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Originally Posted by snowninja
i want to know if these things are normal and what i can expect to deal with if i buy this truck or if i should just pass on it.
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If you like the truck and can get the price down to something reasonable, then I would check it out more before I decided.
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I asked the dealer to start the engine as i watched the exhaust, a blue/white smoke came out and lasted for about 10 seconds then went clear. cold day and don't think it had been run in the last few hours. is this normal?
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Nothing to worry about.
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after about a minute i went back to the exhaust and heard what sounded like a vacuum cleaner this lasted a few minutes. was that the turbo??
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Not the turbo. Normal with a cold engine. It's part of the cold ambient package (CAP) programming in the main computer (PCM) - designed to add a bit of load to the engine to help it warm up faster. The mechanical part is a butterfly (exhaust back pressure valve or EBPV) in the exhaust system that closes when the engine is cold, and thus the sound of the vacuum cleaner as the exhaust gas squeezes past the restriction. Normal when the engine oil temp (EOT) is less than about 120° F and the intake air temp (IAT) is below about 45° F.
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service engine light is on but dealer didn't scan it so doesn't know what is wrong i can have it scanned for $80 at my shop.
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That's the biggie. But no reason to assume the truck is a dog. If you like the truck and can get the price down to something reasonable (less than $15,000) then find a good shop with a scanner that can read all PowerStroke diesel codes, and a tech that is experienced in diagnosing what those codes mean. Cheap scanners won't do the job. You need the same diagnostic system the Ford dealer uses, or at least a $2,000 NGS scanner with Ford diesel software, or a laptop computer with AutoEnginuity or similar software installed. Then clear the codes and drive the truck they way you would normally drive it, including dragging a heavy trailer if that's your scthick. Then check the codes again. Any decent Ford diesel tech should be able to tell you approximately how much it will cost to fix the cause of the code(s).
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also on the turbo exhaust (sorry don't know the exact terminology) there was oil coming out of the gasket ...
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If you mean the intercooler tube going from the turbo to the intercooler, then that's normal. The stock crankcase ventilation system dumps into that tube, and often oil builds up inside the tube, then when you pedal to the metal with high turbo boost, the oil film is squeezed out of the rubber connecting boot and makes an ugly mess.
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i noticed 2 radiators 1 of which smaller in front of the larger one assuming that is the tranny cooler?
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Look closer and you should see at least 5 heat exchangers:
1] radiator
2] intercooler (probably the one you're talking about)
3] AC condenser
4] oil-to-air tranny cooler
5] power steering/hydroboost cooler
Depends on the results of the diagnostic scans. It may be a keeper if the only codes are fifteen cent fixers.
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oh the asking price is $20k which per blue book (kbb and nada) is about $2-2.5k high.
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Low-mileage 7.3Ls in like-new trucks are in very short supply and very high demand. It's worth what a willing buyer is willing to pay for it, and there are probably some out that might be willing to pay $20k for that truck. But unless it is a Lariat trim with all the goodies, including 4x4, and dually with 6 new Michelin XPS tires, as well as a comprehensive maintenance history, I wouldn't pay more than about U.S. $15,000 for it.
