newbie here, looking for help on purchase of 06 sierra 2500

wrecker65 · February 13, 2020

new member here, i joined because i need assistance on the possible purchase of 06 sierra 2500. it has a 6.0 with 224000 and 4l80 transmission ,what should i be looking for and how reliable is a 6.0? has manual shift 4wd ,any concerns with suspension issues? brake issues? beside smelling the tranny fluid for burnt smell, what else should i look for? it has a regular cab with a 8ft box. the current owner said it has a ag hitch on it, 410 rear end and the tires are 1/4 tread. he's asking 3200 or obo. i'm already subtracting at least 500 for tires so would 2800 be a reasonable offer or should i go lower? sometime in the future i will moving out of WI to MO and i'm looking for at least 3/4 4x4. back in sept 2019 i was in MO looking at land and a 99 cavalier is not the vehicle to be taking off road in MO minimum maintenance roads, i'm not sure how i did not rip off my exhaust system or punch a hole in tranny or oil pans. it is hard to find a regular cab because 4 doors do not interest me, anything with a topper are a pain in the arse and funds are limited so anything with a diesel yea maybe but the maintenance puts them of my reach at this time. i'm sorry for such a long post but i wanted to possibly put out as much information as possible. thank you bob

davester · February 13, 2020

The 6.0 engine is very solid. They go a long ways. I would say the transmission is close to being due for a rebuild, assuming it's original. Can't really check anything else with the transmission prior to purchase, as the other thing to do is drop the pan, examine what's in the bottom and on the magnet...

Bring a code reader that can get codes from at least the engine & transmission, and check for codes after at least running the engine and shifting through all the gears, if not after a test drive (as there are plenty of people that will just clear the codes prior to showing the vehicle, only for the codes to show up shortly after the sale)...

Look at the bottom of the water pump if you can (the front diff shield may be in the way), and see if there is a dried or wet line of coolant from it, that's a sign you probably need a new one.

Check the brake lines, as they will rust badly depending on where you are. Look at them as they run along the frame from the driver's side front wheel to the abs controller under the cab below the driver's seat. It also rusts along the frame rail above the fuel tank, but you can't really see up there.

The fuel lines also rust, and people forget to replace the fuel filter (also under the cab below the driver's seat).

The fluid lines tend to seep/leak (power steering lines, oil cooler lines, transmission fluid cooler lines).

The transfer case (TC) is prone to a problem called "gm pump rub". There's several fixes for it, that involve removing the TC, splitting it, installing the fix, then reassembling and reinstalling. See if you can find out if one has been installed already.

Finally, see how much rust on the truck both on the frame, and on the body.

Edited February 13, 2020 by davester

Doonatic · February 20, 2020

Bob,

I have owned my 03 2500hd 4x4 for 13 years. Its lifted with 35’s. In the lifetime of my ownership (13 yrs, 210+K miles) I have replaced H20 pump, xfer case twice, tranny, UCA, ball joints, hub/bearing assemblies, steering components, oil pressure switch, gauge cluster, driver door switch, window motor and regulators, fuel pump, tail lights, headlights, batteries. Yes some of that was from normal wear and tear, some was from theft, some was from poor materials. So i have done a lot to this truck. It is a solid truck, but one I will never own in this configuration AGAIN.

As Davester says, check for the obvious stuff first. Then get into the stuff you cant see (i.e. codes). Ask seller if there is a maintenance log.

The LS (LQ) motors are pretty stout. Its all the external stuff that will start to go first. It all depends on what you want to “deal” with. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions.