Powerstroke Pre-Purchase Inspection
Pre-Purchase Inspection?
A used Super Duty can be the best truck you ever buy or the most expensive mistake you ever make, and from the driver's seat they look about the same. Before you hand over the money, have someone who works on these engines tell you what you're actually looking at.
We come to the seller — dealer lot or private driveway — and go through the truck the way we'd go through one in our own shop. You get a straight, documented assessment of the engine, drivetrain, and the platform-specific failure points that don't show up on a test drive. Whether you're local or driving in from out of state to look at a truck along the I-85 corridor, we'll check it before you commit.
Why a Powerstroke PPI Is Different
A general used-car inspection won't catch what kills these trucks. A 6.0L can pass a test drive and have a severely plugged oil cooler. A 6.4L can run fine and be quietly diluting its own oil with fuel. The problems that cost real money are platform-specific, and you have to know where to look.
That's the whole point of this service.
What’s Included
Every inspection covers the fundamentals, scanned and verified, not eyeballed:
We pull and review all codes — current and stored — and read live data: ICP, FICM voltage, oil and coolant temperatures, fuel pressure, check coolant condition and additive levels, and inspect the oil for fuel dilution and contamination.
From there we go over the truck visually and on a test drive: oil, coolant, and fuel leaks; turbo condition and boost behavior; cold-start and glow-plug operation; smoke color and what it's telling us; transmission shift quality; brakes, tires, and a front-end check for play. We review available service history and document any tuning, deletes, or aftermarket work and how it affects what you're buying.
What We Focus On By Platform
7.3L Powerstroke (1994.5–2003)
The tough one, but age is now the enemy. We check the cam position sensor (the classic hot no-start), the under-valve-cover harnesses, HPOP and IPR behavior, up-pipes and any exhaust back-pressure hardware, glow plug relay operation, and fuel pressure — including whether it's seen the blue spring upgrade on the '99–'03 trucks. Coolant additive levels and frame/body rust matter on a truck this old.
6.0L Powerstroke (2003–2007)
The one that scares people, and for good reason. We look hard at head gasket condition — combustion test, coolant pressure behavior, degas bottle activity — and at the EGR cooler and oil cooler, including the oil-to-coolant temperature split that flags a plugging cooler before it takes the EGR cooler with it. We check FICM voltage, injector behavior and stiction, turbo VGT operation, and the STC fitting and HPOP. We'll also tell you what's already been done: ARP studs, an updated or relocated oil cooler, EGR work, BPD parts — "bulletproofed" means different things to different sellers, and we'll sort out what's real.
6.4L Powerstroke (2008–2010)
Runs strong, hides expensive problems. We check engine oil for fuel dilution from regen — level above full and a diesel smell in the oil is a red flag — along with the radiator and end tanks, up-pipes and manifolds, both turbos in the compound setup, and the DPF and EGR system for regen health. Cracked pistons are the platform's worst-case, usually tied to tuning, so we document any tunes, deletes, or signs the truck's been pushed hard.
What You Get
A clear, documented report: codes pulled, live data captured, photos of anything that matters, and a plain-English verdict on the truck's condition. We tell you what's good, what needs attention now, what to watch, and roughly what the fixes run.
How it Works
We come to wherever the truck is, within our service area across Northeast Georgia and upstate South Carolina. This is built for the buyer who can't be there in person — driving or flying in to look at a truck a few hours away. We inspect it first, you decide second.
Inspection pricing depends on the platform and travel distance to the seller's location. Reach out with the truck's location and which engine it is, and we'll confirm a price and a time.
Ready to schedule? Call or text (706)-363-8507 or click the button below to message us. Send the listing if you have it — the more we know going in, the more thorough we can be.