2003 Excursiom 4x4 Limited
I really need your expert advice since this may be my first Diesel. Please evaluate photos. I did a road test drive about 25 miles. Runs and drives great. Torque Pro app only showed coolant temp at 188. Would not show oil temp. Hard to cold start. New injectors. Has a programmer. Thanks for any help before buying. He is asking 12K. It has 209K miles.
It belongs to a friend of mine and he rarely drives it. It stays under a cover most of the time.

 

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be hard on you, I'm trying to make sure you don't get ripped off by not knowing what to look for:

I spy a non original oil filter cap, which is a bad thing. Also an aftermarket intake filter, which can lead to turbo and/or cylinder wall dusting (failure). You can pull the intake tube and look at the turbo vanes to get an idea of filtration quality.
Oil temp should have displayed. Either you have it programmed incorrectly or the sensor is not working. The hard to start issue can be lots of things. Any codes? Is it hard to start when warm, or easier?
What kind (or at least color) coolant is in the reservoir? Is it oily?
Look up the cost of a new driver's seat on car-part.com to see what it will cost to re-cover that on your own.
ALL new injectors? Why did it need injectors?
What tuner?
Why is the top of the brake fluid reservoir so nasty? Does it need to be topped off often?
I can't tell from the photo, but it looks like the passenger mirror amber lens might be cracked/broken. These are not too cheap to replace - I think about $100 for the pair, and you often can't buy singles unless you find junkyard parts.

 

On hard to start I would think the HPOP(High Pressure Oil pump). I would offer 8. Understand the hard to start issues need proper diagnosis, Its not a easy repair. The HPOP sits in the valley of the engine.

Good Point on K&N filter air.

 

Hard to start cold could also be GPCM, FICM or glow plugs and or gp cable. You need some more data. Personally with what has been listed so far, here and above, I would walk unless you don't mind possibly? spending another 5 grand or more. You also need to see engine and tranny service records.

 

"Has a programmer" which brand? Some were not very compatible with the transmissions.

Maybe new injectors due to bad FICM? Should check the FICM power with the Torque APP.

 

These are good questions that NEED to be answered if you want to make a smart purchase. And everything mattdoc88 has stated is true. Also, I would want to know why the coolant overflow tank has been wiped down but not the brake fluid reservoir or anyother parts of the engine? Interesting.......

 

He changed all injectors because he thought it may help the hard start problem when cold. It starts fine when warm. I didn't check the coolant color. No codes. I could not figure out how to read FICM on the Torqued Pro app.

 

Sounds like he was throwing parts at it without proper analysis. Very expensive habit on modern diesels. It would be cheaper in the long run to pay a qualified 6.0 mechanic to get it right the first time.

 

The guys are being honest, the vehicle looks to be in stock form except for the oil filter, air filter. See if still has the original. I could drop an easy $1,000 to repair the seat, fluid changes and new batteries. Tires look decent and appears to be a dent in the front fender.

Follow up with info on the programmer and anything else you can relay. If you know the truck, that makes it a little better on the purchase.

 

Aftermarket oil filter caps aren't guaranteed to cause problems, it might be ok the first change but later if a new filter is mismatched with the cap that it's a for-sure issue. Since the risk of a mix-and-match increases with each filter change, an OEM cap and a filter with the correct patent numbers on it are the only way to be "safe" each time.

If you like it, have $1-2k extra to do some minor updating and all the maintenance, and another $1-2k in the first year after spending some real time to separate and diagnose the known issues, it could be a great truck. They aren't making them anymore, so if you want into the Excursion platform taking a risk on a used motor is the only way in.

It's an owner-friendly engine to work on, even if you don't have a lot of mechanical experience. The real savings come from spending the time on diagnostics instead of throwing in parts, and we can help out with a lot of info and support.

 

Thus my statement about having an extra 5 grand to spend. This is not a plug and play purchase by a long shot.

 

I am attaching a link to a you tube video of the start issue. Please let me know what you think.

 

....did he really say "carburetor" at 1:17? < facepalm>

You can verify fuel really easily. Remove the secondary fuel filter housing cover and absorb the fuel in the bowl with a shop towel. Turn the key to Key On/Engine Off (KOEO) aka the glow plug cycle, and the bowl should fill with fuel rapidly, in a couple of seconds. If its full when you open it and it refills correctly, it's likely not a fuel pump problem.

There was a running change in 2005 that added a fuel line trap to stop the secondary housing from draining back to the tank, so it is a valid concern on earlier engines. If you do the test above and suspect draining back really is the problem (no fuel when you open the filter), before you try starting the engine the next time cycle the key to KOEO until the fuel pump shuts off, and repeat 3-4 times (~20 seconds after turning the key, you'll hear the pump stop and fuel flow noise at the filter housing will stop). That's usually enough to flush out air in the fuel lines, and the filter housing automatically purges air from the system.

This cover, 24mm socket. Do NOT use the 1/2" square drive plug, it tends to crack the cap:

 

Yes he did Bryan. I wouldn't trust much of what he says.

 

Well if it isn't the carburetor it has to be the spark plugs!!