Help Needed - diesel mechanic advice

Hey guys, I could really use some advice if anyone is a diesel mechanic with experience in modern common rail diesels...

The details are a bit long and boring to post but, long story short - I've paid a deposit on a 2014 Ranger but the guy has just txt me saying there's an injector fault... I've got a couple of options but need to know whether or not I carry on with the purchase or walk away and try get my deposit back.

If someone who knows stuff could spare me 5 minutes over the phone that would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Adam

i only work on the electric side but whats the symptoms ?
unless its been abused i wouldnt expect injectors to fail this soon

My advice without knowing the details is Walk away! There are plenty of others out there.

All he's said is that the check engine light came on today. He took it to the garage and that they've said its an injector.

Bank on all of the injectors will need replacing, $5k+ if you get the dealer to do it.

How many KMs has it done?

It's a pretty good deal - not outrageously good but good enough I don't want to walk away without considering my options

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Originally Posted by Savage1

Bank on all of the injectors will need replacing, $5k+ if you get the dealer to do it.

How many KMs has it done?

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120k

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Well, "an injector" is (/should) be easy enough to replace.
The question then becomes why it failed. Whether you just picked the 1-in-1000 friday afternoon job one, or there's something upstream (shit fuel, filter) that will see the rest fail soon.
If the garage OBD scanned it, and that was the only thing that came up... assuming he didn't clear the fault codes before taking it in...might be OK.
Your money.

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That is spot on, in the unlikely event it was just an injector, you might be lucky, but if its the pump starting to fail, or something else in the elecrtical system. Can you not throw a good mechanic 100 dollars to have a look over it and advise you?

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Originally Posted by PadLo

That is spot on, in the unlikely event it was just an injector, you might be lucky, but if its the pump starting to fail, or something else in the elecrtical system. Can you not throw a good mechanic 100 dollars to have a look over it and advise you?

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Yes I can, but I need to decide if I'm walking away or making a "worst case" offer to go ahead with sale.

What I don't want to do is have him replace one injector and me buy it needing to do the other four plus the pump in a few months

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Originally Posted by PadLo

That is spot on, in the unlikely event it was just an injector, you might be lucky, but if its the pump starting to fail, or something else in the elecrtical system. Can you not throw a good mechanic 100 dollars to have a look over it and advise you?

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Yes I can, but I need to decide if I'm walking away or making a "worst case" offer to go ahead with sale.

What I don't want to do is have him replace one injector and me buy it needing to do the other four plus the pump in a few months

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Originally Posted by Dorkus

Yes I can, but I need to decide if I'm walking away or making a "worst case" offer to go ahead with sale.

What I don't want to do is have him replace one injector and me buy it needing to do the other four plus the pump in a few months

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That's either going to be down to the experience of the mechanic with that type of engine, or luck. Ask them to replace the injector and see what happens, or provide a warranty with proteca or something for a year at least.

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Really?? Fuck me. A reco set (6) cost me like $300 and a lazy afternoon.

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Not a common rail diesel you wont.

@Tommy is this your skill set? Dorkus would know more if the Ranger had a rudder.

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Originally Posted by mimms2

You may have noticed I'm not a fan of newfandanglery. This is one more reason to add to the list.
For the love of baby jesus, how the hell can four injectors be so much work??!

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All electronic. All matched to piping. Can't just replace 1 thing. All need to be programmed to the ecu to operate correctly. Not a 5min job to replace.
Means lots of labour and specialist tools only most dealerships will have.

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Originally Posted by cambo

All electronic. All matched to piping. Can't just replace 1 thing. All need to be programmed to the ecu to operate correctly. Not a 5min job to replace.
Means lots of labour and specialist tools only most dealerships will have.

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And with pressure high enough to lance your fingers off trying to find a suspected leak, you need to use a uv light detecting leaks, or it'll take your fingers off, over 100 BAR.

There might be something in here covering it. F/B Aussie 4WD Ranger PX

yep well our triton came up with "low turbo boost" on the diagnostic though in fact it was a jammed exhaust gas reticulation valve (due to crap nz diesel no doubt) took a couple of hours a few toothbrushes and a few pints of petrol to clean it. problem gone.
then i got serious and took inlet manifold off and scrubbed all that clean as full of gummy soot.
now i run a small electronic mod that convinces engine management its really cold outside no the egr switches off automatically. more economy, more power and less lag as a benefit

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

yep well our triton came up with "low turbo boost" on the diagnostic though in fact it was a jammed exhaust gas reticulation valve (due to crap nz diesel no doubt) took a couple of hours a few toothbrushes and a few pints of petrol to clean it. problem gone.
then i got serious and took inlet manifold off and scrubbed all that clean as full of gummy soot.
now i run a small electronic mod that convinces engine management its really cold outside no the egr switches off automatically. more economy, more power and less lag as a benefit

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I just spoke to a really good diesel mechanic who clearly knows what's up. He suggested the first thing I do when I buy a ute is have the Ecu remapped to disable the egr, he says it makes a massive difference in power and fuel consumption as well as cutting down on injector issues.

He also said I should pull pin on this deal and get my deposit back - which I have done.

Bailing on it was the best idea, that could have been expensive. Everytime someone brings in a vehicle they've bought with existing faults like that it's been tears in my experience

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Originally Posted by cambo

All electronic. All matched to piping. Can't just replace 1 thing. All need to be programmed to the ecu to operate correctly. Not a 5min job to replace.
Means lots of labour and specialist tools only most dealerships will have.

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We had to do one on our old 2009 BT50 (the POS had so many issues). Was done under a protecta warrenty. Total bill was $1800 + $300 excess for the single injector replacement (warrenty company would only replace the failed one). Ouch. And EGR cooler failed for second time on drive home!! Best advice we got was, "what ever second hand diesel you buy also buy the best/preimum warrenty you can". Our added $1400 to the purchase price but saved us approx 18K over 3 years on a vehicle that was 6 years old (when we sold it) and done 95,000 when purchased and 114000 (I think when we traded it on the Colorado). Modern vehicles it seems cost a bomb, more to maintain and don't last like the old ones, WTF?

And don't forget the standard Ford head porosity and gearbox issues.
They seem to keep those issues from model to model

Nothing wrong with a turbo on a solid engine like those.
Only thing kills them is backyard experts "turning the fuel up"
egt are the killer

All these new diesels require specialist tools only the dealer franchises have, mate of mine had toyota replace injectors etc in his hilux and as above no change left over from about 5 grand. I think common rail parts like injectors etc are due for replacement around 120-140k according to the maintenance programme in the book. I'd pass on it and find another one that may have had work already done on it. Plenty out there, Rangers are dime a dozen now.

I know in the mitsis -2.8 and 3.2-diesels from 92 onwards have issues with EGR valves filling up the intake with soot. You get a 2.8 like mine with some blow-by (they all do that) and it turns to crap.
Best thing you can do is take the intake off, clean them out and block the egr off. I have heard the 3.2's can be really fecked up by it.
also don't touch the 3.2 mitsi diesels if they are pre 2006ish. They have a small ecu thingy in the fuel pump which controls the magic. If they fail its close to 5k to sort.
Unless you get it super cheap and have the coin to sort it, don't touch them.
sometimes old not so good. Its a fine line now between old and reliable/workable and needing too much to keep it going versus newer-shouldn't have to touch it but really hurts if you do.
Ive had to do a head gasket on mine and replace a bunch of stuff after a timing chain let go and put a hole in the timing cover-still needed the pump professionally reset as I couldn't do that. If I wasn't reasonably mechanically handy it would've gone to the wreckers as it would've cost too much to repair

Theres an Aussie company putting the good old TD27t engines into new navaras and tricking them up with all the gears for extended outback trips. Theres gotta be something in that, older but super reliable and easy to work on engines but all the comforts and mod cons of a new ute. I'd have one

@Ryan_Songhurst they are a classic old diesel with a cast iron head-NOT ALLOY. They just don't crack the same.
If any of the 90's or is suppose up till now models have an overheat then you are lucky if you don't do some damage to the head-
The older ones you will probably get away with it and maybe a head gasket.

Mate has a Ford Territory, replaced the front constant velocity joint the other day, had a friend buy the part and fit. About $500.00, Ford dealer quoted $2500.00??? Some of their pricing is ridiculous, engine mounts for my 2013 ranger, $1400.00 ? You have to shop around!

I had a set of injectors in my old 2009 Holden Colorado rebuilt, given the standard Toyota modification? Cause was dirty diesel, but done under warranty, 4 cylinder, cost was $3500.00 for the job the repairer told me?

Sounds like you have already pulled out of the deal.
But if it were a good deal I would have been inclined to say you were happy to buy it at the agreed price if the issue was fixed and you were provided with receipts.

With injectors being a somewhat common issues it'd be nice getting a vehicle with a all new set.