Looking at an 05 6.0 excursion. What to look for?
- Thread starter cpdenton
- Start date
6 head bolts per cylinder.
if they dont have it, pass on it
serious tho, i would inspect the oil and fuel filters for signs of broken plastic filters.
if aftermarket filters are used, chunks go everywhere inside the block.
bring a scanner or have someone scan it...
never buy a computerized car without one of these.
JM2C
if they dont have it, pass on it
serious tho, i would inspect the oil and fuel filters for signs of broken plastic filters.
if aftermarket filters are used, chunks go everywhere inside the block.
bring a scanner or have someone scan it...
never buy a computerized car without one of these.
JM2C
yep 
edited previous post.
edited previous post.
Is this a private sale, or from a dealer?
See what records you can get. If you can get the VIN, have a Ford dealer run an OASIS report and see what work (if any) has been done at the dealer. See if the Check Engine light is on, or the "Green Wrench"
Just like an IDI, start it COLD..... if its warm, come back when it has sat and gotten cold. Turn on the ignition, and the WTS will light, on the 6.0's it is a squiggly line on the cluster, not a WAIT TO START light like you are used to...... it more than likely will have the later update in the PCM that will BUZZ the injectors while the WTS light is on. They do take a bit longer to start than the IDI's do. You will have to crank on it for 2-3 seconds before it will start. The HPOP (High Pressure Oil Pump) has to make 500PSI of oil pressure before the PCM will fire the injectors. When they catch they seem to all clatter to life at once...... Let it idle, the idle should be fairly smooth. Even being a newer diesel the 6.0 is still fairly noisy. It also has a much different sound than an IDI. It is a higher pitched knock that is not as hard of a knock as the IDI. You will also hear the injectors firing. This sound seems higher in the engine, and in some ways reminds me of noisy lifters in a gasser. If it has no tuner, there should be ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKE while it is idling. Depending on weather and mileage it may make a slight blueish puff right after it catches... (Mine has ~158,000 on it and when it is near freezing it will give a small puff on the initial cold start.). Now rev it a bit, it should rev smooth. If it has a miss while it is still cold, this is something called stiction. The shuttle valve in the injector will stick in the bore of the valve when the oil is cold and thick. Synthetic oil helps with this, which is why I run synthetic oil. Look at the oil filter (on top of the engine, center of engine, the larger canister, the smaller is the secondary fuel filter), the cap should not be very tall, and should have a 36mm hex molded into the top of it (the cap resembles the very end of a FL1995 filter). If the oil filter cap it tall, and kinda has the shape of a beer can, I would be leary. The aftermarket filters are not correct of the 6.0 and have caused damage in the past. As the engine comes to running temperature, the tone of the engine will change just a bit as the timing retards a bit.
Ask if any modifications/repairs have been done. EGR Delete, injector(s) replaced, any turbo work, head bolts/gaskets/studs? Has there ever been a programmer/tuner on it. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible that all this list is factory. If it had not had a tuner, and been well maintained, it could have all the factory parts, mine does.
Inside, look for normal wear. Remember, an 05 is 10 years old. Make sure the HVAC works if it is one of the automatic ones. The display in the overhead console may not work. This is a fairly easy fix, if it doesn't. If you find that issue, we can pursue that later. It will have 3 rows of seats. If the fronts are leather, all seats should be leather. May have rear heat and air and possibly a rear entertainment center. There are 2 seating arrangements, the more common, captain, bench, bench or the optional captain, captain, bench. It will have a "tri door" in the rear. A top liftgate and to lower barn doors. The barn doors are NOT metal, don't let that throw you. Also the 2 big windows at the rear sides are wing windows, the control is the 2 rockers in the overhead console.
Outside, look for the same. Also, take a good look at the passenger side. These things are BIG, and I have seen more than one Excursion with a bruise or three on the passenger side. (like the common caved in bedside in an Extended Cab truck)......
On your drive, play with it. A stock 6.0 has AMPLE power and is fun to drive. The button on the shifter is NOT an overdrive lockout like on the E4OD. It is a tow haul mode button. Turn it on, and you will understand why the manuals have faded away. It DRASTICALLY changes the personality of the transmission. If ESOF 4x4 make sure it works. If the HVAC defaults to the defroster for a moment when you shift, the seal in the knuckle is leaking (on my to-do list), but they are also a manual lock-out and can be locked, and when you change the switch, it just shifts the t-case. Also, if you are moving when you shift to 4x4, the PCM will "burp" the throttle during the shift.....
If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to ask. I've had my Excursion for over 8 years, and is currently my Daily Driver. There are some subtle cosmetic differences between my 03, and an 05.... but most of the truck is the same.
See what records you can get. If you can get the VIN, have a Ford dealer run an OASIS report and see what work (if any) has been done at the dealer. See if the Check Engine light is on, or the "Green Wrench"
Just like an IDI, start it COLD..... if its warm, come back when it has sat and gotten cold. Turn on the ignition, and the WTS will light, on the 6.0's it is a squiggly line on the cluster, not a WAIT TO START light like you are used to...... it more than likely will have the later update in the PCM that will BUZZ the injectors while the WTS light is on. They do take a bit longer to start than the IDI's do. You will have to crank on it for 2-3 seconds before it will start. The HPOP (High Pressure Oil Pump) has to make 500PSI of oil pressure before the PCM will fire the injectors. When they catch they seem to all clatter to life at once...... Let it idle, the idle should be fairly smooth. Even being a newer diesel the 6.0 is still fairly noisy. It also has a much different sound than an IDI. It is a higher pitched knock that is not as hard of a knock as the IDI. You will also hear the injectors firing. This sound seems higher in the engine, and in some ways reminds me of noisy lifters in a gasser. If it has no tuner, there should be ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKE while it is idling. Depending on weather and mileage it may make a slight blueish puff right after it catches... (Mine has ~158,000 on it and when it is near freezing it will give a small puff on the initial cold start.). Now rev it a bit, it should rev smooth. If it has a miss while it is still cold, this is something called stiction. The shuttle valve in the injector will stick in the bore of the valve when the oil is cold and thick. Synthetic oil helps with this, which is why I run synthetic oil. Look at the oil filter (on top of the engine, center of engine, the larger canister, the smaller is the secondary fuel filter), the cap should not be very tall, and should have a 36mm hex molded into the top of it (the cap resembles the very end of a FL1995 filter). If the oil filter cap it tall, and kinda has the shape of a beer can, I would be leary. The aftermarket filters are not correct of the 6.0 and have caused damage in the past. As the engine comes to running temperature, the tone of the engine will change just a bit as the timing retards a bit.
Ask if any modifications/repairs have been done. EGR Delete, injector(s) replaced, any turbo work, head bolts/gaskets/studs? Has there ever been a programmer/tuner on it. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible that all this list is factory. If it had not had a tuner, and been well maintained, it could have all the factory parts, mine does.
Inside, look for normal wear. Remember, an 05 is 10 years old. Make sure the HVAC works if it is one of the automatic ones. The display in the overhead console may not work. This is a fairly easy fix, if it doesn't. If you find that issue, we can pursue that later. It will have 3 rows of seats. If the fronts are leather, all seats should be leather. May have rear heat and air and possibly a rear entertainment center. There are 2 seating arrangements, the more common, captain, bench, bench or the optional captain, captain, bench. It will have a "tri door" in the rear. A top liftgate and to lower barn doors. The barn doors are NOT metal, don't let that throw you. Also the 2 big windows at the rear sides are wing windows, the control is the 2 rockers in the overhead console.
Outside, look for the same. Also, take a good look at the passenger side. These things are BIG, and I have seen more than one Excursion with a bruise or three on the passenger side. (like the common caved in bedside in an Extended Cab truck)......
On your drive, play with it. A stock 6.0 has AMPLE power and is fun to drive. The button on the shifter is NOT an overdrive lockout like on the E4OD. It is a tow haul mode button. Turn it on, and you will understand why the manuals have faded away. It DRASTICALLY changes the personality of the transmission. If ESOF 4x4 make sure it works. If the HVAC defaults to the defroster for a moment when you shift, the seal in the knuckle is leaking (on my to-do list), but they are also a manual lock-out and can be locked, and when you change the switch, it just shifts the t-case. Also, if you are moving when you shift to 4x4, the PCM will "burp" the throttle during the shift.....
If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to ask. I've had my Excursion for over 8 years, and is currently my Daily Driver. There are some subtle cosmetic differences between my 03, and an 05.... but most of the truck is the same.
Fairly familiar with the sound of the 6.0. Our church buses are both 05 6.0 e450 chassis. One is in the shop now for an oil cooler and EGr cooler. They have plenty of power to move the 29 passenger buses!
This is a dealer sale. We shall see. Looking at and 07 expedition EL as well. Replacing the wife's 04 expedition. Need a little more room for hauling junk with all these daughters I got!
This is a dealer sale. We shall see. Looking at and 07 expedition EL as well. Replacing the wife's 04 expedition. Need a little more room for hauling junk with all these daughters I got!
if i were you, id get a box truck also, easier to hide the daughters boyfriends bodys!
Btw snicklas, thanks. Says it has 103,000 on it, and vin check says it lived in California until this dealer bought it from a pm auto auction in Texas. No going to tell them I am coming, so it should be good and cold when I get there.
whitehorse
Full Access Member
I'm gonna be jealous if you get it....I got my wife talked I to getting one and now she wants a suburban... Oh well if mama ain't happy ain't nobody....stupid chevy....
One, thing, if you do get it, and it hasn't been done (which being from PRK I doubt it has) do an EGR Delete. I did one on mine (No inspections or emissions in Indiana) when the coolant supply hose started to leak. The cooler bundle didn't leak. It was and external leak that ended up dripping on the ground. Even in empty "grocery getting/commute" driving, the EGR Cooler puts a SH**LOAD of heat into the cooling system. For example, I live in central Indiana, so we do see below freezing and even negative degree temps. Before the delete, no matter the outside temp, I would always get to normal operating temp in a reasonable amount of time and have good heat in the cabin. After the delete, if the outside temp is below ~20 degrees, I can get in the truck after work, drive it home ~30 miles which most is Interstate or 55 MPH rural roads, and pull into the gas station near my house and the truck will kick itself into high idle because it is still not up to temp. I only have the factory gauge, and like a typical Ford, in warmer weather the temp is in the middle of the gauge range. In the conditions above, It might get to the bottom of the bracket....... So when its cold out, I get "warm" out the vents not "heat" out the vents. It will heat up if driven slow a lot, but if sitting idle, it will shed heat FAST in the cold. I should have done an EGR Delete as soon as the warranty was up......
Now, I am looking into a winter front, one so it will heat up, and I have always liked the look of a pickup/big truck/bus with a winter front........
Now, I am looking into a winter front, one so it will heat up, and I have always liked the look of a pickup/big truck/bus with a winter front........
Thanks for all the info guys! The excursion was really nice, but it was missing the third row seat. No go for us. Need the seating. I know I could have probably got one rounded up, but as nice as the truck was, it wasn't our truck.
It started good, and was totally unmolested. Still had all the original ford stuff and no tuner. It will make someone a nice truck for sure, but for the money they wanted, I decided to go with the expedition EL.
I don't really need the diesel, seeing as how I have the dually for towing, and the expedition was about 5 grand cheaper....
It started good, and was totally unmolested. Still had all the original ford stuff and no tuner. It will make someone a nice truck for sure, but for the money they wanted, I decided to go with the expedition EL.
I don't really need the diesel, seeing as how I have the dually for towing, and the expedition was about 5 grand cheaper....
you can always keep the vette and put a PSD in it
