything first. "Oh I can do it!" and promptly got stuck in the street in front of my driveway. Managed to get it back in said driveway and it sat until the street got a bit clearer.



Our amazing neighbor, clearing the street a bit and many many driveways:



We made a snowman out of BMW parts and tools:



Sunday morning, backed the cars out to clear the driveway and stoop fully:



Went to Arlington to explore a bit... they really didn't have much plowed in terms of neighborhoods. I ended up in one, that I knew how the street connected to a road that was definitely plowed. Was probably a foot of snow and the truck took it like a champ, but was definitely a momentum type of driving.



Over by the Ballston Commons mall... this was "4 High, rear diff locked, sideways and smiling" mode as I slalomed around.



Went in to DC to meet some friends for drinks - was weird seeing this guy in front of me on the on-ramp...



Hey, I live here. Neat.



"Parked" on 9th Street.



Heading back home with the Capitol straight ahead.



DC had the main roads clear but most side streets, like Arlington, were pretty bad still. Alexandria really did a good job by comparison. My office is closed on Monday and I'm curious how soon these side roads can be dug out. Hopefully the next day or so. I can get around fine but obviously a lot of folks cannot.

The biggest advantage this truck has over the Denali is simple ground clearance - no running boards to get in the way. Low range is nice but I haven't really needed it yet. The rear locker is great, but the Denali had a LSD rear end so... probably "good enough" for snow. Never got much of it when I owned it to see how it behaved.

The little "off road" display on the Ford is cool - shows pitch and yaw, as well as steering angle and where power is being directed.

[BLINGMW]

The little "off road" display on the Ford is cool - shows pitch and yaw, as well as steering angle and where power is being directed.

My first thought was, it's got a black helicopter missile lock detector! Evasive action!

[*insertusernamehere*]

Did your roommate take out the ti? How was it?

[Jake]

Mileage: 48,600

The first 1,000 miles are over and my first loan payment is due soon... so what do I think?

I like it, a lot. It tows better than the Yukon did and the integrated brake controller makes lower-speed trailer driving far smoother than it was with the aftermarket TBC. Haven't done a "big tow" yet so I am curious how it'll be for my Road Atlanta trip coming up in March. I suspect more of the same "great" will be what I think then.

It's doing better on gas than the Yukon did, by a few MPG. The backseat is cavernous (seriously, limos have less leg room). Motor and transmission are solid.

I installed a set of four Kicker 6x8 speakers. While DJ insists they are the Daewoo of car audio, they sound far better than the stock Ford garbage did, and I only paid $60, so there. I'm planning on adding a navigation head unit and backup camera as it's tough to park/hook up the trailer given the length and lack of visibility. Should be happening soon.

Also took it in to Jerry's Ford for a transmission update. There is a TSB out for rough shifting from 1st to 2nd, and mine was exhibiting the symptom very infrequently. Most times smooth, then *bang* feels like you were rear ended. I duked it out with Ford Corporate on Facebook (which some of you saw) because I couldn't believe they wanted me to pay for an update that they know fixes the transmission's operation, when I have a powertrain warranty.

Well, the warranty only covers "lubricated parts" - I unsuccessfully argued that without the transmission computer functioning, no lubricated parts would spin. The Corporate people are clueless (I even spoke to one on the phone) and are only good at parroting back what their computer screens tell them. Thankfully, the dealer was pleasant to deal with and helped me out on the cost - which was only $125 to begin with. It's not that I couldn't afford it, it was more the principle of the matter.

So anyway, the transmission shifts way better now and that's that. I asked a few techs about the transmission's reliability and they agreed that the 6R80 is a tank, which made me feel good.

No big plans for this otherwise... going to change the oil when the dashboard tells me, do that navigation/camera install eventually, and otherwise drive it occasionally.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I still have that backup camera I bought I think from you. Buy it back

Oh and double whammy, a ford truck with crappy speakers, yay! :wink:

[Jake]

I still have that backup camera I bought I think from you. Buy it back

Oh and double whammy, a ford truck with crappy speakers, yay! :wink:

I already bought that fancy camera that replaces the Ford logo on the tailgate...

And how long did you drive around with blown speakers on that GMC? :roll:

[WRXtranceformed]

They made you pay for a software update when your truck is still under warranty? That might be a first for me

[Jake]

They made you pay for a software update when your truck is still under warranty? That might be a first for me

Hence why I got so BS about it with the corporate reps. The one lady said "well the warranty only covers lubricated parts" and I asked her if she'd like me to keep driving it as-is until something that was lubricated became an issue. :lol: Given that Ford knew there was an issue in the programming and issued an update, why would anyone want to keep driving on the old software? Why wouldn't Ford want everyone on the new version to ensure fewer warranty claims on big-money items?

Whatever, it's good now and much reading of F150 forums indicates that I shouldn't see any issues with the drivetrain as I put miles on it. The EcoBoosts look more questionable as they get to 80-100k.

[WRXtranceformed]

Given that Ford knew there was an issue in the programming and issued an update, why would anyone want to keep driving on the old software? Why wouldn't Ford want everyone on the new version to ensure fewer warranty claims on big-money items?

Pretty much this. Also, Ford and the other automakers being cheap is pretty much the reason why GM dropped its new car warranty to 5 year / 60,000 miles from 100k miles. So indirectly your doo doo butter Ford warranty approach is affecting my upcoming new car purchase :lol:

[Jake]

GM dropped its new car warranty to 5 year / 60,000 miles from 100k miles. So indirectly your doo doo butter Ford warranty approach is affecting my upcoming new car purchase :lol:

Huh, I'm surprised - I'd think of anyone, GM owners would need it most :lol:

But really, what's the full bumper-to-bumper warranty on the Canyonero? Ford's was 3/36k for B2B and 5/60k for [lubricated parts defined at random] powertrain.

[WRXtranceformed]

But really, what's the full bumper-to-bumper warranty on the Canyonero? Ford's was 3/36k for B2B and 5/60k for [lubricated parts defined at random] powertrain.

Same same. They mirrored Ford since it's their main competitor I was told.

[Senor_Taylor]

But really, what's the full bumper-to-bumper warranty on the Canyonero? Ford's was 3/36k for B2B and 5/60k for [lubricated parts defined at random] powertrain.

Same same. They mirrored Ford since it's their main competitor I was told.

GM: "Well, our warranty is 3.0005 years or 36,001 miles!"

Competitive Advantage

[Jake]

Whew, been a busy weekend!

I took advantage of the super-random and super-nice weather we had on Saturday to get a big jump on my four-wheeled to-do lists. First up was getting my trailer re-inspected. The nice man at the Shell station gave it a cursory glance (after I wiggled that one ground wire so the right side turn signal worked) and it passed with flying colors! Note to self: fix that ground.

After the inspection, I headed home and futzed with the M3 a bit, then turned my attention to the truck. All of the bits for my navigation and backup camera install had arrived, so why not install them in 65* weather versus 35*?

The camera is aftermarket, but uses factory Ford parts here and there. I got it from The Camera Source and it's their cheapo camera - I could have spent a bit more for higher resolution, or something. Whatever. They send very, very clear directions on how to install, and even include little things to make your life easier. For example, when they say "use fishing line to remove the old Ford logo from your tailgate" there is a piece of fishing line in the box. Neat.

Install of the camera was easier than I figured it would be. The directions allude to drilling holes in the tailgate and bed to facilitate wire routing, but I suspect that's on older trucks that weren't offered with cameras from Ford - the kit I bought works for any F150 from 2004 to 2014. My gate and bed were pre-drilled so I just had to replace the old logo with the new, thicker one and route the wires. I ran them all the way down the frame rail next to other wiring and into the cab through a grommet in the firewall.

Camera installed:



Then I turned to the new head unit. The standard radio on these trucks is all integrated into a giant faceplace that also houses the climate controls and a few other buttons. Fortunately, that all un-bolts and fits easily into the new faceplate, which (thanks Metra) matches the FX4 trim and looks factory.

I got a fancy-pants "iDatalink Maestro" adapter for this install. It sits inline, between the new Kenwood head unit and the Ford wiring, and does a few cool things while remaining nearly 100% plug and play. I may have soldered 10 wires in total. The Maestro allows you to keep Sync (for phone calls, no running a new microphone!), allows custom-configured steering wheel buttons (short vs long press can do different things), auto-triggers the backup camera in Reverse, and integrates with your OBD II system to provide tire pressures, battery voltage, extra gauges, and any engine codes on the head unit screen.

Going with the Maestro meant I had to use either a Kenwood or Alpine head unit for full functionality, and I chose this Kenwood because it had a real volume knob and was very highly reviewed everywhere. You plug the Maestro into your Windows computer before installing it, and that syncs up your head unit/truck/settings so when you plug it all together, "it just works" - very Apple of them and stupid easy install.

Main screen:



Navigation on Kenwood units is 100% Garmin, which is pretty sweet:



Showing individual tire pressures, battery voltage (truck was off) and could press "Check Engine" if the CEL was lit on the dash, to show the code(s):



Fully installed - the Maestro also keeps your two-line display functional at the top of the dash. Cheaper adapters end up with it saying "DVD" all the time, or "BUILT FORD TOUGH" which is the factory readout when you first start the truck. It's nice to have song title up top, and the navigation going below.



Doin' truck stuff this morning, helped Joey and Lauren cart off some things to the landfill:



Pretty pleased with the Kenwood/camera/Maestro setup so far, I know it'll take some time for me to learn all the screens and settings so they're configured how I want them but I'm already a fan. Really glad I got this all set up before Road Atlanta, as hooking up the trailer with no camera is a very difficult task - now I can see the hitch and roll right up!

[WRXtranceformed]

Truck Life!

Really really nice install man, that looks like a great setup and it just added a ton of value to the truck. A+ would read again

[ScottyB]

coulda used Thiewes Truck Services this weekend when i had to grab a bunch of used palettes for a scrap wood project. turns out they don't fit in the back of an old xterra super great. the older i get, the more a truck bed is, like, not a bad idea.

[Jake]

coulda used Thiewes Truck Services this weekend when i had to grab a bunch of used palettes for a scrap wood project. turns out they don't fit in the back of an old xterra super great. the older i get, the more a truck bed is, like, not a bad idea.

I am liking it more and more... the lack of height restriction makes things pretty great. Plus, it's Line-X'd so I don't care what I throw into it.

Bonus shot of the pimpy backup cam in action this morning:

[Jake]

Haven't done a "big tow" yet so I am curious how it'll be for my Road Atlanta trip coming up in March. I suspect more of the same "great" will be what I think then.

Mileage: 50,700

We are all home from Road Atlanta now, and while I'll post about my second-ever trip there in the M3 thread, figured it was worth noting how the new truck did on the (long) drive there and back.

The Cliffs Notes are, basically, "this is the tool for the job and it's fantastic."

I always thought the Denali towed pretty well - and truthfully, it did - but this is a different level of easy/comfortable. The longer wheelbase helps with stability. I am still using the weight distributing hitch as Ford suggests it for towing over 5k lbs.

The motor is down a liter vs the Denali, but sounds better and gets better mileage, too. We averaged 14 mpg going to Atlanta, while towing at 75 mph. Overall mileage for the trip was down at 13.4 mpg, including a lot of paddock cruising and dinner/hotel runs.

Having a six-speed transmission is so, so nice. Most hills would have it drop to 5th, and the bigger ones required 4th (yay, Mustang noises!) but the truck never felt strained - and obviously the extra gears helped with fuel economy.



Having the Line-X'd bed to keep all the "dirty" track stuff in vs. the big open cabin of an SUV is really nice. I was happy to throw some empty gas jugs in the bed and not smell them the whole drive there.

Oh, and the 36 gallon gas tank is THE best thing. We stopped because doing 422 miles in one sitting (Richmond to Atlanta) is just impossible, but I never felt like "OMG I have to fill up now!" The short wheelbase Yukons only had a 24 gallon tank, which meant a lot of fillups to avoid range anxiety.

Definitely pleased with the truck!

[JPolen01]

What motor is in there? 5.0?

[davej]

Oh, and the 36 gallon gas tank is THE best thing.

I'll agree since gas is practically free now. When we were paying over 4.50/gal, I would cry when I'd have to swipe my credit card a second time thanks to the pump's $75 limit per transaction.