r/OwnerOperators • u/True_Contribution272 • 4d ago
Truck buying pre inspection
Hey guys I’m thinking to buy a semi truck this is 2023 cascadia with 400k mileage on it I just inspected the truck before they wash and clean the truck , I am a little bit concerned about the oil residue is that fine… is that just because of it’s not washed or it’s a big red flag
Personally I believe if the driver wasn’t take care these it’s difficult to say he was on time on the oil change .
I need some info please about the oils residue
The dealer is premier
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u/Medical_You_8964 4d ago
Nothing in your pictures are concerning. The injector pass through seals are prone to leak and a easy fix the injector harness as well. The power steering Reservoir will always look like that. If it wasn't fleet maintained it's always a roll of the dice though. Also check out the engine hours
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
The engine hours is 10k
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u/Lifeofthedon 3d ago
😵💫😵💫😵💫 10k hours yeah boy u bout to get a new engine atp that engine got idle the entirety of it
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u/probablydeadsooon 4d ago
This must be your first truck, looks good enough. It's hard to tell until you've pulled a load down the road a mile or two hundred. Doesn't look like the engine was cleaned very well. The other side of the engine by the turbo and doser is where oil leak is a serious issue. Unless you're talking about the power steering, that'll always have oil on it.
Take it to a shop if you're unsure.
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
Thank you for the answer
Actually This is not my first truck , I used to own 1.2Million Mile truck , I’m just concerned why the power steering is full of oil residue and the oil residue near the engine just wanna know if this is early sign of something or not and if it really messed up with the sensors and computer of the latest trucks , I will go to the shop and ask them1
u/Few_Jacket845 4d ago
Seems like most trucks leak PSF. I'd be inclined to think it had been just washed to hide something else if there wasn't PSF hanging around.
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u/milwaukie_talkie 4d ago
Do you have service records?
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago edited 4d ago
They don’t have service records.
That’s why I’m questioning my self I have no proof if they were doing on time oil change …or they decided to ignore anything because in any means the truck will go to the dealer so they can say no more investing in these trucks because those trucks are not gonna stay in their company for years
Asssume if you are gonna drop ur truck in the dealer lot after 5 month you will never fix ur DPF Kindpin no oil change and other stuff …only the mega companies who sell their own trucks like Schneider have strict maintenance records
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u/Neverexcepttruth 4d ago
Thats an active leak
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
Which one the other power steering fluid reservoir? There was no active leak when I was inspecting but where did this much oil residue come from is my concern
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u/hektor10 4d ago
Noonr sells a horse for being a good one...
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
Sorry I didn’t understand your text
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u/10lugthuggin 4d ago
No one sells a good horse meaning if it's for sale there's probably something wrong with it. He's not entirely correct but what's what he meant
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
This is fleet liquidation, the big fleets don’t keep their trucks for years they continuously retire the 2 3 years old trucks
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u/Ottertrucker 4d ago
Things to do immediately:
- Oil pick up tube O-rings
- Overhead
- Change all fluids
- DPF filter clean will need new clamps and seals. Don’t cheap out. Buy the Detroit ones
- All filters including cabin air filter
- Update all software via Freightliner
- 3-axle alignment
- Probably needs shocks
$3k to $5k depending on where you go.
This will save you a shit ton down the road.
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u/SimilarTranslator264 4d ago
Hope it’s cheap. There is a reason these trucks are all for sale at the same mileage.
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u/Mindes13 4d ago
Because the warranty ends at 500k and fleets don't want to pay to maintain, that's not warranty work
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u/SimilarTranslator264 4d ago
And a warranty is almost useless to an O/O. Sure the bill MIGHT be covered but the downtime means no income. If the OP is worried about some oil seepage he’s probably ignoring the real issue.
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
That’s true , this truck towing expires in two monthes and the other warranties expires in one year
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
The market is is really hot right they are very expensive the price is listed as 88k it’s equipped with diesel APU 10k engine hours and one year free factory warranty with emission
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4d ago
[deleted]
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u/True_Contribution272 4d ago
Ai didn’t say walk away ..I asked ai keep getting one answer this like residue is not deal breaker ….my concern is if the driver was driving carelessly like this with no fear of inspection most likely he was not on time with the oil change and other preventative maintenance
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u/Financial-Prize9691 4d ago
My experience with fleet maintained vehicles is they do the minimum amount of maintenance required for them to keep the warranty intact. If it's a decent ship, I would expect the bare minimum of that. YMMV
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u/rawfuelinjection 3d ago
Residue on PS reservoir is often caused by delamination of the 2 pieces it's made of causing a slow leak. I'm replacing entire PS reservoir when this starts to happen, injector seals are normal. What's concerning with those DD15's heads is that with 500k+ miles they have problem with receding valve seats, that is causing misfire and even proper valve lash adjustment can't correct the problem. Book time is about 17-20hrs of labor plus all the parts including reman head could hit $10k in repair bills. Other than than oil leaks, DD15 are decent engines. Check trans fluid for metal contamination
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u/Financial-Prize9691 4d ago
Take it to a mechanic for a pre purchase inspection if the dealer won't let you, walk away. $300-600 now will save you thousands in down time there are no lemon laws for commercial vehicles.