Guys,

So I'm looking to get rid of my Lightning, and get a F250. I'm pretty specific about what I'm looking for.

- '99+
- F250
- Diesel
- CrewCab
- 4x4
- Auto

Now, I've NEVER owned a diesel engine. I know the longevity of a diesel engine, and more importantly, the Powerstroke is stellar. I've found a truck that I really like. It meets all my requirements, I love the color combo, and it's local. My only reservation is that it has 194k miles. What are some things I should be concerned about? I would be using this truck for a daily driver. Very rare towing duties. Should I be that concerned with the mileage? Or just take it to a good local diesel mechanic to have it checked out, and if all is well, just consider it "broken in" good? I went and looked at it and drove it. Runs good, tranny shifts firm, no noises from the torque convertor which I've read is an indicator of the tranny going out. Looks like it was well taken care of. Overall it's pretty clean. It's at a small car lot. Guy said he bought it from a large dealer and that it was a trade in they sold off. No maintenance records unfortunately. After going back and forth with the guy for a few minutes, the lowest he said he could take for the truck is $14,500. I did a CarFax on the truck and it was a one owner before being traded in at the large dealer here in Atlanta. CarFax is clean of any major accidents, but does list one accident in 2002, in which the truck sustained no damage. I also had a friend at Ford pull up the service history on the truck. It was in and out of the dealer for a few minor things in the first 10 months or so in 2000. (sqeaky bushings, loose console lid, etc.) Unfortunately, the service record didn't list a tranny replacement. I'm going to see if my friend can get me the original owner's info and I'm going to try to contact him to inquire about the truck. Since he's not the one selling, I should be able to get some honest answers about the history, if anything major was replaced, etc. If anyone can think of anything else I might want to specifically address or look at I'm interested in hearing.

Thanks.

 

Looks sharp!

These 4R100s are funny, overheat them once, and you are on borrowed time tranny wise.

If it still has the green coolent, I would be wary of no service records. There needs to be an additive put in there to keep the powerstroke from eating itself. If it was switched to the gold coolent, no worries.

Crewcab short bed, dam good looking, but im biased...

Adrianspeeder

 

Agreed. The tranny would be the main thing I would check. See if they'll let you bring it somewhere and drop the pan, just a little extra insurance. And if you do get it, I'd recommend changing out the torque converter asap to an upgraded unit, again, just for a little insurance.