I know you should check the oil before buying a used truck (of any brand) but what if the dealer changed the oil? Will the test drive be enough to show soot/fuel in the oil?

 

If it's a major problem, a short test drive could tell. Mine turns black pretty quick, but that's no indicator of an issue. I always look under the filler cap. If it's got any white pasty material, that's an indicator to me that you've got coolant in the oil. Check for leaks underneath, recently replaced parts and any indication of custom parts that have been removed. If it has a 5th wheel hitch or evidence that it had one, I typically walk away. Just my preference, I tow heavy and I don't want a truck that's already done a lot of that. If it's at a dealer, ask for the car fax. If it's a private seller, they should have all records of maintence if they took care of it.
BTW, be carefull over there, come home safe and thank you for serving, it's greatly appreciated.

 

tpc, thanks. Only 2 months I cant wait. I will not buy from anything other than dealer. I knew oil in a diesel turns "black" long before a gas motor and isnt a sign of bad oil/motor. I planned on doing a MAJOR look over as right now I may be driving as far as Texas to get my truck (My current stateside location is Ft Stewart Ga).

 

I window shop on the 'net quite a bit and see a lot of good potential trucks out of the TX and OK region. Good luck with your search.

 

Maybe you can get them to let you take it for a weekend or something and run it quit a bit. I assume you mean you would send in a sample to get analyzed? If so, I like Blackstone labs. Seems like they do a good job.
My '06 turns the oil just as black as if I had never changed it right when I change it and even before I ever start it after changing it. It is nothing to worry about though since as you mentioned it doesn't mean it is 'dirty'.
Thanks for serving!! Keep safe over there and then let us know how it goes looking for a truck when you get back!

 

Depending on your budget you could get a low mile truck? If they JUST change the oil before you buy it i would find that kind of fishy anyway. If its at a dealer it should have been test driven a few times at least.
I live in NE Ohio and kept any eye ALL over CraigsList using searchtempest.com I actually got my truck from Rochester, NY. The guy was selling it on Ebay and I emailed him saying if his winning bidder had any issues to contact me. Almost like fait the winner couldnt give a down payment for like 3 months (thats shady). So i got it for the sellers reserve of 11k$ @ 140k miles.

Dont jump on the first one you see. Keep an eye out on all the sites! No offense against forums but most people on forums KNOW what their truck is REALLY worth OR think its worth more then it is. So you probably wont get a killer deal there.

 

I have been searching since about August of last year just to get idea of prices and where best place to look, not to mention ideas on what to modify.
how can I find places to get oil sampled and how long does it take?
Money wont be the issue as I getting loan, I def plan on waiting till I find exactly what I want. I searched 6 months to find my Jeep. I will be looking at dealer only as I have had/seen to many issues with private seller.


I thought you could rub the oil thru your fingers and feel soot?

 

I would just use 'google' and see what you find.

They all run different lead times. You will just have to call and see how they are doing at the time you want to send them a sample. I'm sure it varies for different times of the year too.

 

No, you are not able to "feel" soot. Soot is in the 1 to 2 micron size. That's the limit on measureable things.
If you feel something in the oil, it's time to move on.
A good thing to do is a compression test. It gives you a quick indication about the engine condition.
The difficulty will be the owner to let you do this.
I want to repeat "DieselWeasels" advice. "Don't jump on the first truck. The more you watch the more differences you will recognize. Just take your time.

 

"how can I find places to get oil sampled and how long does it take?


Money wont be the issue as I getting loan, I def plan on waiting till I find exactly what I want. I searched 6 months to find my Jeep. I will be looking at dealer only as I have had/seen to many issues with private seller.


I thought you could rub the oil thru your fingers and feel soot?"

Wow, where to begin. Almost any reputable heavy truck dealer and all local Cat dealers should have oil sampling. Costs vary on this service. It isn't free. Oil sampling is a great way to see what is in your oil. However if they have recently changed it, very little if anything would show up of a problem unless it was a severe problem. One time oil sampling is snapshot in time of the life of an engine. Sampling is way more beneficial when it's done regularly. It is better at spotting trends than giving an assesment of an engine through a one time sample. The contaminents and things you will see in a sample report are far too small to feel by rubbing it through your fingers. If you can feel it or see it there's a substantial problem somewhere in there. I'm a long time fan of sampling through my military career in aviation and a lifetime of heavy equipment but it's best when used regulalry to develop trends. Hope this helps.
There is some good advice in this thread. Look carefully, oil color isn't a sign of much generally speaking. I would be way more concerned about any history and overall uses of the truck. Mostly the overall condition of it. I know a lot of high mileage trucks that I would have no problem buying. A truck is a tool. Buy a good one and take care of it and it will last a long time.
Stay safe out there.
Ken