Test driving an '05 today, problems to look for...

[Tsip85]

I'm going to look at and drive an '05 Excurasion today. Can y'all tell me of any things to look for under the hood that would be visible to the naked eye that may show signs of a troubled past or trouble down the road? Should be a good day for it, as the temps will drop to just below freezing. Get to see how it runs on a "cold start." At least cold for TX.

[VTski4x4]

white powder under the hood especially near the degas bottle would be an indication of EGR problems and possible oil cooler issues.

Edit: Read this, ill be nice this time and post the link.

What to look for when buying a used 6.0L

[Galaxie]

Originally Posted by VTski4x4

white powder under the hood especially near the degas bottle would be an indication of EGR problems and possible oil cooler issues.

Edit: Read this, ill be nice this time and post the link.

What to look for when buying a used 6.0L

BINGO! I just deleted pictures of under the hood of a friends truck that had issues. What we thought was HG but turned out to be too much coolant.

Either way, it was white res on the degas bottle and under the hood.

[pizza pig]

except in that link it should read ...Make sure it doesnt have Ford Motorcraft Gold coolant because it means problems...

[MUDSTROKIN']

Test drive it. Let it warm up to operating temps then give her hell, if you don't hear any unusual noises pull over before you get back to the dealership and look under the hood. If there's not coolant everywhere and the other visual things look good. Buy it

[Tsip85]

Thanks for the link and the advice. You know the seller (auto group) hasn't done their due dilligence when you fire up the truck and the check engine light is on! Under the hood looked good (no signes of white residue), however they had cleaned it up pretty good. Motor looked as if it had been detailed. It was pretty damn cold and the Ex fired right up with out any problems. But, the check engine light was on and remained on the entire time I drove it. I noticed it had a vibration in the steering wheel and it was pulling really hard to the right. Either the tires were unbalanced and needed to be alligned, or it's got some front end problems. Between those two issues, and the fact that they are asking 18K for a 6.0L w/ 135K miles on it, I think I'll pass.

[VTski4x4]

probably a smart move