What To Look For ?

[Johnch]

Yesterday I bought a used 2006 Ford F150 , just over 54,000 miles
It has been in a garage for at least the last 10 years on a farm that I hunt
The owner would drive it in the winter a few times a year
4 Wheel drive , 4 door , Short bed and tow package
No rust , but the hood were replaced at some point
As the paint dose not exactly match and the front fenders both have dents from something falling across the front of the truck

All 4 tires will not hold air and it needs a battery
But starts and runs good when I jumped it

The owner is moving to a Retirement Place and can only have 1 car or truck so this has to go
So I was talking to him last week and he offered the truck to me at REALLY low price as it will need work before it can be driven

Other than the battery and tires
What else should I look hard at before I start driving it a lot ?

Thanks
John

[CastingFool]

I think I would have all the fluids replaced

[bakerjw]

What engine? I had a 2004 with a 5.4L Triton engine. *** engine. Two piece plugs that almost always break off when changed. Cam followers were an issue and the dealer used that to really low ball my trade in.

[Butzbach]

I drove a company 2008 2WD for about 18 months. It had 4 miles on it when I got it. Two $600 warranty trips to the dealer did not fix a leaking rear differential. FYI. YMMV.

[XDROB]

I would change All fluids.

Find out what engine it has and then go look for any issues with them. Then find out what maintenance items need to be done to it.

I would also manually check out the frame for any rust or bends.

See if any of the wheel bearings need to be repacked/replaced.

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[Joe504]

Change the cabin air filter, lol.

If the price is below Kelly Blue Book, and it starts and drives, get it. The car market is crazy right now


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[memtb]

Change all belts, hoses, fluids. Also, occasional usage helps lubricate seals.....as this unit has been sitting for a while, monitor all seals for leakage once you start using it! memtb

[Bmi48219]

Take a close look wire harness. Mice can move into a vehicle quickly. Look for signs of chewing on wires, plastic parts, mouse droppings in cabin. Not saying that would stop me if the price was right. Just be aware there could be future problems if you see such evidence. I’d suggest a half hour road test (you spring for fuel) followed by a close inspection for leaks, smoke etc.
If the engine isn’t run for a long time the piston rings can get stuck in their grooves and the vehicle will smoke like you’re begging for a ticket. Been there.

[Scrounge]

Take a close look wire harness. Mice can move into a vehicle quickly. Look for signs of chewing on wires, plastic parts, mouse droppings in cabin. Not saying that would stop me if the price was right. Just be aware there could be future problems if you see such evidence. I’d suggest a half hour road test (you spring for fuel) followed by a close inspection for leaks, smoke etc.
If the engine isn’t run for a long time the piston rings can get stuck in their grooves and the vehicle will smoke like you’re begging for a ticket. Been there.

I'll get on the "change all the fluids" bandwagon, and add "including the gasoline." Drain it, and refill, add a can (maybe two cans) of Berryman's B12. Then go for a drive on the freeway. Get on and off at every or every other exit/entrance, vary the rpm's a lot and slosh the fuel around in the tank(s) Another can of Berryman's every fill for the first month. Also change the fuel filter after you drain the gas, and replace it a couple of times more during the heavy application of Berryman's. Once the smoking and spluttering stop, a can of Berryman's every fill for a year. Then you could go every other if you drive it frequently. If it spends a lot of time sitting, as my truck does, every fill should get a can of Berryman's.

Think I like Berryman's? Yep, I do. Been using it since my dad gave me a 1953 International Harvester Pickup that had been sitting at his place for years, back when I was newly in my 20's. 1975, IIRC.

[1Papalote]

10 yr old tires on a parked truck need replacing. One or more will come apart on you.

[bakerjw]

An interesting thing about the mice. for a while they used plastics made from soy beans as insulation for wire. Supposedly it still has an aroma or flavor that rodents like, so they eat the insulation causing problems.

[WRideout]

Fords are notorious for transmission trouble. Make sure you can put it in gear, and it will shift into forward and reverse without slipping.

Wayne

[Winger Ed.]

I'd change every fluid on it. Brake, Power Steering, oil, trans, rear end, fuel, and flush the radiator.
Also; tires, the serpentine belt & both pulleys.

I've got a 5.4 in my 2006 F-250 with 59,000 miles on it, but I drive it 2-5,000 miles a year.
Last year, I had a ign. coil go bad. They recommend changing plugs at 60-80,000 miles.
So, I changed the plugs and all 8 coils.

After watching several youtube videos, and reading archived forum posts on it:
I soaked the plugs with penetrating oil, and very carefully pulled the plugs.
I only broke one of them, and had to buy the special tool to get the bottom piece out.
The new plugs are one piece, and won't break.

Mechanics get paid extra to extract broken ones--- so there's no big incentive to be careful pulling them out.
And, the longer they are in there,,, the harder they are to get out and more prone to break.
There's horror stories of paying over a thousand to pull 4-6 broken ones,,,,,,,,
There's also the chance of having to pull a head to get plug pieces out if the extraction wasn't done right.

The cam phasers normally last 100-125,000 miles.
The kit to change them & the timing chain is a few hundred. Or, some guys just weld them so they don't 'phase' any more.

After unplugging the computer to access the plugs, and changing the coils--- the truck will forget how to idle, and make you crazy.
It took me awhile to figure that out since it isn't in any of the books that it happens, or how to fix it.
When its all back together, take off the positive batt. post for 15 minutes. But it back on, and let it idle for 30 minutes.
(this isn't Burger King--- you have to do it their way)

If ya need the special tool for broken plugs---
I'll make ya a real deal on the best and latest generation one.... only used one time....

[megasupermagnum]

One often overlooked area is the brake fluid. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water from the air, and this is what rusts brake lines out. The best thing to do is suck most out of the fluid reservoir, then fill it full of new fluid, Next go around and bleed each line until new fluid comes out. This makes sure you have no air, and more importantly, gets new fluid into the lines. You may also run into issues with the brakes not releasing. I'm guessing that year is all four disc brakes. I'd pull every caliper off, and clean and grease the slide pins. The rotors will almost certainly be rusty. I'd just drive it to see how they do.

While it is a good idea to assume no maintenance has been done on this truck, I would at least drive it a short bit before changing everything. The reason is so you get what you can suspended into the fluid. Modern Dexcool coolant is good for about 5 years. I simply pull the lower radiator hose, and try and catch what I can. There are slower ways if you care about making a mess. You can skip the differentials for now. No harm in changing it soon, but it is not needed for just driving it now. Transmission oil should be changed, as I'm guessing the other guy never did. All you need to do is drop the pan, change the filter, and fill it back up. Transfer case oil, that's up to you. I'd do it.

As for gasoline, I wouldn't worry about it unless you have a serious issue. Fill it to the top with new gas, drive it until empty, fill again and done.

Don't bother with the wiring. There's too much hidden in newer cars and trucks. Dive it. Don't fix what isn't broke.

Serpentine belt, maybe a good idea. I always have a spare in each vehicle, so I don't worry too much about them. Check the tensioner and idler pully bearings. If they are smooth and no wobble, I say leave them until broken.

Power steering fluid, not a big deal. Change if you want. I just suck what I can from the reservoir, and fill with new fluid.

You can check over the frame for any bad spots. That year and almost no miles, I really doubt there is going to be anything structurally wrong. You can't check straightness. Basically as long as it isn't cracked or rusted through, which it wont be, you are good.

Now the real bad depends on what engine you have. If you have the V6, no big deal. Definitely replace the spark plugs unless you know for sure they were done recently. I know many now push these way off. I'm still a believer in every 30,000 miles or so. I've yet to see a 60,000+ miles spark plug that came out easy, and didn't look like trash too. If you have a Triton V8, well hang on. You have to replace those spark plugs, and it is a big job. Read and watch some videos about it online. I have not kept up on what years have what, but I know there was a special tool I had to use. Even then, it was no fun.

[Handloader109]

I've an 05 with Triton engine with 223,000 miles on it. For Dang sure change the oil soon and I'd do it again in 3 to 5k miles. I usually go 10k between changes and so far so good. belts, hoses if they look cracked. I've not changed mine but once. tires fir sure. If it is missing, get a set of coils and replace them first. plugs are good for 100k miles, if it still misses, go to plug change.


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[megasupermagnum]

I've an 05 with Triton engine with 223,000 miles on it. For Dang sure change the oil soon and I'd do it again in 3 to 5k miles. I usually go 10k between changes and so far so good. belts, hoses if they look cracked. I've not changed mine but once. tires fir sure. If it is missing, get a set of coils and replace them first. plugs are good for 100k miles, if it still misses, go to plug change.


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The 5.4 triton uses coils on plug. There's no reason to blindly replace them, especially not before the spark plugs. Locate the bad cylinder by unplugging each one at a time. Once you do, swap it with another. Test again. If the problem follows that coil, replace the coil. If not, replace the spark plugs.

[jblee10]

I would do a fluid change and a tune up. Brake inspection. And lube job. Many things are sealed so you may not be able to lube them. And they may go out once you start driving it. U joints, ball joints, etc. But really no harm done driving it until those things sort themselves out. An engine code should show up if there is any problem with the engine, misfires, etc. Just make sure the things for safe driving are checked out. Brakes mainly. I once had a car with very few miles that sat for most of it's life. I had to disassemble the seat belt retractors and lubricate them for them to work correctly. Could have replaced them I guess.

[Winger Ed.]

Something else that trashed out on mine sooner than I thought they should was the four big rubber donut
looking rubber vibration cushions under the cab.

No big deal to change, but I think they should have lasted longer before they rotted and fell apart.

[MstrEddy]

10 yr old tires on a parked truck need replacing. One or more will come apart on you.

Yes, most definitely. I have an old Vette, that's been parked for around 8-9 years. The tires were new when I had to park it. Well, last year one of the tires just blew on it's own. Delaminated the way a recap would. So, add another 500-600 to the project bill. The good news. The engine is running, I've changed the oil and filter, coolant, thermostat, belts, and will change the (automatic) transmission fluid and filter once I finish rebuilding the brake calipers and changing the brake lines/hoses.

[hiram]

If it has a timing belt, check to see when it gets changed.