Looking into buying a 2005 Excursion 6.0L PSD 2wd Eddie Bauer edition w/ 110K miles (2nd row capt and interior is outstanding). All I have to do is sign the paperwork, trading in my 2008 Ram 1500 w/ 50K miles for this tank. Is this a good idea, or am I going to kick myself later. Have 2013 Rockwood 8312SS bunkhouse TT that if maxed out would be 8800lbs. Current truck pulls it w/o any problems but I am on the verge of exceeding my max tow and GCVWR. Have 3 little ones and would a blessing to have them a little father back...if you know what I mean.

The carfax for the 05 EX looks clean and listed as a corporate registration, and seems to have been serviced by the Ford dealer often (mostly checkups and oil changes). I have never owned a diesel but it would be used mostly for pulling the trailer and seems to have been used for pulling something in the past since it has firestone bags underneath.

What are your thoughts....Good or bad?

Price $18900 what we settled on anyway

Thanks for any thoughts you might have...
Aaron
Price is $18900

 

If the 100k service was NOT done you will want to ensure all
fluids are changed.

The issue then becomes whether the oil cooler gets clogged
(or is already) and that is one of the 6.0's more common issues.

You should get a scangauge2 (or other ODBII "gauge") and
monitor the engine oil and coolant temps.

You will likely need a new thermostat in order to truly tell
cause if the engine coolant doesn't reach 190 you can't measure
the delta (from oil to coolant).

Go over to the 6.0 forum and read the info on there about
what to check for.

Also if 4x4 vs 2wd there are more things to maintain/check.

 

I love my 05 2wd Ex, just took a 1600 mile trip and it ran perfectly. If the history is good and well maintained go for it. If you can buy a reputable extended service plan I would budget that in, diesels are more expensive to fix than gassers.

 

I love my 2005, but I HAVE spent a lot of money on it to make it reliable. I pull about 2,000 lb more than what you plan to tow--all at 70 mph and 10 mpg. ANDeh...your family will really appreciate the interior room.

IF you really want to put forth the effort, there is no other vehicle out there for towing AND hauling your family.

 

An OASIS report is pretty much required for any Ford diesel purchase especially the 6.0L motor. Also diesel maintenance is expensive and you're probably going to need to spend another $2k at least to make it reliable as far as a bulletproof oil cooler and egr/egr delete.

If this is not going to be a daily and only used for trips and towing, you might want to look at a V10. I am NOT saying this to start a debate on V10 vs Diesel, I am just saying that for the money, you can get a vehicle in much better shape. Example, there is a V10 2004 EB with the 2nd row buckets and all options near me for the price you are going to pay for your 05 EB 6.0L. The difference is that the V10 only has 44k on the clock. There is also an 02 XLT with 33k on it for $17k asking price too. I'm not sure where you live but deals can be had anywhere. Just sayin...

Also, if you have not crawled under the Excursion you are looking at and gone over it with a fine tooth comb (bright LED flashlight in all crevices) for rust, do so now. It is my experience that the drivelines on these vehicles as well as the Super Dutys and light trucks/expeditions/navis often are in better shape than the vehicle itself....

 

If you can find a company that will stand behind the warranty. I have had two and both fought me tooth and nail for almost every repair. Buy from an actual dealer if you can and avoid third party.

 

Agreed, third party extended service plans are akin to snake oil much of the time. You give them money and when it comes time to use their service they are either out of business, vanish or try to find some way to not make good on the promised services. ONLY buy service plans from a dealer. And by dealer I mean Ford not a 5 year 100k warranty from Joe's Used Auto Emporium that will probably be out of business in 6 months or just refuse to pay for your repairs.

 

Thanks for the info....couple of things I found out...let me know what you think..

1)Glow plug relay replaced in 2/2006

2)EGR valve replaced in 3/2008 @ 50K miles- does this mean the EGR issue maybe resolved that I read so much about on the forums

3)Injector driver module replaced in 7/2009 @72K miles

4)Engine timing/front cover gasket has been replace twice 06 and 08.

5)When I first checked it out the emission control warning light was on....dealer took it to his mechanic and I have been told a portion of the wiring harness was being replaced. It ran without a flaw with the light on when I test drove it.

I'll pick up the oasis report tomorrow..do any of the above mentioned items "stick you like a Texas mosquito" or are these the usual 6.0L problems everyone talks about.

It was an auction vehicle so not from the Ford Dealer.....Would I still be able to get a reputable extended warranty from anyone.

Thanks again
Aaron --To be the TX-Excursionator or Stay a HEMI Guy

 

Just remember those little ones don't stay little for long. You will love the extra interior room real soon. Them Dodge pickups are cramped in the back. Good luck.

 

I wouldn't pay $18,900 for an 05 2wd Excursion Eddie Bauer at 110K miles. Keep looking, I paid less than $15K for my 04 Eddie Bauer 4x4 PSD in Dec 2011 with 126K miles on it at the time. You'll spend money to make the 6.0 reliable eventually.

Does the engine light still on? Read up the link below
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...used-6-0l.html

If your not willing to learn and fix it yourself, you will spend at least a couple thousand dollars at the dealer/diesel shop everytime the truck has problem. I have never spend that much time into research about an engine and it problems until I bought this 6.0 L diesel. Also, the excursion has it own suspension issue need to be address before seious towing.

After all, there is only one SUV available in the US with a diesel engine that can tow 12,000 lbs easily and have second row seats that recline for the kids.

 

The EGR issue will not be resolved until you bypass it or install a bulletproof EGR, the stock ones are trash. Also the oil cooler is a good idea to bulletproof as well.

Click me

And as I said before and as was mentioned by others, I would not pay that much for that truck. You can find better prices on trucks with lower miles, especially if you are open to looking for a gasser. If I was looking for a truck with that sort of mileage I would keep it to 16k or under and you can find them especially 03s. 03s are a bit notorious for having more issues being the first run of a problematic motor but if the OASIS report comes back clean and the truck itself is in really good shape then go for it. Unless you have to have an 05 for front end, black/tan two tone leather on the EB and the black trim on the inside.

I would only buy an 02 or 03 7.3L with that sort of mileage for that price and then it would have to be spotless inside/outside/underneath and have at least some of the common replacement items done in the suspension. They do come up from time to time but you may have to take a weekend trip to get one. Plenty of stories on here of guys who get the seller to send a crapton of pictures, haggle over the phone/email, put a deposit down with a CC and then fly out and drive the truck back. To get the Excursion you really really want for the price you want with all the options you want. I was all gung ho on just getting one last winter and almost bought a 2000 Limited V10 for $8k with low miles but it was not really what I wanted ultimately so I've decided to wait until I get back from my deployment this Summer. Then I can actually get what I want with 0 regrets which is what I recommend to everyone buying any used vehicle at these price points that has been out of production as long as the Excursion has.

 

Need your help!

We negotiated a doable price and I have the X til Mon/Tues to check out. I bought a scangauge II and think I programmed everything correctly. Used the EOT code from scangauges site for the 6.0L. Used the default fwt (for coolant temp). X has 1/2 tank diesel 5 passengers totalling 400lbs...nothing else...not towing anything... here's what I ran:

Let it warm up 5 min and headed to the highway (about another 5 min drive) cruise controlled @ 70mph for a good 25-30 mins. EOT got upwards of 223 with the coolant at 188.

Hit a traffic jam ...dead stop for 20 min EOT down to 209 with coolant at a steady 182.

Drove back (turned around to come home). Cruised at 65 for same amount of time 25-35 mins EOT 209 coolant 182

Did I use the right code for this X? At one point there was a 35 to 40 degree difference between the 2. Seems way above the 15 delta everyone refers too.

Do I bail on this truck or have them repair or negotiate a repair cost if there is a problem.

What do ya'll think might be the problem ...wrong code....engine oil cooler...EGR...didn't run it long enough.....all of the above...Is this worth the hassle? Needing some input.

Thanks
AF

 

Hopefully for you that is not the correct reading. They are waay high, a sign that the oil cooler passages are clogged. If it is the correct reading do the EGR delete, install a new oil cooler and flush the cooling system. Switch to an ELC coolant while you are at it.

Good Luck!

Cheers

 

Do you really want a Excursion or do you want something to pull with?

Why not upgrade the Ram to a 3/4 or 1 ton with a diesel. I have a 2005 Dodge 3500 SRW shorted 4x4 that pulls great. The Cummins is hard to beat and you still have a truck to use. I bought my X this year a 2000 V-10 4wd and it tows OK. It is not my Ram 3500, but it wasn't meant to be either.

If had to have a diesel X, it would be a 7.3. The 6.0 can be made into a good engine, but do you want to pay the price?

D.

 

Sounds like a clogged oil cooler. My 6.0 has never been over 210F EOT with 6 of us inside and the bed full of crap for a trip to the beach

They need to come off that price $3-4k...or fix it then let you drive off. If they/you fix it, spend the $600 and get ARP head studs