Hey I was wondering if anyone has some advice for me on these trucks.. I am seriously considering buying one but have been told they are expensive to fix.. I am a first time truck buyer, please help.

 

Welcome to FTE boss604 Best advice is to know the vehicle and what to look for. Understand that when you read through the forum, most users found FTE after a problem. Have you found a truck in particular or just looking?

 

my 2006 has been great. normal stuff. as with any car,truck, boat. nothing is cheep to fix. a diesel from any of the major 3 will not be cheep to fix. they all have issues.

 

Yeah I have found a truck it is a 2006 f-350 6.0L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel with 188,000 km.. Am really interested in but I am really worried about buying a can of worms, I cant afford to have huge problems in my vehicle. A buddy of mine said he has some sort of chip reader for the '06 and you can view past history on modifcations to the engine which would kind of give me some sort of idea of whether or not its gonna be problems.

 

sorry but no such tool. if there really was the dealers would be handing them out.

 

Boss 604, you never gave a reason for wanting a diesel. Is it for towing, heavy hauling or because you want one?

 

Well I will be pulling my jetskis in the summer. But it is gonna be a daily driver.

 

Ultimately the decision is yours, for a daily driver light towing and the concerns you expressed, a gasser would fit your need. Fuel prices in my area are once again on the upward swing, that does influence the equation of overall cost of ownership.

 

Love my 2006 PSD. Ill never own a gas truck as long as I can help it.

 

If you don't need it, don't buy it. A mini-van will transport jet skis and you do not want the risk of significant out-of-warranty costs.
-mike

 

how much is it , is it from a dealer, is it certified (safety check) , is it a Lariat or what,did you do a background oasis check report on it, did you drive it much on the highway, in 4x4? Gigger

 

Unless money is not a concern you don't need the extra maint. cost of the diesel for what you are using it for. If you should have some major repairs, you will have a heart attack.

 

6.0L is not for the faint of heart. In my area, San francisco Bay Area, price quote for EGR cooler replacement is $4K. Head Gasket repair $8K. These are common problems. If you can not afford these kind of repairs, I would not buy this truck. Love my truck, but it has been a lot of work.

 

Well I went and looked at two different trucks today at a used truck dealership. The first one was an '06 F-350 6.0L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel Crew Cab Short Box with 188000km which looked cleaned bodywise no major dents or dings the chasis was clean wasnt full of mud just the usual minor surface rust. There was black spray paint black used under the wheel wells (I'm geussing the lot did it for appearance?). Opened it up and the interior looked clean, no rips or stains, headliner was fine, overall pretty clean inside. Popped the hood and immediately spotted an aftermarket airfilter and I have heard that the stock filters are great (would be dust, dirt, etc.. in the turbo from changing the filter?). Other that that the engine looked clean. Went to start it up (3°C) got a little rumble and nothing recycled the ignition and tried again.. same thing (Could be a FICM problem or possibly the glow plugs?).

The second truck was an '06 F-350 6.0L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel Crew Cab Long Box with 166000km which also looked really clean bodywise. Lined up nicely from front to back, no dents or dings, minor scuff on the front left bumper. Underneath the chasis looked great, again there was no major rust or tons of mud (No goofy black spray paint under the wells). Took a look inside and the interior again was very clean (looks like the previous owner probably had some seat covers). Popped the hood and the engine looked realllly nice, was glad to see a stock airfilter. Went to start it (3°C) and it started up perfect. About a minute or so in it kicked in the high idle perfectly (right around 1000RPM)got out and took a listen to the engine, everything sounded fine there was a little rattle infront of the alternator where the belt wraps around there. I just took a dab of snow and put it on the belt and it immediately went away (little soapy warm watter would fix that?). Took her for a cruise turbo sounded great, RPM's seemed fine, when I floored it she was running about 3200RPM is that about right? Although I did notice when the wheels were straight the steering wheel was slanted slighty to the right, which when driving made it seem like I was drifting to the left trying to keep the wheel straight (alignment problem?). Also there was very, very faint rattle in the transmission when you hit about 35-40km/h (needs to be flushed or something more major?) but overall it ran great...and they do offer a Lubrico Superior Package.

What do you think?

 

Wow, I am not sure what you are hearing and feeling, but I wouldn't go anywhere near the first or second truck. The after market air cleaner is a warning sign on the first one and the second sounds way different than my truck with 112K miles on it. I have never heard a rattle in my transmission. I would also be concerned with the alignment problems. I am not sure what you mean with the snow comment. Just my opinion.......