I'm still looking for my first truck, to tow my first travel trailer. I want a duramax/ally but I can't make the $$ work for new so I've been browsing used ads online. I looked one over this afternoon, and I plan to do a more thorough inspection of it this weekend. I also plan to find an independent mechanic and pay to have it inspected by an "expert". Since it's a diesel, what things should I have my mechanic pay particularly close attention to? Some things are obvious, like brakes, suspension, evidence of damage/accidents/replaced parts, etc., exhaust system problems, etc. But I guess what I'm asking is, how important is it for me to find some place to do this for me that's particularly experienced in diesel engines rather than just any local service station such as Goodyear or NAPA or other "service" franchises like that.
Obviously, someone familiar with the DMax or at least diesels in general would be good. They might find something a more general mechanic would miss or not understand. There are some issues with the '01s that might be worth watching for to make sure they were corrected. If it's an early '01 I would want to make sure it has had the single piece drive shaft TSB applied along with updated injectors (they were more failure prone than the updated injectors, but some are still going strong... <shrug>) and all ECM updates. Late '01s and on there are no major issues to look for that I know of. Also look for PM service records and such. That's all I can think of.
