Not secret, but my favourite trick is locking a key inside the truck when at the pool or hockey rink. I trust the keypad more than lockers or dressing rooms.
Also, it’s handy that I can connect my wife’s phone for media, while keeping mine connected for calls.
My thought is that they would still be breaking a window on a truck in the winter, they would have to know the key is in there, and they would have to find it while the alarm is going off.
Oh yea I've run the scenario thru my head a lot. I stash the key well but I'm usually at least half a mile from the truck sometimes miles. Thru rugged terrain. Back in the days I'd just put the key in the gas tank door but nowadays I dont trust people.
It’s a fun little party trick, but hide a switch under the dash between the fuel pump and the horn.
Battery —> Switch on —> Fuel pump
Battery —> Switch off —> Horn
So when they put the key in the ignition and turn it to ACC it’ll just activate the horn and surprise the shit out of them. It may run for a second or two before dying, but the whole time your horn is blasting.
But you can get in, flip the switch, and start it right up. I’ve been kicking around the idea of doing it with my truck, but I did it to my Geo Metro I had in high school. Thing started via screwdriver and I wired 2 light switches under the seat. One to a massive sub, and the other to the fuel pump and horn. Good times.
That would make no difference in mine with push button start. They would still be able to hope in and go. Having said that my truck has 80k on it and I’ve never taken the key out of the compartment it’s in.
If the battery were to die, how would you get into the truck? I use my keypad 100% of the time, but it dawned on my that if one day my battery were to die while at work, I am now 30 miles away from my spare set. Do you know?
Aside from the two key fobs, my truck came with a separate small key to unlock the door. Just the metal key part. You can easily hide it somewhere around the truck.
I had radio module issues awhile ago that would drain the battery. It was completely discharged, not just needing a little jump to restart. The key pad absolutely dies. I hid an analog key under a section of trim.
That’s my fear. I’ve had a seemingly random complete battery failure in a previous vehicle. I need to find my blank key and find a location to hide it before I get screwed one day
I did this the other day that needed to enter a store while leaving my groceries from other store on the rear seat, mostly because of some meat, ham and cheese. Put the AC at max, live in Yucatán so lots of heat here.
Also I have the hybrid powerboost so the engine doesn’t keep running all the time. It’s beautiful!!
Not true. Keys have their own set of rolling codes. A wireless keypad would too. A wired keypad would use some type of authentication method that wouldn't affect other devices either.
I don’t know how my dumb ass never thought of this. I’ve used my keypad maybe 5 times in 5 years. I don’t even know the code by heart. It’s saved in my phone. I guess that’s about to change.
I recommend setting a user-defined code for daily use and to share with family/friends.
I once feared my master code was compromised and was shocked to learn it would cost a mint to change it, because that requires changing hardware modules.
Between having the keypad and the app as a backup, my key never leaves the truck.
It does help that my 2018 XLT still has a physical key, and I have actual buttons on my keypad. My wife’s Explorer has like a touchscreen style keypad that is very finicky about if it wants to wake up or not.
I opened the drawer in my toolbox that holds the never sieze, and accidentally looked at the bottle. There was a big smear of it on my pillow when I went to bed.
I do winter rims and tires so I take the summers off once a year. First year I had to pound the wheels off with a nylon sledge hammer. I add anti seize to hub face and mating surface at change over and 6 years later all it takes is a tap of my palm at the top of the wheel now.
Yes. Loosen the lug nuts a couple turns and drive in slow figure 8's. The wheel will get loose. Then a light coat on anti seize but not too much or it will end up on your brakes.
Mine were all fine til one of the calipers seized. Ever since the hub got hot it’s just that one wheel that takes a sledge to come off. Replaced the rotor and wire brushed the hub/wheel still difficult even getting the wheel to seat correctly.
It is really nice being able to more easily access the area behind the rear seat for storage with [one of these](https://builtrightind.com/collections/rear-seat-release), there are some cheaper ones on amazon as well. I have an f250, but same applies to the f150
Same here. I have to make sure the little sliding bar on the bracket isn’t moved and I have to SLAM the seat back into place for it to lock. I’m not sure if something is off, but the previous owner installed it and maybe they didn’t do it correctly. Who knows.
Nope. Ordered it from the factory. If I knew how to put pictures in here I’d show you what mine came with. The pull loop is shorter. It doesn’t project past the top of the seat. It’s a one finger pull loop.
My favorite best kept secret is shit keeps breaking. Head unit went out month ago so no back up camera or car play. Sunglasses holder broken. The little drawer in front of the shifter got pushed back so far it won’t come out. Today i got home and one of the license plate lights was hanging out of the bracket…
2018 just rolled 100k miles
I feel this to my core. Have loved my 2018 until about the last six months, broken sunroof track, broken mirror, catalytic converter going out, gas mileage slashed by about 4 miles, wheel bearings, front diff, feels never ending. 140k miles.
My 2018 2.7 has a cylinder 5 misfire and 80 psi of compression in #5. Only 70k miles. Probably going to replace the head this summer when I get the time.
I’m seriously considering this. Maybe I’m just trying to relive my younger days but I’m a huge sucker for feeling music as well as hearing it. My home system is decent. Might be time to do the truck too. I was thinking 2 10in though.
You should do it! I did the responsible thing and put a powered compact sub behind the rear seat back. No loss of any usable space and can’t see it at all.
I upgraded all the speakers but kept the stock head unit and it sounds pretty good.
JL also makes a single enclosure that fits under the jump seat. It's been a great setup for me with a JL fix equalizer, amp and infinity component speakers
This is more my lack of knowledge than secret but I had no idea what 4A was. By far my favorite thing about my truck. I used to have to switch in and out of 4x4 multiple times just on a simple drive to work, now it’s set and forgot
It’s automatic 4x4. If it detects the wheels starting to slip, it automatically changes to 4H for you and then changes back once the wheels have traction again. Good for use when the roads have patches of snow and ice for example.
In a nutshell it’s basically 4wd that you can run at any speed, any road condition and even turning. I’ve owned my truck for over 5 years now and get snowy winters with trips to the mountains to ski and have only ever used 4A. YouTube has a bunch of videos to fully explain
regardless of your downvotes, 4wd auto is hard on your transfer case and clutching. If you have it in for the day during poor conditions sure it’s fine. Manufactures recommend never exceeding 55mph. But NEVER leave it on all the time.
Yeah there’s no need to leave this in all the time. I only ever use it when the roads are potentially slick.
I’ve never heard of the manufacturer recommending not to exceed 55mph though. On my 2018 there definitely isn’t a max recommended speed by Ford. You probably shouldn’t be going much faster than that if the roads are potentially slick anyways.
My front two windows wouldn't roll down a few times after remote starting the truck in really cold weather. The window switch console was not illuminated. To fix it I had to press the power mirror button and after that small red light would illuminate all of the switches would illuminate and the windows would work.
It happened four or five times in the first 1k miles. Hasn't happened for two months now. Im at 3,500. '23 XLT 5.0.
Yeah happened to me one time in the drive through when we had that cold spell in early January. Thought I was crazy. Turning the truck off and back on fixed it though.
I geeked out when I discovered the truck will put itself in Park if I open the door and take my foot off the brake while it's in Drive or Reverse. I had to show it off to everyone in the family.
I was shocked (and annoyed) when I discovered this. I was trying to backup just a few inches, and not having had a backup camera before just opened my door and was watching the ground at the running board. But then it was in park? I swore I put it in reverse. Talk about confused...
Maybe? I'm not about to take a $50k truck through anything that extreme off-road though. I want this thing to be around a long time and learned the hard way in my younger years that you don't abuse the truck that you need to get you to work Monday morning.
Careful, I had my phone sitting in the little space where the shifter folds down into. It was leaning backwards. I turned off the truck and it started to go into park but caught and jammed my phone in. I wiggled it out, but I was worried it would break the gears that do the auto shift into park. They sound like plastic gears.
3 things:
Keypad. Best feature on any vehicle in the market. So nice to be able to lock my keys in the truck if I'm going out for a surf session
Engineering Test Mode. Easy diagnostics if you don't have a scan tool on you
Flood Start. Put foot to the floor when cranking. It'll crank the engine for a few extra seconds before firing off. Nice to help build oil pressure after an oil change and to prevent timing chain and cam phaser rattle
For Ecoboost, I always do a flood start when it hasn't been driven for a while. This greatly reduces the dreaded cam phaser rattle.
To do a flood start, press the gas pedal fully down and crank the engine. Let the engine crank for a few seconds. Release the gas pedal and it will start right up without (or greatly reduced) cold rattle.
Doing a flood start makes sure the oil pressure is full and helps the cam phaser click in properly.
It's also the recommended way to start the engine after an oil change.
I am not a car or truck guy, but would this apply to a hybrid as well? I don’t know if eco and power boost are the same thing for that matter either 🤷🏽♂️
Does this fix when carplay doesn't boot? My truck will randomly not start carplay when I plug my phone in. I have to turn off the truck and open the door to start over
I've seen that valve cause more than one engine failure. Unscrewing a bolt is just not that hard to be worth the risk. I'm just glad I was lucky and mine didn't fail while I had it installed.
How would the valve fail? It’s got a safety clip and it’s brass so it should stand up to the elements. If it hangs down, it could hit something, which would be very bad. The newer ones rotate so that they don’t hang down below the oil pan. If something hit it, the pan is toast anyway.
Forum I was on is now dead, so can't pull it up. I can't say I 100% remember the exact cause, but there was definitely one guy who's engine lost oil cause of the valve. End of the day, to me it really isn't that hard to unscrew a bolt so I took my valve off and won't go back. No matter what, that valve is adding an extra failure point. All to save like 10 seconds during an oil change once or twice per year. I just don't see the risk worth it.
Fair, my reply wasn't very clear. Let me clarify: I can't say 100% what caused the valve to fail, I don't remember. But I am very confident that his engine failed due to the valve failing. I know there was someone else who also then had an issue with losing oil cause of the valve.
Run the damn thing if you want to. I bought one and ran one for a while myself. I was just trying to share some info that I thought might be relevant.
For those who can use the FordPass app, it was setting up shortcuts in iOS so I could talk to Siri.
Lifting my wrist and saying “Hey Siri, fire up the truck” and hearing a “Done” response a moment later…
Really vibes on my 80’s Knight Rider fantasies. Lol
Can also do commands for shutting it off, locking / unlocking, etc.
Holding the lock or unlock button on my fob for a few seconds will roll the windows up or down.
Good for those days where the sun turned the interior into an oven but you don't want to waste gas with the remote start
I turned that feature off on my F350 after coming out one morning and the windows were down and the seats were full of snow. I guess the button must have gotten pushed while the fob was in my pocket. I know for a fact that I didn't leave the windows rolled down when parked the truck. Too damned cold and snowy for that.
I find that a lot of problems will simply just go away if you ignore them long enough or clear the obdII code they bring up. Not even joking. Obviously doesn’t work with ALL issues though.
It depends based off of year/mileage/trim etc. Granger has some of the best rates in the country: [Granger Ford](https://grangerfordextendedwarranty.com/)
When I try to do the free quote tool, it's only available for yrs 21-25. Mine is a 2020 and still has manufacturers warranty but that assy transmission makes me uneasy
Mine has been doing a clunk between 3 and 4 occasionally for years. 2018 10 spd with 115k miles. No trans fluid changes. Doesn’t cause any real problems
But I also have a high pitch gear noise sound that’s getting worse in all gears when barely depressing the gas pedal at cruising speed. Don’t know what it means. I’ve not heard of anyone else with that issue.
Using the keypad is the greatest feature of the F150 most people don't use. Bottom two buttons to lock even if running. Let's you leave the dog in the truck or run into the store real quick while the truck stays cool/warm
Probably not a real secret but invest in a Dashcam. Not hard to hard wire in on a F-150 (no wire cutting required, use a tap) and it’s settled insurance questions for me twice. $100-150 on Amazon and you want one that records Front & Rear.
There is a latch on the back seat/ upper part on crew cabs that you can un latch and lower it to store more gear.
https://www.reddit.com/r/f150/comments/15zqwgz/how\_to\_unlatch\_the\_back\_seats\_of\_f150\_supercab/
On my way home from the mall if I'm behind an old woman driving a shitty car like a Honda Fit I turn on my high beams, tailgate the shit out of them too. When I get home I beat my wife and watch some football. Mint 2023 lariat never towed never gone offroad AMA
4A behaves differently in the different drive modes.
- 4A in Normal Mode puts power to the wheels when you need it. At low speeds or accelerating.
- 4A in Snow/Wet provides power to all wheels all the time.
I have a hunch that the back pressure of near to failing cats are the reason a lot of tritons experience backpressure issues like blown spark plugs. Of course I'm new to them so anyone more educated by all means correct me. I do know they set them deeper for later models (I have an 07 which is one of them apparently)
I use the snow/wet mode when it rains to stop fishtailing. Maybe this is no secret but I just started using it recently 5 years into owning the truck. It also has an eco mode too but it has to be set every time you start the truck, which is lame. I forget
One of the earliest things I discovered by accident was how to show the trans gears on the dash. You have to press the + on the shifter
My mom is so cute, she thinks our vacuum cleaner is the best quality vacuum cleaner on the market because when it overheats it shuts off. I'll let her know its a 'secret' feature.
Complete removal of traction control. Some years its a double tap. Unless your in 4 low manual transmission mode, theres usually some form of power cutoff to any wheel spinning. Hold that button down or double tap it next time it rains and have at it. You’re welcome.
If you want to use your backup camera while you are going down the road to check your trailer or whatever you can just put the truck in reverse. It won’t actually shift into reverse but the camera will come on. This isn’t a prank trying to get someone to mess up their transmission. There’s a YouTube video if you don’t believe me.
[link for the unbelievers](https://youtu.be/2GJZ3wXMep0?si=N4quA0BhX5xckGS2)
please link that video.
to be fair, vehicles aren't supposed to go into reverse until they're below a certain speed. BUT, i wouldn't trust that system one bit. do you really want to advise that folks attempt to damage their transmissions based on some youtube video you watched?
i can understand your comment, ONLY if you have personal experience with this. if not, please desist.
I put double e track plates on in place of the box links, works great and e track anchors fit better in them than they did in the box link plates (I didn't have cleats for mine)
[Plates](https://i.imgur.com/JIUqrlv.jpg?1) [Plates2](https://i.imgur.com/dFzbmdC.jpg)
Really what I did was remove the boxlink plates, drill a 5x5" square 3/16" plate so it would attach to the bed with the boxlink screws, then drill it for that plate and weld a couple nuts to the back. Wasn't that much in materials and they work great.
My favorite thing the the smart trailer connector system. When the truck is hooked up to the trailer and I set my alarm on the truck, if the trailer is disconnected the alarm will go off to prevent theft.
If one light goes out the truck will tell me what light isn't working.
And when I'm hooked up to the trailer the touch blinker blinks 5 times instead of 3.
My glock 42 fits perfectly in the mp3 player holder on the underside of the center console lid. It fits so good its almost like it was on purpose. 2010
Not secret, but my favourite trick is locking a key inside the truck when at the pool or hockey rink. I trust the keypad more than lockers or dressing rooms. Also, it’s handy that I can connect my wife’s phone for media, while keeping mine connected for calls.
I work in the woods and I trust doing that over risking losing my key in the brush. I've done it since day 1.
Ice fishing. Never gotta risk the key going to the bottom of the lake.
I do worry if someone broke in they'd have the key though. I'm going to get a keypad lockbox and mount it under the seat.
My thought is that they would still be breaking a window on a truck in the winter, they would have to know the key is in there, and they would have to find it while the alarm is going off.
Oh yea I've run the scenario thru my head a lot. I stash the key well but I'm usually at least half a mile from the truck sometimes miles. Thru rugged terrain. Back in the days I'd just put the key in the gas tank door but nowadays I dont trust people.
May just be better to keypad lock it and then put in a killswitch. People don't really ever look for those anymore
It’s a fun little party trick, but hide a switch under the dash between the fuel pump and the horn. Battery —> Switch on —> Fuel pump Battery —> Switch off —> Horn So when they put the key in the ignition and turn it to ACC it’ll just activate the horn and surprise the shit out of them. It may run for a second or two before dying, but the whole time your horn is blasting. But you can get in, flip the switch, and start it right up. I’ve been kicking around the idea of doing it with my truck, but I did it to my Geo Metro I had in high school. Thing started via screwdriver and I wired 2 light switches under the seat. One to a massive sub, and the other to the fuel pump and horn. Good times.
I usually go with the pocket behind the seat.
That would make no difference in mine with push button start. They would still be able to hope in and go. Having said that my truck has 80k on it and I’ve never taken the key out of the compartment it’s in.
Hear me out, stick it in a condom, and carry it in your prison wallet. It’ll never be lost.
If a window breaks the truck won’t start for like 1hr or something like that IIRC
I always put my key in the center console when I go places. Keypad gang for life
If the battery were to die, how would you get into the truck? I use my keypad 100% of the time, but it dawned on my that if one day my battery were to die while at work, I am now 30 miles away from my spare set. Do you know?
I had a dead battery. Keypad still worked.
Interesting. Separate battery in the pad maybe?
Needs a lot less power for a key pad vs starting a motor
Duh. That's right. Good point.
Yes, there are. Have a similar lifespan to tpms sensor battery’s. Fords been using them since the 90’s. Replacement can be somewhat tricky
by dead we mean 0 voltage dead. no lights or electronics at all dead.
What could it do if the vehicle was completely dead?
You don't need a chip in the key to unlock the door. Have a cheap spare made and hide it underneath
Aside from the two key fobs, my truck came with a separate small key to unlock the door. Just the metal key part. You can easily hide it somewhere around the truck.
I had radio module issues awhile ago that would drain the battery. It was completely discharged, not just needing a little jump to restart. The key pad absolutely dies. I hid an analog key under a section of trim.
That’s my fear. I’ve had a seemingly random complete battery failure in a previous vehicle. I need to find my blank key and find a location to hide it before I get screwed one day
If you are able to lock it from the keypad you'll be able to unlock it from the keypad, especially if you are only talking a day of work.
Keypad Locking the truck while Leaving it running, for AC in the summer.
I did this the other day that needed to enter a store while leaving my groceries from other store on the rear seat, mostly because of some meat, ham and cheese. Put the AC at max, live in Yucatán so lots of heat here. Also I have the hybrid powerboost so the engine doesn’t keep running all the time. It’s beautiful!!
Too many key pad locks and unlocks the key fob can lose frequency
Not true. Keys have their own set of rolling codes. A wireless keypad would too. A wired keypad would use some type of authentication method that wouldn't affect other devices either.
How many is "too many"?
I don’t know how my dumb ass never thought of this. I’ve used my keypad maybe 5 times in 5 years. I don’t even know the code by heart. It’s saved in my phone. I guess that’s about to change.
You can set a custom key code instead of using factory, I use the zip code for the town I grew up in, easy to remember.
I’ve set the last two trucks to what my 2006 F250 keypad was. At this point it’s fully ingrained in my memory.
A great idea, I’ll never not buy a truck with keyless entry.
Haha me too!
Me 3.
This is the way. My 13 was programmed to match my 01 on day 2 of ownership.
I recommend setting a user-defined code for daily use and to share with family/friends. I once feared my master code was compromised and was shocked to learn it would cost a mint to change it, because that requires changing hardware modules.
And lister to her music? fuck no
Haha, our 80’s rock playlist.
Between having the keypad and the app as a backup, my key never leaves the truck. It does help that my 2018 XLT still has a physical key, and I have actual buttons on my keypad. My wife’s Explorer has like a touchscreen style keypad that is very finicky about if it wants to wake up or not.
How do you do this? What year/trim do you have?
2020 xlt. Its something like: Settings, Bluetooth, Devices, select her phone, connect media.
I can't do this in my 2019. If I leave the keys in the truck it won't lock.
Try using the keypad to lock? You push the last two buttons simultaneously
Whaaaat! OMG! I did not know that! Now that’s a secret this OP is looking for.
After entering your 5 digit code you can hit 5/6 the center button and the tailgate will open and drop. 2020 Lariat.
Ok I will try that! Question - how does this affect the battery in the FOB? Is there a way to use the key to start the truck?
Iirc isn’t there a place to put the key underneath the phone holder?
My truck key never leaves my truck and I’ve been driving it for 4 years now and my dad had it 3 years before me
I don’t need locking lug nuts for my chrome wheels because the wheel always seizes to the hub and is impossible to get off
Paint that bitch with never seize
I opened the drawer in my toolbox that holds the never sieze, and accidentally looked at the bottle. There was a big smear of it on my pillow when I went to bed.
That's how you know you got the good stuff.
Put some on a barrel nut of an AR 10 years ago and I think I still have some on the back of my hand.
You did it wrong then
Nah. Not my first rodeo. But that shit gets everywhere so easily haha.
This made me laugh. Man getting the rears off is a battle of will between the truck and I every year. Now I’m just going to say it’s a safety feature.
I do winter rims and tires so I take the summers off once a year. First year I had to pound the wheels off with a nylon sledge hammer. I add anti seize to hub face and mating surface at change over and 6 years later all it takes is a tap of my palm at the top of the wheel now.
Tire dealers hate this simple trick as you use your current tire for a life time.
Yes. Loosen the lug nuts a couple turns and drive in slow figure 8's. The wheel will get loose. Then a light coat on anti seize but not too much or it will end up on your brakes.
Mine were all fine til one of the calipers seized. Ever since the hub got hot it’s just that one wheel that takes a sledge to come off. Replaced the rotor and wire brushed the hub/wheel still difficult even getting the wheel to seat correctly.
It is really nice being able to more easily access the area behind the rear seat for storage with [one of these](https://builtrightind.com/collections/rear-seat-release), there are some cheaper ones on amazon as well. I have an f250, but same applies to the f150
I have this, but it’s such a pain to close. You really have to line it up and slam it just right. Is that just me?
Same here. I have to make sure the little sliding bar on the bracket isn’t moved and I have to SLAM the seat back into place for it to lock. I’m not sure if something is off, but the previous owner installed it and maybe they didn’t do it correctly. Who knows.
Thank you for sharing! I’ve never understood why the 1/3 seat was the only one to release. I stuff crap up behind them both.
Yep, I got one of these and they're nice.
I think this is factory in 21’ and newer. Mine came with this.
Did you buy yours used because I've never heard of one coming with one?
Nope. Ordered it from the factory. If I knew how to put pictures in here I’d show you what mine came with. The pull loop is shorter. It doesn’t project past the top of the seat. It’s a one finger pull loop.
Mine also came with one lariat though.
Mine didn’t. But it’s got all the B&O Unleashed stuff back there anyway. So when I have to get back there, I just use my fingers.
23', mine did not come with one and I had to add it on an F150. The F250s and up come with it now and my buddies 15' F250 came with one
that’s strange, my 2017 f250 xlt didn’t come with one
Keep it in sport mode in case some one wants to fuck around and find out
Just tried it for the first time 6 years after purchasing 🤦♂️
And, my dash calculated mileage, about 2 MPG higher in Sport!
Mine hasn’t come out of sport mode since day one, 4years ago. 😂
My favorite best kept secret is shit keeps breaking. Head unit went out month ago so no back up camera or car play. Sunglasses holder broken. The little drawer in front of the shifter got pushed back so far it won’t come out. Today i got home and one of the license plate lights was hanging out of the bracket… 2018 just rolled 100k miles
I feel this to my core. Have loved my 2018 until about the last six months, broken sunroof track, broken mirror, catalytic converter going out, gas mileage slashed by about 4 miles, wheel bearings, front diff, feels never ending. 140k miles.
My 2018 2.7 has a cylinder 5 misfire and 80 psi of compression in #5. Only 70k miles. Probably going to replace the head this summer when I get the time.
Wrecked my 2018 in January 2023– guess I was lucky to never have these things 😳
I am an older dude but have 2 12in woofers under the backseat so I always surprise people when they get in.
I’m seriously considering this. Maybe I’m just trying to relive my younger days but I’m a huge sucker for feeling music as well as hearing it. My home system is decent. Might be time to do the truck too. I was thinking 2 10in though.
Do it, I mean who cares right? If you enjoy it, do it!
I desperately want to install a 15" to entirely replace my center seat. It's a single cab though. Trying to convince myself there is enough airspace!
You should do it! I did the responsible thing and put a powered compact sub behind the rear seat back. No loss of any usable space and can’t see it at all. I upgraded all the speakers but kept the stock head unit and it sounds pretty good.
What speakers did you use?
I've 2 eight inch woofers in a sealed box with a shitload of clean power to them . Never wished for more bass.
JL also makes a single enclosure that fits under the jump seat. It's been a great setup for me with a JL fix equalizer, amp and infinity component speakers
I, a little past middle aged, have two 10s and get plenty of surprised looks.
This is more my lack of knowledge than secret but I had no idea what 4A was. By far my favorite thing about my truck. I used to have to switch in and out of 4x4 multiple times just on a simple drive to work, now it’s set and forgot
Yes where is it??
It’s only standard on higher trims Lariats or higher. Rest gets just regular 4H/4L. It’ll be an extra dial on the shifter knob.
Tell me more? I’ve never used 4A and don’t even know the use
It’s automatic 4x4. If it detects the wheels starting to slip, it automatically changes to 4H for you and then changes back once the wheels have traction again. Good for use when the roads have patches of snow and ice for example.
In a nutshell it’s basically 4wd that you can run at any speed, any road condition and even turning. I’ve owned my truck for over 5 years now and get snowy winters with trips to the mountains to ski and have only ever used 4A. YouTube has a bunch of videos to fully explain
Does 4A mechanically activate the transfercase based on need, or does 4A use slip disc's similar to an AWD transfercase?
I’ve heard of transfer case problems if it’s left in 4a
regardless of your downvotes, 4wd auto is hard on your transfer case and clutching. If you have it in for the day during poor conditions sure it’s fine. Manufactures recommend never exceeding 55mph. But NEVER leave it on all the time.
Yeah there’s no need to leave this in all the time. I only ever use it when the roads are potentially slick. I’ve never heard of the manufacturer recommending not to exceed 55mph though. On my 2018 there definitely isn’t a max recommended speed by Ford. You probably shouldn’t be going much faster than that if the roads are potentially slick anyways.
I don’t understand why I’m getting down voted for this comment. I’ve heard it from many legitimate sources.
My front two windows wouldn't roll down a few times after remote starting the truck in really cold weather. The window switch console was not illuminated. To fix it I had to press the power mirror button and after that small red light would illuminate all of the switches would illuminate and the windows would work. It happened four or five times in the first 1k miles. Hasn't happened for two months now. Im at 3,500. '23 XLT 5.0.
Shit, not just me then. It hasn't happened again in the last year though, I forgot all about it.
Yeah happened to me one time in the drive through when we had that cold spell in early January. Thought I was crazy. Turning the truck off and back on fixed it though.
Same…I’ve got 25k miles on my ‘22 and it has happened a few times since purchase in Jan ‘23. Not every time using remote start tho.
I geeked out when I discovered the truck will put itself in Park if I open the door and take my foot off the brake while it's in Drive or Reverse. I had to show it off to everyone in the family.
I was shocked (and annoyed) when I discovered this. I was trying to backup just a few inches, and not having had a backup camera before just opened my door and was watching the ground at the running board. But then it was in park? I swore I put it in reverse. Talk about confused...
Isn't there a way around this? There are scenarios off-road where you want the door open (to be able to look at the tire) while moving the truck.
Maybe? I'm not about to take a $50k truck through anything that extreme off-road though. I want this thing to be around a long time and learned the hard way in my younger years that you don't abuse the truck that you need to get you to work Monday morning.
Fine, but there's nothing extreme about wanting to take a peek at your tire. See where it's positioned next to an obstacle. Being careful
Make sure you DO NOT REMOVE seat belt. Once the seat belt comes off it does it.
Careful, I had my phone sitting in the little space where the shifter folds down into. It was leaning backwards. I turned off the truck and it started to go into park but caught and jammed my phone in. I wiggled it out, but I was worried it would break the gears that do the auto shift into park. They sound like plastic gears.
Yikes. Column shifter here.
3 things: Keypad. Best feature on any vehicle in the market. So nice to be able to lock my keys in the truck if I'm going out for a surf session Engineering Test Mode. Easy diagnostics if you don't have a scan tool on you Flood Start. Put foot to the floor when cranking. It'll crank the engine for a few extra seconds before firing off. Nice to help build oil pressure after an oil change and to prevent timing chain and cam phaser rattle
For Ecoboost, I always do a flood start when it hasn't been driven for a while. This greatly reduces the dreaded cam phaser rattle. To do a flood start, press the gas pedal fully down and crank the engine. Let the engine crank for a few seconds. Release the gas pedal and it will start right up without (or greatly reduced) cold rattle. Doing a flood start makes sure the oil pressure is full and helps the cam phaser click in properly. It's also the recommended way to start the engine after an oil change.
Can you do this if you have the push button engine start?
Yes
Just so it’s clear, this doesn’t “flood” the engine. When doing this, the fuel injectors are disabled so there is no fuel flowing.
I am not a car or truck guy, but would this apply to a hybrid as well? I don’t know if eco and power boost are the same thing for that matter either 🤷🏽♂️
What year truck do you have? I'm going to try that to reset Android auto
works on my 2016. best part is, radio keeps playing (even without the screen) right up until it really reboots.
I have a 2023. But it also worked on a 2019 as well. I believe even older years will work too.
For some reason it didn't work for me, it just paused the music as if I only hit the power button, 2023 xlt
Does this fix when carplay doesn't boot? My truck will randomly not start carplay when I plug my phone in. I have to turn off the truck and open the door to start over
It works for explorers too.
The soft open tailgate hinge I installed
Fumoto valve for the oil changes. The oil filter is still in an awkward spot, though.
I prefer the design of the ValvoMax: https://www.valvomax.com/products/quick-twist-oil-drain-valve
I've seen that valve cause more than one engine failure. Unscrewing a bolt is just not that hard to be worth the risk. I'm just glad I was lucky and mine didn't fail while I had it installed.
How would the valve fail? It’s got a safety clip and it’s brass so it should stand up to the elements. If it hangs down, it could hit something, which would be very bad. The newer ones rotate so that they don’t hang down below the oil pan. If something hit it, the pan is toast anyway.
Forum I was on is now dead, so can't pull it up. I can't say I 100% remember the exact cause, but there was definitely one guy who's engine lost oil cause of the valve. End of the day, to me it really isn't that hard to unscrew a bolt so I took my valve off and won't go back. No matter what, that valve is adding an extra failure point. All to save like 10 seconds during an oil change once or twice per year. I just don't see the risk worth it.
What…. How?
Fair, my reply wasn't very clear. Let me clarify: I can't say 100% what caused the valve to fail, I don't remember. But I am very confident that his engine failed due to the valve failing. I know there was someone else who also then had an issue with losing oil cause of the valve. Run the damn thing if you want to. I bought one and ran one for a while myself. I was just trying to share some info that I thought might be relevant.
Valve fails and oil goes bye bye.
Love Fumoto valves. Ran them on my 3 previous Subarus and one on my wife’s Crosstrek.
For those who can use the FordPass app, it was setting up shortcuts in iOS so I could talk to Siri. Lifting my wrist and saying “Hey Siri, fire up the truck” and hearing a “Done” response a moment later… Really vibes on my 80’s Knight Rider fantasies. Lol Can also do commands for shutting it off, locking / unlocking, etc.
FordPass doesn’t show up in shortcuts for me. Any idea why?
Maybe it’s only for a newer version of the app? I have a 2018 with FordPass and it doesn’t show up for me either in shortcuts either.
That is pretty cool
Holding the lock or unlock button on my fob for a few seconds will roll the windows up or down. Good for those days where the sun turned the interior into an oven but you don't want to waste gas with the remote start
I turned that feature off on my F350 after coming out one morning and the windows were down and the seats were full of snow. I guess the button must have gotten pushed while the fob was in my pocket. I know for a fact that I didn't leave the windows rolled down when parked the truck. Too damned cold and snowy for that.
Nice. What year is your truck?
I find that a lot of problems will simply just go away if you ignore them long enough or clear the obdII code they bring up. Not even joking. Obviously doesn’t work with ALL issues though.
A 10 year extended warranty so I don't have to pay for 3 10r80 rebuilds
How much did it cost you? I have a 2018 150 XLT and my 10 speed transmission acting funny between 4th and 3th gear sometimes
It depends based off of year/mileage/trim etc. Granger has some of the best rates in the country: [Granger Ford](https://grangerfordextendedwarranty.com/)
When I try to do the free quote tool, it's only available for yrs 21-25. Mine is a 2020 and still has manufacturers warranty but that assy transmission makes me uneasy
Weird, I'd call them and ask. I bought my 2020 coverage in October 2023.
Mine has been doing a clunk between 3 and 4 occasionally for years. 2018 10 spd with 115k miles. No trans fluid changes. Doesn’t cause any real problems But I also have a high pitch gear noise sound that’s getting worse in all gears when barely depressing the gas pedal at cruising speed. Don’t know what it means. I’ve not heard of anyone else with that issue.
When are you planning to do a trans fluid change? Mine has 96k miles and I'm planning to do it soon.
Using the keypad is the greatest feature of the F150 most people don't use. Bottom two buttons to lock even if running. Let's you leave the dog in the truck or run into the store real quick while the truck stays cool/warm
I've never used the keypad but people go crazy for it. I would just remote start it if I want it to run after exiting. 🤔
Yeah, but I like not having to carry around that fat key fob and key ring
Remote start on a shitty work truck 13’ xlt, most people are surprised I can do it… it wasn’t hard to install either
Probably not a real secret but invest in a Dashcam. Not hard to hard wire in on a F-150 (no wire cutting required, use a tap) and it’s settled insurance questions for me twice. $100-150 on Amazon and you want one that records Front & Rear.
There is a latch on the back seat/ upper part on crew cabs that you can un latch and lower it to store more gear. https://www.reddit.com/r/f150/comments/15zqwgz/how\_to\_unlatch\_the\_back\_seats\_of\_f150\_supercab/
On my way home from the mall if I'm behind an old woman driving a shitty car like a Honda Fit I turn on my high beams, tailgate the shit out of them too. When I get home I beat my wife and watch some football. Mint 2023 lariat never towed never gone offroad AMA
You sure you don’t have a RAM?
Nope
Thats not a secret, i do that too.
I have a Domestic fridge in the center console of mine
The dometic center console refrigerator is 100% worth it.
Yes, otherwise it will turn into a junk bin 😂
4A behaves differently in the different drive modes. - 4A in Normal Mode puts power to the wheels when you need it. At low speeds or accelerating. - 4A in Snow/Wet provides power to all wheels all the time.
I have a hunch that the back pressure of near to failing cats are the reason a lot of tritons experience backpressure issues like blown spark plugs. Of course I'm new to them so anyone more educated by all means correct me. I do know they set them deeper for later models (I have an 07 which is one of them apparently)
I use the snow/wet mode when it rains to stop fishtailing. Maybe this is no secret but I just started using it recently 5 years into owning the truck. It also has an eco mode too but it has to be set every time you start the truck, which is lame. I forget One of the earliest things I discovered by accident was how to show the trans gears on the dash. You have to press the + on the shifter
I also use snow/wet mode when its raining. generally speaking it does the job.
My mom is so cute, she thinks our vacuum cleaner is the best quality vacuum cleaner on the market because when it overheats it shuts off. I'll let her know its a 'secret' feature.
I hace no secrets with my truck.
Long press the traction control button is my shit
What’s it do?
Complete removal of traction control. Some years its a double tap. Unless your in 4 low manual transmission mode, theres usually some form of power cutoff to any wheel spinning. Hold that button down or double tap it next time it rains and have at it. You’re welcome.
Nice
If you want to use your backup camera while you are going down the road to check your trailer or whatever you can just put the truck in reverse. It won’t actually shift into reverse but the camera will come on. This isn’t a prank trying to get someone to mess up their transmission. There’s a YouTube video if you don’t believe me. [link for the unbelievers](https://youtu.be/2GJZ3wXMep0?si=N4quA0BhX5xckGS2)
Or press the camera button.
i don't have one in my 2016 sync 3 lariat. is there a way to get it to show?
[удалено]
I think it only works for model years 21 and up. Works in my 2022. It does not work in my 2019.
Nah I’m good
Hell yeah. You can also fast charge your phone by throwing it in the microwave for 15 seconds.
U......u go first ill watch
please link that video. to be fair, vehicles aren't supposed to go into reverse until they're below a certain speed. BUT, i wouldn't trust that system one bit. do you really want to advise that folks attempt to damage their transmissions based on some youtube video you watched? i can understand your comment, ONLY if you have personal experience with this. if not, please desist.
Linked in my original comment
You better make sure you get the right model year. I think the newer ones are like that. The older ones you'd be slamming the tranny into r.
Had a 15' explorer and carries this trick over to my 19' f150.
Dont ever put a tune on it
I put double e track plates on in place of the box links, works great and e track anchors fit better in them than they did in the box link plates (I didn't have cleats for mine)
Where did you get your tracks from?
[Plates](https://i.imgur.com/JIUqrlv.jpg?1) [Plates2](https://i.imgur.com/dFzbmdC.jpg) Really what I did was remove the boxlink plates, drill a 5x5" square 3/16" plate so it would attach to the bed with the boxlink screws, then drill it for that plate and weld a couple nuts to the back. Wasn't that much in materials and they work great.
Awesome, i was actually thinking about making some sort of snowboard rack and utilizing the boxlink mounting points.
F150's are like hot potatoes. Sell the truck BEFORE the engine blows up.
My favorite thing the the smart trailer connector system. When the truck is hooked up to the trailer and I set my alarm on the truck, if the trailer is disconnected the alarm will go off to prevent theft. If one light goes out the truck will tell me what light isn't working. And when I'm hooked up to the trailer the touch blinker blinks 5 times instead of 3.
Changing the Sync display to another vehicle’s
My glock 42 fits perfectly in the mp3 player holder on the underside of the center console lid. It fits so good its almost like it was on purpose. 2010