STALKING THE USED PICKUP

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Now that we have an idea of what to look for and avoid on pickup trucks in general, let's give a little more thought to buying a used vehicle.

First off, it's good to remember that the fellow selling a particular second or third-hand machine probably used the vehicle for the same purpose you have in mind: hard work. Even if the truck has really been put through its paces, however, that doesn't mean it's worthless. A severely used pickup can be a good buy if it's been well taken care of. If you're interested in a used pickup, it's up to you to check it out carefully and try to second guess the man who owns the vehicle. He has a reason for selling . . . if you can find out what it is, you may have some idea of the worth of the truck.

When trying to determine the condition of a particular pickup, you should—again—look at the engine. Pay attention to the finer details. Is everything clean? Do you see oil splattered or dripping anywhere? Is there oil splashed up on the underside of the hood?

If the pickup isn't clean, drive it to a 25¢ car wash and get as much of the grease and oil off the vehicle as you can. Then run it for a while, inspect at the engine and engine compartment again . . . and you should be able to tell whether the powerplant has any serious oil or water leaks. Look at the oil while the engine is hot. It's probably new (changed just for the occasion by the man trying to sell the truck) but you're not going to be fooled that easily.

Pull the dipstick and inspect the oil very carefully. Are there spots of sludge in it? If there are, it suggests that the previous owner didn't change the oil often enough and that there are probably sludge deposits in both the lubrication lines and the crankcase. When you find evidence like this, it's a good idea to pull the rocker arm cover—if you can—and have a look underneath. I've seen engines with sludge buildups so bad that the rocker arms and lifters weren't getting any oil at all. (Excessive tappet noise is also sometimes an indication of this problem).

If there are any strange noises coming from the engine compartment while the truck is running, try to find out exactly what those noises are. Rev the engine, lug it . . . and listen carefully. If you have a vacuum gauge, use it. It can tell you a lot.

Now shut the engine off and look at the oil again. Do you see evidence of water bubbles? If you do, it could mean several things . . . probably a cracked block.

Never buy a truck until you've run a compression check on it. If you don't have a compression gauge, buy one for two or three dollars before you go shopping. It could save you hundreds.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print