Have you ever stumbled upon a fantastic deal on a used Ford truck?
Ford truck owners understand the value of their vehicles, and it's rare to find them being sold at a bargain, especially after 23 years of ownership. Yet, I came across Alex Albright's (@alexanderalbrighttt) unbelievable used Ford F-250 truck deal while browsing Ford truck stories.
He says,
"I just bought this 2001 7.3 Lariat 4-wheel drive with 190,000 miles for five grand. You might say that that's not that good of a deal. Did I get a good deal? I think it's a good deal; it's a really good deal."
Imagine hearing about a Ford F-250 truck for sale. It appears to be in great condition, but the owner says it has a serious problem that the Ford dealer can't fix. So, he's selling the truck for less than it would sell for if it were running.
You quickly run over and look at it, and the truck has serious problems. You are taking a gamble buying it because it may cost thousands to fix it. Or, you may be buying the truck for parts. So, You give the Ford F-250 truck owner a low offer of only $5,000, and to your surprise, he takes it.
Once you drive home, you hope you didn't make an expensive mistake.
Did Alex Make a Good Decision?
Alex says that he got an excellent deal, he says,
"Do you know why the guy sold it to me so cheap? He's owned the truck for 23 years; he sold it to me so cheap because he kept having this problem where it had a parasitic draw."
"He said every time he would leave the truck for an hour, the battery would be dead. So, he took it to the Ford dealer, and they diagnosed some stuff. I have the receipts for what they did, and they put on over $3,300 worth of parts."
However, the Truck's Battery is Still Dead, the Problem Is Not Fixed
Alex continues, "He gets it back the next day for the dealer. He wakes up the next morning, and the truck is dead. The truck has new batteries, and all the things they changed out still did not fix the problem.”
This Ford Truck Owner Was Not Happy
"So, he wants to get rid of the truck. I found out he was selling it and told me it had a parasitic draw, and when I came to look at the truck, he didn't even want me to turn off the engine. He said keep it running because he feared it wouldn't start back up."
Alex Makes a $5,000 Offer
"So, after seeing the truck and all the problems, I offered him $5,000, bought it for five grand, and when I got it back home, I turned it off and heard something. I hear the heater fan blower motor is on low, and I can barely hear it."
"After I turned the truck off and took the key out of the ignition, the blower motor was still on low. So, I know something is going on, whether it's the relay, crossed wires, or something like that."
"So, I found out the truck was draining the battery because of a broken fan switch. So, the guy gets rid of his truck, which he's owned for 23 years. The dealer couldn't figure it out, but I figured out that it's all because of that little fan switch."
Alex concludes, "It took me about one minute looking at it to get it fixed," he says with a sly grin.
Do the 2001 Ford F-250 7.3L Trucks Have a Battery Drain Issue?
Reddit users say yes,
Mr_B_Gone says, So my (2001 F250 7.3L) truck was dead on Sunday, I jumped it and put in new batteries, and it ran fine the rest of the day. Tuesday evening, I hopped in, and it was dead again. I have a brand new alternator, maybe 3 months old, that has been working great since I got it. Driving back from work, the batteries didn't seem to charge; I lost my accessories and barely had headlights."
While the multimeter was running, it showed nearly 14V on batteries, making me think it was working, but the drain isn't happening just on the drives but while the truck is off. What do I do?
One user on PowerStroke.org says,
"I have a 2001 F-250 4x4 with a 7.3 powerstroke that's giving me problems. I don't drive much cause I'm a disabled veteran, and that could be part of it, but the batteries are draining over fast; I put in 2 new batteries, and it would crank, so I let it run a few hours and then shut it off."
"Two weeks later, I went to crank it again and go for a drive, but it wouldn't crank, so I borrowed the neighbor's battery charger and got it running; the next day, it fired up just fine. Now I'm getting no attempt at all to start. The truck won't turn over, and I tested the batteries. They both had 80% or more charge."
"Does anybody have any ideas or have a similar issue? How can I fix this? The truck only has 126,000 miles, and I put in both a new alternator and a solenoid last year."
What is the Temporary Fix?
Owners say they are purchasing a battery trickle charger (Battery Tender brand), connecting it to the battery and leaving it plugged in. These units will charge and keep batteries "topped off" at full charge without causing any damage to the truck or battery.
Final Thoughts and Questions for Ford F-250 7.3L Owners
Using a battery trickle charger is only a temporary fix, like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound, and does not address the real issue. There is a parasitic battery drain coming from somewhere.
Alex found a very easy fix to his $5,000 2001 Ford F-250 7.3 Lariat 4WD find. Will it fix all Ford trucks with this problem? That's the $5,000 question.
How About You?
Do you own a 2001 Ford F-250 7.3-liter pickup with battery drain issues? What did you do to fix it? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.
Check out my Ford F-250 truck story titled; We Needed Help Catching the Guy Who Paid For Our Ford F-250 With a $25,000 Fake Check, Facebook Positively Played a Role
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Bring a Trailer
Comments
I have 2001 f 250 the glove…
Permalink
I have 2001 f 250 the glove box light would not turn off I took the bulb out problem fixed. Next problem if your gear shifter has slop in it u need to tighten it up. There's a torque bolt on the steering shaft that holds the gear shifter on. If you don't keep it tight , you will have a mess
Back in the day when I had a…
Permalink
Back in the day when I had a draw on the battery I would pull the fuses one at a time until I found the circuit that was causing the draw. I don't have any idea if it will work on the newer trucks with all the computers and stuff.