Looking at buying a 2003 2500HD (6.0L/5-speed)

mpelley92 · February 21, 2018

Hey guys, it's going to be my first time looking at a truck. It's a 2003 GMC 2500HD with the 6.0L Vortec and the NV4500 transmission, a 5-speed. It's a 3 hour drive away so I'm trying to figure out what it's worth and what I should watch out for when buying it. It's a crew cab long box with 162,000 miles. From what he tells me the truck won't go into 4 Low, only 4 High. Which is my first worry. Wondering if it's even worth the trip to go see it.

Any help at all would be appreciated.

casey.mikl · February 21, 2018

4500 and 6.0? Sounds like a bullet proof combination to me. 6.0 is a great power plant.
My assumption on the 4 low ordeal would be the actuator for the transfercase. Long box with 4 door is telling me is possibly work truck model? I have a 2011 ex cab with 6.0 and it’s a good motor. No issues, plenty of power. It’s a work horse that’s for sure.

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davester · February 21, 2018

well, it really depends on what you are looking for/need it for, how much he wants for it, what condition the vehicle is in.

I'd find the best code reader I could and scan the computers in the truck (there's 10+ computers) to see how they all are working (cheap, basic ODBII ones only get codes from the ecm).

Brake lines tend to rust out, easy to check the 4 lines (2 from master cylinder, 2 from front wheels, as they run along the frame from the driver's side front wheel to the ABS controller under the frame beneath the drivers seat), also along the frame above the fuel tank (difficult to see).

Expect to have to do the front suspension (inner/outer tie rods, ball joints, pitman & idler arms).

mpelley92 · February 22, 2018

The main reason to be buying such a truck is to haul the contents of my home across the country, approximately 6500 km, this coming summer. The seller is asking just north of $5000. Looks as if there are some dents and scrapes as well as some cracks in the windshield. I've always said if I was going to buy a truck it was going to have a manual transmission. I'm not a fan of automatics.

davester · February 22, 2018

Then:

1. Definitely check the brake lines before buying it. And make sure the tires look decent and are the correct size and rating (last thing you want is for it to have under-rated tires while you are hauling your stuff across the country).

2. Take it to a mechanic with a good scanner or gm/chev dealer (they'll have a techii) to get it scanned for codes

If you then decide to buy it, change all the fluids (engine oil, transmission oil, transfer case, both diffs, brake fluid, power steering fluid, grease the steering bits and the driveshafts ujoints if they have nipples), check the brake pads on all 4 wheels and replace as necessary. Then drive it around locally for several weeks, particular on the highway for an hour or two at a time, see how the engine and transmission temps go (should go to the middle of the range and stay there). Then you'll find out if this truck is likely to be able to get you across the country or not.

I would highly recommend just buying it and then start hauling a$$ across the country... Whatever it costs to make sure the the truck is working decently will be WAY cheaper than towing, parts and labor in the middle of nowhere...