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After my 03 f150 7700 got totaled recently, I am back in the market. I looked at a 2004 F150 XLT Flareside 5.4L V8 24V MPFI SOHC with a 4-speed Automatic transmission. It has 151,178 miles on it. It is priced at $5,000.
I travelled the 1.5 hours to take a look at it today. I called them ahead of time to let them know I was on the way. When I got there they were making a new key cause they lost the one that cranked the engine. Got there around 9:30 and the key wasn't ready till after 12:30. They ended up also replacing the battery.
The vehicle looks good on the outside. There are a few paint chips, a small dent in the front bumper (it looks like someone hit it with a baseball bat). The inside of the truck needed a good cleaning. The driver seat was ripped.
When I first walked up to it, i noticed that the rear tires were completely bald. There was no tire tread left, at all. Not even an impression of where it was. Definitely some tire smoking happened there. The front tires were almost bald as well. But there was at least some tread, I'd say 1/16th of an inch or so. So for sure a set of tires, before I even drove it home.
Once the key was finally done, we started it up and noticed a few things right away. There was a ticking noise from under the hood. My 03 also had that same ticking sound and didn't have any issues (that I was aware of!) so I wasn't concerned. The ticking was not a metallic tick. Sounded more like something hitting plastic. Almost like a valve, but much quieter. It could only really be heard from about 10' away from the engine or closer. It could barely be heard from inside the cab at a idle.
Once I got in for the test drive, I noticed that there was a low shudder every few seconds. It was not consistent timing, but it about every 3 - 4 seconds, but there were times when it was a lot longer (8 - 10 seconds). It seemed to be coming from the floor board. I was able to feel it on the drivers side, but my brother on the passenger side didn't notice it quite as much.
The engine started promptly, no hesitation. Sounded good on startup. From both inside the cab and standing outside.
Once we got on the road, I didn't notice anything right off the bat. The truck handled great, cruise control worked, air condition worked, all the lights worked (except for reverse), nothing wrong from a functional point of view.
The shudder which I noticed at idle, was less obvious and frequent while driving. I tried accelerating hard several times, and the shudder was very noticeable. As soon as I let off the throttle, it went away.
I took it to a mechanic for a Pre-Purchase Inspection. It took about 45 minutes for the inspection. Here is a scan of the inspection sheet that they gave me.
He told me that the shudder could be caused by either a misfiring cylinder or it could be an issue with the cams. He said that it could be a cheap fix ($100) or possibly up to $2000 if it is something with the cams.
My question is this: Are there symptoms that are specific to each problem?
The only other issue with it is that the rear axle is leaking on the right side.
The price on the truck is low enough that if it's a simple coils issue, then this truck may be worth it.
Where should I go from here? Should I just scrap it and run like the Dickens?
2wd or 4x4? If 2wd I wouldn't pay over $3000. If 4x4 and it works as it should, I wouldn't pay more than $4500. This is taking in account the noises your not sure about. It could be a leaking exhaust manifold or a complete new engine is in order. Always factor in the worse case scenario.
At least in my area, that's a very good deal on a truck of that year and mileage, especially in 4wd. 2wds here are worth $7500 with closer to 200k miles. The ticking could be the injectors, hard to say without hearing it myself. They are quite loud on these trucks. Also, the shuddering could be a coil pack. If it has timing issues, you should hear either a knocking noise or the truck will have a diesel-like sound when accelerating. Trust me, I've been there. Easiest thing is, if it gives you a strange feeling, just walk away. Trust your gut when it comes down to it!
At least in my area, that's a very good deal on a truck of that year and mileage, especially in 4wd. 2wds here are worth $7500 with closer to 200k miles. The ticking could be the injectors, hard to say without hearing it myself. They are quite loud on these trucks. Also, the shuddering could be a coil pack. If it has timing issues, you should hear either a knocking noise or the truck will have a diesel-like sound when accelerating. Trust me, I've been there. Easiest thing is, if it gives you a strange feeling, just walk away. Trust your gut when it comes down to it!
Yeah it doesn't sound like a diesel at all. I'm going to try to get it Monday. I won't tell them it may not be as bad as we were thinking. Maybe I will get a better deal!
Edit: I found a video about replacing the cam phasers, and he recorded both before and after. I was able to extract this audio clip (see the attachments) from the video. As far as I can remember the truck sounds like the after. So that is a good thing.
Last edited by Blenderite; 06-03-2016 at 07:57 PM.
Ask him what oil weight he typically uses. I work as a manager at an auto parts store and have seen many people buy higher oil weights to cover up the common timing issues in these trucks. It actually happened to me. The previous owner swore up and down that the engine was perfect. I test drove it and listened closely and everything sounded normal. Came up to oil change time, put 5W-20 in it and immediately upon start up was cam phaser knocking and dieseling when accelerating. Needless to say I was FURIOUS. You live and learn I guess. I rebuilt everything and the truck has been great since.
05-31-2016, 08:01 PM
Buying a Used 2004 F150 5.4 V8 4x4
