can you tell if a diesel ever had a programmer installed? - help me pick a truck

provided the 'vous is totalled, as soon as the insurance cuts us a check we're going to look for a heavy hauler. that has raised a very important question that has been bugging me. in the market of diesel trucks, is it possible to find out if one of those programmers/tuners that bro's love to crank to max smoke was installed and then removed?

because i'm looking at crew cab duallies and not extended cab 3/4 ton short beds, i presume most have not, but i don't want to land in a truck that someone had cranked to max power for 150k miles and has every component between the water pump and transmission tailshaft ready to grenade at any point from being driven like a miata in anger instead of a huge tool to get work done and things moved.

the best way i can figure out so far is if a truck has smoked lenses, billet grill, black rims, everything else blacked out, and unnecessary mud tread that i should probably avoid it. hole in the bed with a plate screwed over that a stack used to go through? pass. IE- no brodozers.

i need NO RUST. i freaking hate rust with a vengeance, and i plan to keep anything purchased very long term so that makes me shop out of ohio unless stuff was brought here. the only trucks being considered as mid 2004-2007 duramax crew cab 4x4 dually with automatic, and seat heaters are a deal breaker for me because they make my back not hurt on long trips or after work.

looked at an 05 today and the rockers were about to fall off, it was clearly a cleveland truck it's whole life that the dealer undercoated over the scaly frame to make for good pictures. if anyone is near any of the trucks i post and can put eyes on them for rust, that would be incredible and repaid with beer or food.

some candidates:

2006 in manheim, pa

mid 2004 in lynchburg, va

this one is checking off some of the scary brodozer marks with the grill, blacked out lenses, and black wheels mid 2004 in johnson city, TN

this one is from indiana and is close enough that i would not feel horrible going to look and having to turn around, but has hillbilly cadillac trimmings(stick on chrome) and the worst wheels i've ever seen. 2005 in london, oh

looking to stay under 23k right now, assuming we'll get about 6 from the insurance and i'm selling as much stuff as possible in the next week to get more down payment $. sold the 49 plymouth this morning(i'm sad) and would love the subaru and the 92 3500hd to disappear.

no idea technically, but look for Monster energy and Tapout stickers too

xflowgolf wrote: no idea technically, but look for Monster energy and Tapout stickers too

and sellers with flat-billed hats

I have a programmer. Lots of trucks have them installed and have not been abused. I bought mine to delete the CEL after i deleted the emissions rather than buy another turbo. My suggestion would be to look at the rest of the truck. If it has been looked after then a programmer should not be an issue. If the rest of the truck is thrashed then the motor probably is in the same shape.

Look for bits of melted rubber in the rear wheel wells?

Do programmers help with MPG ? I have 01 f350 7.3 200K bone stock.

stan_d wrote: Do programmers help with MPG ? I have 01 f350 7.3 200K bone stock.

Absolutely.

I get 22 mpg on my '99 F-250 7.3 with 480K. Mild tune, stock exhaust.

I use my programmer solely for the fuel economy gains, not so it can belch black smoke.

I think you are going to have a hard time telling if a truck had a programmer on it. Part of how they work is that the first thing they do is memorize the original program before loading the new. The original program can be reloaded at will, to avoid dealer's knowing the programmer was used (I guess to maintain the warranty).

If the dealer can't tell, I doubt you can.

But I also doubt it will be hard to tell if the truck has been abused. If someone loaded the program to stress the truck, they will be pretty proud of it. They will probably tell you they did it, and still have the programmer in the glovebox. They will think it is a selling point.

I agree with Martin the Bear- look for other signs of abuse.

If the lockup clutch is burned up?

I LOVE my 02 4x4 CC dually w/ duramax/allison.. it does have a programmer thank goodness. The majority of the time it is set to economy. I would also suggest inspecting the rest of the truck, talk with the owner, and not worry about whether or not it has a programmer. I bought my one owner truck from a banker with 133k on it in great shape, but it did have a programmer, otherwise it was stock down to the exhaust.

well, the point is moot here now. i decided, probably wisely, to keep the avalanche for me, get wife the 9-7x, and get an older 3500HD to see if the business plan is feasible. then a couple days later the rear axle exploded in the avalanche. had i bought the d-max for myself and given the avalanche to my wife only to have the rear grenade on her a couple days later, it would have made my life extremely miserable.

My cuz' '98 Cummings 12v ran 10's, got 42 mpg with an enclosed 40' trailer, had over a million miles and only a very mild tune and some tweaking to the erector pump. He sold it to some flat biller from Utah putting the proceeds to a mountain cabin in Florida

Your ship is sinking. Maybe you should paddle harder or chip it.