Question For Diesel Truck Owners

[JLS]

What happened in those 100k miles is a lot more important than how many.  I just bought an '03 Dodge with 200k miles on it.  One owner, solid maintenance history, and a clean bill of health from our auto shop.  I had the timing cover seal replaced, new shocks, and we're good to go.

Look to see if the engine has been hopped up or modified. Is the turbo showing signs of heat discoloration?  Discoloration is normal on the exhaust manifold, it's not on the turbo.

My first Dodge I bought new off the lot in '99.  Ran it hard for 160k miles before I wrecked it.  No issues other than the lift pump and the standard front end issues that diesels will have.

The line about being broken in at 100k is kind of silly.  The truck is broken in by 25k miles, even if you baby it.  However, a well maintained Cummins should not need a rebuild until well over 250k miles.

[JackOfAllTrades]

My 04 PSD Ford has been to the shop one time for a failed EGR valve. (I don't count the recal/flash and a We put the latest model of EGR in and it has been fine for +100,000 miles. Now have 155,000 on the truck. Four ball joints later... New front sway bar bushings.. (they only go 80-100,000 miles) Second set of shocks.  I maintain my truck meticulously. The brake rotors on the Fords are thin and will warp at less than 40,000 miles. But the vented/cross drilled aftermarket ones I have in place have near 100,000 miles on the front and 40,000 on the rear and stop just great with the factory metalic pads. Yeah... 155,000 miles on a set of pads. I change fuel filters every 30,000 miles and engine oil/filter every 5,000 miles with Delo400.  Royal Purple syncro shift is a much better oil/allows smoother shifting than tranny fluid in the manual 6spd. I still have the stock clutch and expect more than 200,000 miles from it. I'll be shooting for more than 300,000 miles from the engine/drive train. Key to turbo life is lubrication and keeping EGT's down. =4" down tube and unrestricted exhaust for better cooling (not just the cool sound).  I wouldn't buy a diesel with an automatic transmission. (I know there are a lot of people that like the durability of the Alison trans from GM..) Still, the amount of torque from a diesel engine driving an automatic that needs to be electronically shifted isn't something that's easily harnessed. Dodge has a great 5spd, and GM's & Ford's use of the ZF in either 5spd or 6spd has been time proven. 

If you don't tow or haul heavy loads.  Buying a gas rig might be a better choice. Diesels cost more in the short and long run.

All that said...  Our recent little trip from Lynden to Yakima back to Lynden via I-5, 405, 90, 82, 12, 7, 167, 405, I-5 over two passes used 33 gallons from my 38 gallon tank, cost $145 in fuel for 595 miles @18mpg. (~100 miles was city driving, otherwise I would have expected 19mpg)  Yes, I have more than a few times approached 700miles from one tank of fuel. The engine loves 66mph @~1,800rpm.  My diesel runs great at 155,000 miles!

There are dealer service reports you can get via vin# for each of the models. (tough to get, but there are ways)  I wouldn't buy used without getting that report.

-Steve

[JackOfAllTrades]

The line about being broken in at 100k is kind of silly.  The truck is broken in by 25k miles, even if you baby it.

I will sort of agree with you on the break in, but there was a noticeable power/fuel economy difference with my engine at around 35,000 miles. (which is funny because the EGR valve issue was about 40,000 miles). I still use the same fuel stations. It was before low sulfer fuel was at the pumps and before I did the exhaust change.  When it was new... it had less power than my 460gas Ford did going up a particular hill. Shy of 10,000 miles, the diesel went up the same hill in overdrive with ease! So, I guess there were two noticeable breakin hours/miles that indicated that things were starting to run better.

-Steve

[JLS]

I should have qualified that I'm speaking only about Cummins.  I know nothing about Ferds.

[fillthefreezer]

All that said...  Our recent little trip from Lynden to Yakima back to Lynden via I-5, 405, 90, 82, 12, 7, 167, 405, I-5 over two passes used 33 gallons from my 38 gallon tank, cost $145 in fuel for 595 miles @18mpg. (~100 miles was city driving, otherwise I would have expected 19mpg)  Yes, I have more than a few times approached 700miles from one tank of fuel. The engine loves 66mph @~1,800rpm.  My diesel runs great at 155,000 miles!
-Steve

in very similar terrain my 7.3 truck will pull 20-21mpg on avg and with the 35s will cruise at 70 at 1800. love that truck!

[6x6in6]

 So, I guess there were two noticeable breakin hours/miles that indicated that things were starting to run better.

-Steve

I would agree with this statement too with my '05 Dodge.
Around 20k was the first time I noticed a mild power increase and fuel economy jump.
55k it was a little more power and an increase in fuel economy again.

My '07 5.9 just plain sucks.  It's an automatic, enough said!  It's just plain a turd and crappy MPG's, I'm lucky if I can get 16 out of it.

[high country]

Many trucks have engine hour meters. I would take a truck with a lot of miles and low hours over low miles and high hours. Find the average mph based on hours and you can get a feel for the amount of city driving on it.....which in my opinion is harder on the truck thank hiway miles.....especially if your roads suck as bad as spokane's do.

[Dhoey07]

Many trucks have engine hour meters. I would take a truck with a lot of miles and low hours over low miles and high hours. Find the average mph based on hours and you can get a feel for the amount of city driving on it.....which in my opinion is harder on the truck thank hiway miles.....especially if your roads suck as bad as spokane's do.

A fellow spokane guy eh?  Which part of town are ya from?

[high country]

I don't live in spokane, I am out in Otis. Spokane streets are terrible, our gravel is better than their asphalt.

[sebek556]

spokane streets suck, but then again so does wellsley running through otis.. but atleast we can jump over the boarder for that cheap idaho gas/deisel.

[high country]

spokane streets suck, but then again so does wellsley running through otis.. but atleast we can jump over the boarder for that cheap idaho gas/deisel.

We like it rough....keeps the traffic back.

[royalbull]

own 2 diesels have had two others, probably wont buy another, unless you are pulling a trailer daily I no longer believe they are worth having with the price of fuel compared to that of gas, and everything else seems to be more expensive also, back when I started buying them diesel was way cheaper than gas and you got great mileage and horsepower compared to gas engines, nowadays gas motors have come along way, it use to be with gas you either got milage or power but never both, now it seems they have been able to improve that ratio quite a bit, since I don't pull a trailer daily my next rigs will all be gas

[predatorpro]

i have an 03 dodge diesel for about a year and a half....since then rebuilt tranny $3200, new water pump $80, new fan clutch $220, replaced two stuck calipers...cant remember how much that was...more than $200 and its sitting in the drive way broke down again...just bought a new lift pump for it for $170 today to get it running oh and the abs module is toast in it too which is a dealer only part that cost $400 all within a year....and i drive it easy as can be with only 160k on it i have only put about 20k on it since i have owned it...worst truck i have ever had....but good luck!

[KFhunter]

learn to spot an exhaust manifold thats been very hot a lot of times - pop the hood on a bunch of trucks you'll spot the ones thats been chipped and ran some hot EGT's
 
stay away from those
 
find one thats been stock from day one that some grandpa had and took to a reputible shop for maint, perhaps even dealer shop. 
Pay a premium to get that truck if you need too.

[Curly]

own 2 diesels have had two others, probably wont buy another, unless you are pulling a trailer daily I no longer believe they are worth having with the price of fuel compared to that of gas, and everything else seems to be more expensive also, back when I started buying them diesel was way cheaper than gas and you got great mileage and horsepower compared to gas engines, nowadays gas motors have come along way, it use to be with gas you either got milage or power but never both, now it seems they have been able to improve that ratio quite a bit, since I don't pull a trailer daily my next rigs will all be gas

I've thought about that too, but when I look at the mileage that a 3/4 Ton truck gets with a big gas motor it seems that the diesel truck is still a better option even with diesel being close to $1/gal more.  But then good gas mileage estimates are hard to come by for 3/4 Ton trucks...........