Sharon Okay Sharon, glad you found us. Diesels use glow plugs to warm the cylinders in order to help them crank when cold. Diesel, 5-speed, 3;55 gears, 4x4. Thanks for all the responses. The click verifies that the glow plug relay is working and the voltage drop means that at least some of the 8 glow plugs are working. Look at the air cleaner, which the black plastic box just behind the driver's side battery. Since the 'loaded up with family' version is 10% when this truck is involved, the 'companion minivan' scenario really isn't bad.
Ditto on the small ext cab. These pads are easily replaced, so don't be fooled by a new one either. My thinking is that I get extra seating, v8 power, without as much of a fuel hit. For me, it's every 3000 miles with Shell Rotella oil and a Motorcraft filter part number1995. Having an extra vehicle never hurts. I think you can have this done for free at the dealer if not.
Of course, with extra seating comes bigger engine and worse mileage. There is info on this site for thing to look for when buying a truck, just do a search. There were problems with leakage of unfiltered air with these, which was repaired sort of by a factory recall that replaced the original plastic bolts through the top of the filter housing with steel bolts. Look at the ends of the tie rods where the rubber grease boots are for condition. If this cord is plugged into house current when you arrive, the truck will crank easily even if the glow plug system has problems. The fewer items that need replacement in the near future, the better off you will be. Check for excessive play in the steering.
The engine is also known as the 444 when installed in International medium duty trucks. Under the hood, take a look at the batteries. If it has a gooseneck type hitch with just a ball in the middle of the bed or a hole in the bed where one was previously installed, then it is more likely that it hauled hot shot loads, a heavy equipment trailer, a larger horse or cattle trailer or that sort of thing. With step-by-step instructions, clear pictures, exploded view illustrations, schematics, and specifications, you will have the information you need to keep your project on the road. Regular oil changes with an oil appropriate for the Powerstroke engine. Look all around this center part of the engine, known as the valley, for signs of leaking oil or fuel.
The '95 model has the 7. First you need to find out what its got for gears. Check the history and have someone knowledgeable check the coolant to see if it is in compliance. The clutch was probably replaced along with the transmission, but be sure to ask about the other parts mentioned earlier. A standard receiver hitch could go either way. Heavy wear in the bed is another indicator that she's been worked hard. You could get lucky and find a Centurion crew cab F150.
Ask the owner to open the filter box for you. I got a crew cab and don't regret it. It is occasionally necessary to drain the fuel bowl to remove water that collects there to avoid damage to the injectors. My buddy has similiar exp. Also this is the best site for help with any probelm that may arise. I'm gonna stick with what I got. If the weather is moderate, say above 40 deg, go ahead and crank it up when the wait to start light goes out.
Many of us use an upgraded aftermarket filter or a homemade replacement system that may be better than the original equipment. Actually, it just runs like a new truck. They hold a lot of oil, so this part of maintenance will cost you about twice as much as a comparable gas motor. It is important to change the oil in these engines on a regular basis because it affects the performance of the fuel injection system as well as the normal lubrication issues. To check the system from a cold start do the following.
Good luck, Gene Sharon, One other point comes to mind. It corrected some problems that the earlier Powerstrokes had. This is due to a system that puts a restriction in the exhaust to speed the warm up time. Please take a moment to check out the guidelines, they contain important information that you'll need when posting here: We have quite a number of specialized forums here so I've moved your question into one that's appropriate to the vehicle you asked about. I wouldn't make my final judgment based on that, but I would ask more questions. This is some thing that you should be able to do yourself.
Ditto on all of the above comments about the tiny space in the rear on extended cabs. They should be nearly new and in good condition with the terminals clean and be able to turn the engine over with authority or you should deduct from the asking price for new ones. When you look at the air cleaner, see if there is a sticker on it that says that the computer has been reflashed with an updated program sometime in the year of 1996. All of these things do not go bad or need to be replaced all at once. . This book covers all 1995 Ford F-Series trucks equipped with the 7. I have never owned and diesel and am afraid of what I am not familiar with.
Check maintenance records for a front end rebuild or look under the front for new parts including shocks. This really is probably the best place you could have come on the 'Net for honest answers to your questions, and I'm sure the guys will be gentlemen and take it easy on you! You can also look at the rubber pad on the clutch pedal. You can feel inside the box on the clean side of the filter and then look at your fingers for the presents of dirt to see if dirt has been getting past the filter. Also, if you get the bucket seats in the front, you lose a space in the center. I just hand calculated the milage on my '96 crew cab yesterday. These have been problem areas.