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Aleeex · 01-18-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

I wasn't sure where to put this, so Im sticking it in the Pete section.

I sold my truck a year ago and have been doing the 7-4 office thing. Its not working. Trying to get back into an office on wheels.

Found a nice (or so I thought) 2014 Peterbilt 579 out in Idaho. Its a 450 isx with a 13sp and 369 k miles. Super clean truck..

Pete 579, click me

VIN 1XPBD49X3ED241943

I dropped everything and started my drive there yesterday at 4am from Sacramento.. 580 miles later I arrive and take a look at this thing.

Some rust on the back around the 5th wheel, rust on axles. I guess I would rather see it than a dealer just spraying some rustoleum to cover it. Front right of the hood, bumper and step seems to have been replaced after some sort of incident. Work it good, hood needs to be adjusted. Paint is very good as well.

Interior was super clean, no smells of any kind. Transmission shifted smooth, clutch was good. Engine had super small lumpiness at idle, smooth driving.

So you are probably wondering, why am I posting this? Well, we get to the good part.

Right away when the hood was open I noticed that the coolant level was slightly higher than MAX line. It was also slightly dark..

Did not think much of it, dude took my license and tells me to warm it up while he makes a copy so I can take off for a test drive.

Fast forward 10 miles later I am back, pop the hood and have slight smell of coolant. Weird, only my Range Rover (bless those german folks for making that engine) smells like coolant after a drive. Truck is at 170* and expansion tank is full. I get them to empty some out and express concern about combustion gasses in coolant. They assure me that they pulled some coolant out and did a combustion gas test, it passed and its good to go. I'm not buying the BS I'm sold, So I ask if I can go on a longer drive. No problem. I grab my laptop and inline 5 and off I go. Look though all parameters and everything is good. Engine was never overheated or abused. legit miles, legit engine/ecu hours. No parameters give errors while you're driving, or acceleration. After about an hour drive I come back and ask them to do the test in front of me. 5 pumps into it truck fails. Combustion gas in expansion tank.

Sales guy says he is clueless about the issue, mechanic says the same. Thanks me for finding the issue, apologizes that I had to drive all the way there and I head home.

Tester he used
link

Moral of the story? Check everything, regardless of what anyone tells you. Follow your gut. This truck more than likely dropped the 5th liner. Even the mechanic said so after it failed the test. I would of been stuck with this truck once I put my signature on the dotted line. I am in no position to buy a project that is going to cost me another 10-20k just so I can go to work. Be vigilant and post VIN numbers of shi#t trucks so other people don't get burned.

Keep trucking.

Blake · 01-18-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

Great catch!!!!!!

Moose · 01-21-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

Everything has a price...

Were they interested in selling it condition adjusted? Or, just park it back on the line and wait for the right sucker?

Aleeex · 01-22-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

(01-21-2018 )Moose Wrote: Everything has a price...

Were they interested in selling it condition adjusted? Or, just park it back on the line and wait for the right sucker?

Offered me a 10k discount.

Not sure how that's worth it when same trucks similar miles are posted for 64-75k and nothing needs to be done..

Aleeex · 01-22-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

But I think they're going to wait for a sucker or auction it off.. just hope people Google the vin

Aleeex · 01-24-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

They lowered the price on it.. no mention of engine problems. They are going for a sucker

Rawze · 01-25-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

(01-24-2018 )Aleeex Wrote: They lowered the price on it.. no mention of engine problems. They are going for a sucker

sad.

Hammerhead · 01-25-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

(01-24-2018 )Aleeex Wrote: They lowered the price on it.. no mention of engine problems. They are going for a sucker

(01-25-2018 )Rawze Wrote: sad.

Sad indeed. Well Aleeex, you have done all you can to warn anyone by posting the ful VIN on this site. If anyone does a search, hopefully they will find it and you will have saved them a ton of hassles...but someone will unknowingly buy it

t700 · 01-25-2018, **(Subject: Pete 579 )**

Purchasing a used tractor is always a gamble.
By doing the inspections that this forum suggests it is less of a gamble.
These new engines eat soot every mile they drive
& even more every hour they idle.
If the tractor has had a working APU from when it was bought new it will
also lessen the gamble, but still used is a gamble.

T700