Hello,

Newbie here.
I've been reading this forum for info on buying a  diesel and have pretty well settled on a Dodge I6 Mega cab 4x4.

Now I'm trying to figure out if it makes any sense to buy used or if the dealers are hurting so bad I should just buy a new one. If I do buy new, realistically, what kind of deal can I expect?

Thanks for your input!  

I just bought an '08 3500 SLT QC long bed and an '06 2500 SLT QC short bed at the end of August.  The new truck is actually costing me less than the used truck after incentives and trading in my '03 SLT 3500 short bed.

The bad part is I can't mod the '08 as much as I can the '06.

Your best bet would be to find an '06 or early '07 with the 5.9L if you really want to have fun with modding it.  You could very possibly get a new truck cheaper with all the incentives and rebates being offered, but then again you can't get too crazy with mods simply because they aren't out there yet.


Kris  

06? im just not a big fan of the commom rails. 24v 98-02 to me are the easiest to work on and find/ afford!  

Depends on what u want to do. Theres a lot to be said for a brand new truck, and the 6.7 is a great motor, just dont plan on going to crazy with it unless u dont mind voiding that pretty new warranty. If u are looking to do a lot to your new investment an 06 or early 07 5.9 mega cab is the way to go. Great trucks with a ton of hidden potential and a lot nicer inside and out then there 24 and 12 valve predacessors. Beware the rail!  

i dont know where you you live but just seen a 02 dodge diesel in the swapper for 11,000 its a quad cab 4-4 with think a 6 speed with only 120,000 miles i would not take that for mine its an 01 with 113,000 and have heard of newer ones for not much more  

Thanks for all the great responses.

I'm in Texas, thanks for the heads up on the truck for sale.  If I buy used,  I'd be looking for one with low usage and miles on it.  

So it's a 5.9 if I go used.  How much better MPG does the 5.9 get than the 6.7?  What mods on the 5.9 would  yield the highest MPG?
Can someone  explain the "rail" comment?

What would you look for when buying a used diesel?  would you have a mechanic look at it?

Thanks  

Well some folks are getting great mileage with the 6.7L, others aren't.  Across the board those with the 5.9L do get better mileage than the 6.7L because you can do more to improve it because most don't have warranties anymore.

The best mileage mods for a 5.9L are the air filter and intake to the turbo, intake manifold, and a better exhaust.  Getting the restricted air flow problems fixed will help ease the amount of work the engine has to do just to move all that air.

The "rail" comment is about the '03 and newer Cummins that uses the common rail fuel injection system.  Prior to '03 fuel injection was done by a VP44 or the P7100, aka the "P pump".

The biggest things to look for when buying a used diesel:

- Check the maintenance records, if any.
This will tell you if oil changes and other maintenance was done when it was supposed to be.

- Check the oil.
All dealers will change the oil as part of their inspection.  A diesel that has sat for a while should have clean oil, especially after an oil change.  The oil should be slightly black and not very runny.  It will hardly ever look like new oil unless it has some kind of specialty oil filter system like the FS-2500.  If it's really bad you can feel the particle matter, or soot, in the oil.

- Check the tranny fluid (automatics).
Here you're looking for a burnt smell or dark orange color, both signs of problems.  Also when taking for a test drive take it up a steep hill at wide open throttle.  If it feels sluggish or the engine revs too much, these are also good signs of torque converter and/or fluid issues.

- Check the radiator.
Look for gray oily residue floating in the radiator neck where you fill it, which is a sign of oil leaking into the coolant system.  This is obvious signs of head gasket problems.

- Check the steering.
With the engine off but key turned on, turn the steering wheel left and right looking for play.

- Check the tires.
Look for signs of wear, like tow in/out and excessive wear on the rear tires from burnouts.

- Check for fifth wheel / gooseneck installs.
I've seen quite a few automatic 2500's used for towing stuff where a manual 3500 would have been a better choice, which is how the tranny fluid gets burned up in a lot of these trucks.  Looking in the bed of the truck you'll see where the gooseneck or fifth wheel was installed.  If you're not concerned by this or plan on upgrading the TC and tranny then this won't limit your choices.  However if you're looking for a truck that hasn't been run hard and put away wet then you'll want to pass on this.

I'm sure others will include their thoughts as well, but these are most of the things I look for when I went shopping for my '06.



Kris  

That was a very well written piece MarineOne. MegaDiesel if that doesnt help you with your used truck search not much will. As far as a new truck, your stuck with getting the 6.7 which is a great motor. My friend bought a 6.7 and after about 10,000 miles he started to see 17s and 18s on the mpg display. Before he had been stuck around 15. Still not happy with his new found mileage, mainly because he had seen my truck getting between 20 and 22, he decided to straight pipe his exhaust and do a DPF delete which did void his factory warranty. Since, he has finally cracked that 20mpg goal, and on a recent long freeway trip he told me he had seen 24 something for a little while. None of which would of been possible with the stock emissions equipment plugging up. So good mileage is out there whichever way you go, as long as its not a ford. Food for thought.  

Thanks man, I just really hate seeing someone gets messed over by a dealer.



Kris  

Thanks for the great insight!
MarineOne, your guidelines are excellent and will be very helpful.

As far as the DPF delete on the 6.7, I was under the impression that this mod had not been perfected.   Is the only concern voiding the warranty (and emmissions regs)?

07CH thanks for the info.

John  

For most everyone, the thought of losing your factory warranty on a brand new truck is not worth the gain. But my buddys at the two diesel shops I hang out, and my friend whos already went through with it, are all pretty much in agreeance that its worth it. The DPF delete makes such a difference in the truck, between performance and economy.
As far as i understand the kits that are out from the reputable companys are all well designed, but the trucks computer will throw a code so you have to buy a programmer that will clear it for you. Added cost, but money you wanted to spend anyway.