1996 Ford F-250 (OBS)

Reliability tier: verified - see /disclosure/

Engine: 7.3L (Power Stroke, 7.3L)

OBS era: single-shot AA injectors (49-state; California OBD-II trucks = split-shot AB), 15deg-swash HPOP, non-wastegated 1.15 A/R turbo, 2-stage cam-driven fuel pump; California OBD-II split-shot AB applies from 1996

Applicable failure modes (12)

• CPS (camshaft position sensor) failure
• EBPV stuck (exhaust backpressure valve)
• Fuel bowl / filter housing leaks and heater short
• Glow plug / glow plug relay failure
• High-pressure oil pump wear / low ICP
• IDM (injector driver module) failure
• Injector o-ring failure
• IPR valve failure / o-ring degradation
• Turbo pedestal o-ring leaks
• Turbo up-pipe / donut gasket leaks
• Under-valve-cover harness (UVCH) failure
• Water pump wear

Applicable parts (22)

• 7.3L Power Stroke Turbo Air Inlet Connection / Boot (Ford F4TZ-6C640-A, OBS 1994-1997)
• powerstroke-7_3: coolant (service item)
• 7.3L Power Stroke EBPV Block-Off - Non-EBPV Turbo Pedestal (KC Turbos 300112 OBS / 300270 E99)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Bowl Heater Element (Ford F5TZ-9J294-A, OBS 1994-1997)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Valve Cover Connector Pigtails (Alliant AP0015 OBS / AP0016 99-03)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Camshaft Position Sensor 1994-1996 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Bowl Drain Valve / Seal Kits
• 7.3L Power Stroke Fuel Filter Element 1994-1997 (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Glow Plug (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Glow Plug Relay / Control Unit (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke High-Pressure Oil Pump 1994-early 1999 (15 deg)
• 7.3L Power Stroke ICP Sensor (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke IDM (Injector Driver Module) 1994-1997 (reman)
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector AA code 1994-1997
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector AB code 1996-early 1999
• 7.3L Power Stroke HEUI Injector Seal Kit (aftermarket)
• 7.3L Power Stroke IPR Valve (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Oil Cooler (OEM)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Turbo Pedestal / Turbo O-Ring Kit
• 7.3L Power Stroke Up-Pipe Donut Maintenance Kit (OBS era)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Internal Injector Harness 1994-1997 (aftermarket)
• 7.3L Power Stroke Water Pump 1995-1997 (OEM)

Platform recipes (4)

• The 7.3 longevity package: the known wear points that strand or scare owners are all cheap.preventive fixes (modes fm-73-up-pipe-leak / fm-73-turbo-pedestal / fm-73-ebpv-stick / fm-73-fuel-bowl-leak)
• Cold-start system service (modes fm-73-glow-plug-system / fm-73-uvch-harness): HEUI needs glow assist below ~40F, and the chain fails link by link - plugs, the single heavy relay, and the under-valve-cover harness connectors
• Camshaft position sensor replacement for THE classic 7.3 failure (mode fm-73-cps-failure): heat-cycled CPS stalls the truck dead, kills the tach and can leave it restart-locked until it cools
• HEUI oil-side diagnosis and repair (modes fm-73-hpop-wear / fm-73-ipr-valve / fm-73-injector-orings): hard or no-start HOT with ok cranking speed is a high-pressure-oil story

Recalls that include this truck (1)

• 09V-399 (October 13, 2009) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY...

Matched by the model and model year NHTSA lists for each recall - a recall often covers only part of a year's production, so read its text for the build dates and versions it names. Whether a recall is still open on your VIN is not known here; check nhtsa.gov/recalls. All recalls, investigations and bulletins for this engine: /recalls/powerstroke-7_3/

Reference for this truck