New (to me) truck

[cvma544]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place or whatever, lurking for awhile after I got my 06 F350 XLT FX4 Crew Cab Long Bed SRW earlier this year, joined a few days ago after I decided to stay with the PSD trucks.

Big learning curve for me going to a diesel.

Needless to say the "great deal" actually wasn't. I kind of felt I got rooked by the dealer since there were warning signs of things that needed attention when I bought it and my lack of knowledge about diesels showed and I drove right in the trap.

Bottom line I ended up with a truck that probably should have been sold as a back row fixer upper instead of a front row used vehicle.

I resigned myself to the fact that the EGR cooler (at least) was a goner. Then after shutting it off a couple days ago after a chilly ride with no heat but plenty degas tank pressure I figured it was time for it to go, as I don't have the cash on hand to drop a bunch of money it at one time.

At first being the rookie I assumed that the large cooling system wasn't or hadn't been topped off enough or had some air pockets (wishful thinking) and that’s was why I had to add coolant every once in awhile.

A local kid sharp on diesels had seen the white smoke (steam) from the exhaust a couple days after I bought it and told me problems ahead and I got taken advantage of, that the deal really wasn't as good as I thought.

He said get on the internet and read, and I found Powerstroke.org.

Being the stubborn person I am I took a let’s wait and see attitude. I had asked the dealer about problems and the like and it was oh no this is a solid truck, great truck, here are the service records, etc. (Not quite complete)

Later I found out it was sold and then traded right back in (to the same dealer) a short time later with only a few miles put on it, hmmmmm someone else wasn't happy also?

So I had the dealer I bought it from look for another truck, they offered two trucks, both the same price, but due to a communication issue within the dealership they tried to sell me a truck on the lot for over $5000 higher than they had the same truck listed on the internet

Well the SHTF when I found the internet add and called BS. SO, to make it up to a customer they offered a different truck at a greatly reduced price.(about 6000 below book, probably what they had in it or not much above)

SO I decided to look over the deal they were offering. They were probably hoping I wouldn't start a FB page. Turns out the internet guy said (after the deal closed) that is exactly what he told his boss could happen. I guess it was get rid of the guy and make sure he (Me) was happy whatever it takes.

SO, they threw in a 24/24000 drive train warranty. Well they discounted the vehicle enough that the warranty, my trade and all came up good enough for me to give them one more chance.

HOWEVER, I took the truck for a hell of a test drive, crawled all over it, checking everything I could from what I learned here to look for problems, plus the warranty, if there is a problem it will shake out soon.

There was an uneasy atmosphere during the deal; they now have a truck coming back for what the 2nd, 3rd time? They knew the VIN as a vehicle that they had more than once and they knew that I knew, but it was never spoken about.

After the test drive I toss them my keys and tell them have at it, take it back to service or whatever, ask any questions about the truck they want.

They didn't ask any questions, the engine light was on and it runs okay not great, but they sent their in-house expert out he test drove it came back parked, shut it off, then did the exterior inspection, and said its all good, signed off on a decent trade in offer as the coolant was dripping from the left underside of truck on to the payment and running down the grade with the sweet coolant smell in the air and a constant hissing coming from under the left underside of the truck even my deaf *** could hear and nobody said a thing about it.

So I don't know how to classify the whole situation, was it a dealer making right to a customer that had over years bought 5 vehicles (some new, some used) and ended up with a lemon of a vehicle, or just wanting to keep a guy who caught them at their game and called BS in such a way as to not be confrontational but still a gotcha?

I like to think it was making right, I know the internet salesman went ballistic after hours on the boss when I called BS on the price screw up, I don't think he intended to screw me, and it was his idea about discounting the vehicle even more to add the warranty to the deal.

I hate vehicle shopping, or should I say dealing with the whole dealership, offer, counter offer, counter offer, BS that goes with buying a vehicle.

Anyway thought I would show a pic of the new (to me) truck, I think it will be okay, and I am looking forward to combing thru the site even more to tweek and tune it.

["Stroker 8"]

Congrats!