Hi all,

I've been wondering if anyone has a comprehensive guide to inspecting any vehicle (but particularly an Ex) before investing in one.

I have seen a bunch of Scotty's videos and ChrisFix's, along with multiple checklists I found online, such as those given by DMV, pomcar or chrisfix's.

And many also advise using OBDII/module checking electronic equipments such as BlueDriver, FOXWELL, FORscan etc.

Are there any ways to complement both visual/auditory inspection and electronic codes together? I know that some codes given from within the engine like the O2 sensor, lean/rich, short term fuel trim are useful to identifying the health of the engine.. what other codes or live data would someone (especially a mechanic) look out for? For example, are the transmission diagnostic tool offered by FOXWELL essential if we are able to test drive the car regardless?

I'm thinking of getting the BlueDriver and complementing it with a FOXWELL/LAUNCH X431 scanner for future usage. .I think any around the price range of $100-$200 serves pretty well right?

And, to be honest, I'm treating this as a way to learn but also to find bargains online, so i'm actually looking for Ex's at nice prices with some defects which are quick/cheap fixes (battery, CV joint, A/C etc)

If there's any mechanics here or anyone who's well-versed in the art of inspection willing to spout some wisdom, that would be awesome!

I'm pretty sure many, like me, are interested in understanding more about the machine! Who knows maybe this thread could be a great reference to many others looking to buy an Ex (or any other vehicles)!

sources: https://www.dmv.org/buy-sell/used-ca...eet.php#Engine
https://www.chris-fix.com/upload/How...%20%20FULL.pdf
https://pomcar.com/how-it-works/

https://www.amazon.com/FOXWELL-NT614-Elite-Transmission-Maintenance/dp/B07VV9CRY7/ref=pd_ybh_a_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FCW09E2 DADYWGKHY77YN

 

OBD won't tell you much unless it is a CA truck, the Ex is pretty much OBD1 in a OBD2 wrapper. you need dedicated ford protocols though, mode $6 is helpful

pull on things, push on things, just generally look everything over really well. about all you can do

 

confused by the statement that the OBD wont tell you anything? With Forscan lite and Torque Pro, with my bluetooth OBD2 adapter on my android it tell you about everything you need to know for my 2003 6.0. No scanner tells you everything...

Look at the tie rod ends, suspension, play in ball joints, and rockers... Excursions are notorious for bad rockers, especially in the rust belt area. Make sure also when looking at one, especially a diesel the engine is cold when you look at it and not warmed up, so you can check the smoothness of the engine how it turns over with the jumper wire under the hood. Watch this video... at 5:20 ish into ththe video it explains.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-or-obdii.html

i can see lots of things too with forscan, but it isn't true OBDII, at least my 2000 v10 isn't

 

Thanks for the tips guys.

I was doing some research and I'm particularly fascinated with this whole thing about understanding and interpreting live data so you could know whether everything is working.

Is there anyone here that can point me to a resource or table that shows what the optimal range of values the data should be? Or do I have to purchase a subscription with a company like alldata.com? I would do so if it's not in the hunnys.

 

Does anyone have the PID values for ford excursion? specifically the typical reference values as shown in this post (but for other models): https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...meter-ids.html

 

just get something that has ford protocols........