Looking at an '09 - what to watch out for?

[ThermionicEmissions]

Hi all, I'm looking at a nice little '09 2wd with the 2.3 4-banger and 5 speed manual transmission and 131K kms (81K freedom units).
Owner disclosed an issue with the running lights, where they stay on even when the engine is off. He said he and a buddy wired up some kinda bypass switch as a workaround . 2 minutes with Google indicates this is likely just a Daytime Running Lights module that needs replacing, which shouldn't be a big deal. I'll have it checked out at a garage, but wondering if there's anything in particular I should look for.
Thanks!

 

[Uncle Gump]

I would say rust issues...

Check core support and mounts... cab mounts... bed support rails.... spring hangers.... and have a good look at the bottom of the doors.

 

[Blmpkn]

What he said.

On my 10' the forward two bed supports were shot, and the core support and bottoms of the door are well on their way.

Don't know how much snow you get where you are, but the traction control system they put in the 07+ trucks really sucks in the snow if your 2wd. Even with a couple hundred pounds in the bed and snow tires on Its still super aggravating.

I pull the abs fuse so I don't have abs/traction/stability control and the truck is 1000% easier to live with when there's snow on the ground. More fun too. Snow drifting and donuts and such. Truck won't allow any of that with the abs fuse in.

 

[Dirtman]

Traction control was only on 2010-2011 trucks.

Also to turn it off instead of pulling fuses there is a neat little trick.

Press that button.

 

[Curious Hound]

If it's been sitting a while, watch out for spiders, wasps, mice and snakes.

 

[09fx4guy]

X3 on what Uncle Gump and Blmpkn said. RUST!

I wash my truck regularly and have always tried to take care of it. My core support is rotting out and I had to do some rust repair on the bed. Make sure to remove the adhesive heat shield on the underside of the bed above the muffler.

Since you are in Canada, I do not know how much road salt they use, hopefully as a 2wd it was not used much in winter.

 

[Dirtman]

Canada doesn't salt like the U.S does so Canadian trucks tend to fair much better than northeastern U.S trucks as far as rust.

The 2.3 is a great motor but check for signs of coolant at the back of the engine. There's a coolant line on the back that never gets replaced and if it's leaking it requires pulling the transmission to fix. Check for oil in the spark plug wells (just pull a plug wire and see if its wet at the tip). The valve covers are known to leak there and are also somewhat annoying to fix. The PCV valve is critical on these engines and again never gets replaced because of its annoying location. Service records are a good to see if these things have ever been addressed.

 

[Blmpkn]

Traction control was only on 2010-2011 trucks.

Also to turn it off instead of pulling fuses there is a neat little trick.

Press that button.

View attachment 44017

Ah alright I thought it was the govt. standard after 07.

As for that button, it doesn't matter if I press it once for the partial deactivation or hold it down to "completely turn it off".. It always comes back on with enough wheelspin.. Or past 30 or whatever.
I don't want it at all. It absolutely does not help where I am. It's a hindrance. Hate it.

 

[ThermionicEmissions]

If it's been sitting a while, watch out for spiders, wasps, mice and snakes.

Oh my!

 

[ThermionicEmissions]

Canada doesn't salt like the U.S does so Canadian trucks tend to fair much better than northeastern U.S trucks as far as rust.

The 2.3 is a great motor but check for signs of coolant at the back of the engine. There's a coolant line on the back that never gets replaced and if it's leaking it requires pulling the transmission to fix. Check for oil in the spark plug wells (just pull a plug wire and see if its wet at the tip). The valve covers are known to leak there and are also somewhat annoying to fix. The PCV valve is critical on these engines and again never gets replaced because of its annoying location. Service records are a good to see if these things have ever been addressed.

Thanks for the detailed info!

 

[ThermionicEmissions]

X3 on what Uncle Gump and Blmpkn said. RUST!

I wash my truck regularly and have always tried to take care of it. My core support is rotting out and I had to do some rust repair on the bed. Make sure to remove the adhesive heat shield on the underside of the bed above the muffler.

Since you are in Canada, I do not know how much road salt they use, hopefully as a 2wd it was not used much in winter.

Fortunately I'm in Victoria, BC. It only snows here a handful of times a year, so rust is rarely an issue for local vehicles.

 

[ThermionicEmissions]

I would say rust issues...

Check core support and mounts... cab mounts... bed support rails.... spring hangers.... and have a good look at the bottom of the doors.

Thanks for the tips! I'll be sure to check all those spots.

 

[ThermionicEmissions]

Canada doesn't salt like the U.S does so Canadian trucks tend to fair much better than northeastern U.S trucks as far as rust.

The 2.3 is a great motor but check for signs of coolant at the back of the engine. There's a coolant line on the back that never gets replaced and if it's leaking it requires pulling the transmission to fix. Check for oil in the spark plug wells (just pull a plug wire and see if its wet at the tip). The valve covers are known to leak there and are also somewhat annoying to fix. The PCV valve is critical on these engines and again never gets replaced because of its annoying location. Service records are a good to see if these things have ever been addressed.

Oh right! The 2.3 motor... so how 'bout this... guy selling it is the original owner. When I asked him which engine it had, he says "a 4 cylinder", which is why I wrote the 2.3 4 banger...
I go to see the truck, and the owner fires it up to move it out a bit from where he had it stored. I'm thinking, that does not sound like an inline-4.
He pops the hood, and clear as day, 4.0 L SOHC. I point at it and look at him with a big grin, and he's like "what?".
Unfortunately, the interior was a bit worse for wear, and it had a couple of electrical issues. Probably nothing major, and kudos to the seller for being upfront about them.
I've since turned my attention to an '07 XL 3.0 V6 with only 119K kms and looks to be in great condition inside and out. This one's an automatic with power windows and mirrors, which are a pretty nice feature when people of different height will be using the vehicle on a day-to-day basis.
As for the 3.0 vs 4.0, I've read spools of threads extolling the pros and cons of each. In the end, I won't be towing anything, and most of my driving will be in the city, so I'm happy to sacrifice the power of the 4.0 for the reliability of the 3.0 (not that the 4.0 isn't reliable, let's not start that up again).

 

[sgtsandman]

“Pulls the rip cord”, let the arguments begin!

 

[Dirtman]

I think we argued over most reliable ranger engines once. If I bought another 2002+ ranger id still go 2.3 dohc. The 3.0 and 2.3 dohc make the same power and the 2.3 gets better mileage. The 4.0 sohc makes the most power but is less reliable.

If i didnt care at all about power and just wanted pure reliable, I'd want a 2.3 sohc. Second 2.5 sohc, third 2.3 dohc, fourth 3.0, fifth 4.0 ohv, and then fight over the nonsense of the rest...

Pure power 4.0 sohc, 2.3 dohc, 2.9, 4.0 ohv, 3.0, 2.3/2.5 sohc.