Wanting to know what should I be looking for when buying the excursion. Oil leaks etc... I own a 2500 chev duramax but do not know a whole lot about the powerstrokes. Just trying to read all I can about the fords and the powerstrokes. I know it has the 7.3 powerstroke and from what my buddies tell me they say that motor is bullet proof. If you guys can give me some clues as to what to watch for and things to be on the look out for i would appreciate it.
Looking to buy 2000 Ford Excursion for the mrs.
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ranger boy
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7.3 is a great engine, there was never really anything big wrong with them to be honest.
Now get the hell outta that chevy and hop in a ford!
Now get the hell outta that chevy and hop in a ford!
Crumm
Fordoholic
A little reading from Baz's site.
Things To Look For When Buying A Used Power Stroke Diesel.
Turbo:
You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.
Tranny:
If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.
Coolant:
Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0.
Front end:
Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)
Oil:
The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.
Aftermarket stuff:
Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.
Glow Plugs/Relay:
Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.
Injector o-rings:
The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.
Leaks and Drips:
You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.
VIN number:
If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history
Things To Look For When Buying A Used Power Stroke Diesel.
Turbo:
You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube.
Tranny:
If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it's been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.
Coolant:
Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0.
Front end:
Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)
Oil:
The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.
Aftermarket stuff:
Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.
Glow Plugs/Relay:
Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.
Injector o-rings:
The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.
Leaks and Drips:
You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.
VIN number:
If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN's through Carfax.com to see the title history
DaveBen
SDD Senior Member
Great advice crumm.
Dave
Dave
dougger222
SDD Junior Member
I bought my wife the 00 PSD X with 104K miles on 11/15/03. The truck now has 155K miles and here's what's been done to it.
114K CPS replaced
124K CPS replaced again (warranty)
140K glow plugs replaced due to SES light stating #8 glow plug failure, replaced all glow plugs light is still on every day. A mechanic friend of mine said glow plugs rarely ever go out on 99+ 7.3's.
145K alternator replaced
With two batteries, the alternator, cps's, and glow plugs I've got around $600 into the suv.
Original tranny and the ball joints must have been replaced prior to 104K miles because there as tight as the day I bought it. Average winter fuel mileage steady around 15-16 with the summer higher at 17-18. Best of 19-20 mpg has occured 4-5 times now over a full tank of fuel.
The turning radius of the Excursion is much better than my F250 and with the Limited option the cabin area is pretty quiet.
114K CPS replaced
124K CPS replaced again (warranty)
140K glow plugs replaced due to SES light stating #8 glow plug failure, replaced all glow plugs light is still on every day. A mechanic friend of mine said glow plugs rarely ever go out on 99+ 7.3's.
145K alternator replaced
With two batteries, the alternator, cps's, and glow plugs I've got around $600 into the suv.
Original tranny and the ball joints must have been replaced prior to 104K miles because there as tight as the day I bought it. Average winter fuel mileage steady around 15-16 with the summer higher at 17-18. Best of 19-20 mpg has occured 4-5 times now over a full tank of fuel.
The turning radius of the Excursion is much better than my F250 and with the Limited option the cabin area is pretty quiet.
