Life Expectancy of a 6.5 L Diesel

[bmac]

You see alot of pre-owned H1s advertised that have realtively low mileage for that particular model year vehicle. 30K, 40K, 50K miles on a vehicle that is 4 to 8 years old. Personally, I have only purchased 1 used vehicle, but it was only for fun - not a daily driver (MGB). But I don't think I would ever consider buying a used vehicle with a gas engine with this type of mileage.

I know historically, diesels have a reputation for lasting a long time. 200K miles and more is not unreasonable. Are the 6.5 l turbo diesels in the H1 likely to enjoy a similar life expectancy if properly maintained? Hummer seems to have used the same engine for some time so I would guess that durability has factored into this. My thoughts are that a diesel is just getting broken in good at 30K miles.

I've been on the fence re: buying an H2. Just out of curiosity,(as a response to some posts I have seen on this forum) I've been checking E-Bay and have seen some 97 to 2001 models with realitively low mileage that appear in the photographs to have been well-cared for. Many of these can be purchased for the same or lower price than a new H2. So, the idea of owning a brute-force, take-no-prisoners, you-don't-see-one-everyday truck like the H1 for a price in the mid $50K is on the surface appealing. And I am fully aware of the reputation the H1 has for being a money pit, rough riding, noisey behemoth. But they look so cool I'm having a hard time putting these crazy thoughts to reat. I put less that 8K miles/year on a vehicle so its not like I've got a long commute to work each day. Parking is a non-issue (at work) and my kids would love it (can't say the same for the wife).

Would 70K miles on a 97 model scare you? 50K on a 99 model? In other words, at what point do you consider the mileage risky on the H1?

I know that a vehicle that is intended for off-road use could have a history that may make generalizations impossible. I also realize that there are probably many of these trucks that have only seen asphalt. Therefore, I hope some meaningful feedback is available here.

Thanks in advance.

[bmac]

You see alot of pre-owned H1s advertised that have realtively low mileage for that particular model year vehicle. 30K, 40K, 50K miles on a vehicle that is 4 to 8 years old. Personally, I have only purchased 1 used vehicle, but it was only for fun - not a daily driver (MGB). But I don't think I would ever consider buying a used vehicle with a gas engine with this type of mileage.

I know historically, diesels have a reputation for lasting a long time. 200K miles and more is not unreasonable. Are the 6.5 l turbo diesels in the H1 likely to enjoy a similar life expectancy if properly maintained? Hummer seems to have used the same engine for some time so I would guess that durability has factored into this. My thoughts are that a diesel is just getting broken in good at 30K miles.

I've been on the fence re: buying an H2. Just out of curiosity,(as a response to some posts I have seen on this forum) I've been checking E-Bay and have seen some 97 to 2001 models with realitively low mileage that appear in the photographs to have been well-cared for. Many of these can be purchased for the same or lower price than a new H2. So, the idea of owning a brute-force, take-no-prisoners, you-don't-see-one-everyday truck like the H1 for a price in the mid $50K is on the surface appealing. And I am fully aware of the reputation the H1 has for being a money pit, rough riding, noisey behemoth. But they look so cool I'm having a hard time putting these crazy thoughts to reat. I put less that 8K miles/year on a vehicle so its not like I've got a long commute to work each day. Parking is a non-issue (at work) and my kids would love it (can't say the same for the wife).

Would 70K miles on a 97 model scare you? 50K on a 99 model? In other words, at what point do you consider the mileage risky on the H1?

I know that a vehicle that is intended for off-road use could have a history that may make generalizations impossible. I also realize that there are probably many of these trucks that have only seen asphalt. Therefore, I hope some meaningful feedback is available here.

Thanks in advance.

[bmac]

You see alot of pre-owned H1s advertised that have realtively low mileage for that particular model year vehicle. 30K, 40K, 50K miles on a vehicle that is 4 to 8 years old. Personally, I have only purchased 1 used vehicle, but it was only for fun - not a daily driver (MGB). But I don't think I would ever consider buying a used vehicle with a gas engine with this type of mileage.

I know historically, diesels have a reputation for lasting a long time. 200K miles and more is not unreasonable. Are the 6.5 l turbo diesels in the H1 likely to enjoy a similar life expectancy if properly maintained? Hummer seems to have used the same engine for some time so I would guess that durability has factored into this. My thoughts are that a diesel is just getting broken in good at 30K miles.

I've been on the fence re: buying an H2. Just out of curiosity,(as a response to some posts I have seen on this forum) I've been checking E-Bay and have seen some 97 to 2001 models with realitively low mileage that appear in the photographs to have been well-cared for. Many of these can be purchased for the same or lower price than a new H2. So, the idea of owning a brute-force, take-no-prisoners, you-don't-see-one-everyday truck like the H1 for a price in the mid $50K is on the surface appealing. And I am fully aware of the reputation the H1 has for being a money pit, rough riding, noisey behemoth. But they look so cool I'm having a hard time putting these crazy thoughts to reat. I put less that 8K miles/year on a vehicle so its not like I've got a long commute to work each day. Parking is a non-issue (at work) and my kids would love it (can't say the same for the wife).

Would 70K miles on a 97 model scare you? 50K on a 99 model? In other words, at what point do you consider the mileage risky on the H1?

I know that a vehicle that is intended for off-road use could have a history that may make generalizations impossible. I also realize that there are probably many of these trucks that have only seen asphalt. Therefore, I hope some meaningful feedback is available here.

Thanks in advance.

[frank6150]

Damn good questions is all I can say! I am very curious as to what the answers will be as well.

[It\'s a Dry Heat]

I don't have the answers myself except to read the message forum. But one thing I hear them say is to stay at or above 1998. Most of the important things have been done by 1998. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[HUMMERDOGG]

In my research of this very topic, I have learned that maintenance record history is a must. If the thing hasn't been maintained then plan on paying the reaper which is where you end up getting alot of the horror stories from humvee.net. It's from guys who bought used vehicles that weren't maintained. Like you, I will drive the vehicle sparingly since it will be my second driver. I thought I had a 2002 Wagon with 6,500 miles bought for $54K +TTL but the deal broke apart over the weekend. The person insisted on only taking $59K for it and neither of us would budge. The H1's residual values keep dropping extremely hard so you should be able to get what you want at a price that works for you. Just keep in mind, the more miles on it, the more chance of maintenance issues due to poor owner upkeep. Also, be careful of buying a used 1998-2001 with mileage under 50,000 due to the issue of the #8 cylinder being bad and requiring a completely new motor. I'll let one of the more knowledgeable guys on here address that problem.

[ssgharkness020147]

I bought my 98 with 71K on the it and have only had to replace the FSD, which is a the computer module on the injector pump (a VERY common problem). I am about to roll over the 81K mark in the next week or two and the only other thing that I have noticed is that the truck burns 1.5-2 qts of oil between changes. That is out of spec but I dont mind having to top it off every now and then. The 6.5 is an all around good engine, but it leaves alot to be desired in the performance catagory. The main issue is the blocks cracking this was not fully cured until 01, on the plus side most used trucks have the updated engines already. The way to make sure that you do not have this problem is to update the cooling system. The high flow water pump from Kennedy diesel along with the external cooling kit for the two rear cylinders will cure the cooling problem. If a 6.5 is properly cared for it should go at up to 250K. I would give a HUMMER engine a lifespan of 200K if the engine is well cared for. Someone on Humvee.net got 150K out of theirs others have over 120K and have reported no problems. I have seen some that have gone to over 600K, but not in a HUMMER. The 6.5 has to work alot harder to move a HUMMER around then it does to power a pickup. In my opinon to get the max life out of a HUMMER engine you have to run it in the RPM spec (reccomended operating range is 2450), maintain the engine and truck on the "severe maintinence" shedule, and add the cooling kit.

[bmac]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Also, be careful of buying a used 1998-2001 with mileage under 50,000 due to the issue of the #8 cylinder being bad and requiring a completely new motor. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry for this question but, what are the symptoms of a bad #8 cylinder? Can this be diagnosed by a dealership? Would this type of failure cause one to be stranded or just experience a loss of power? Is there a range of engine serial numbers that exhibit this flaw and would a dealership have that information available?

Thanks for the help.

[Webman]

bmac:

If you want more info on H1s go to the following link.
http://www.amghummer.com/humdefault.htm

Everything you need to know about years to buy and look for can be found on this site as well as what to look for in the number 8 cylinder.

I bought my H1 about three years ago. It is a 97.5 with all the upgrades done and the motor replaced. I agree with Carey it should go over 200K miles.

The other mailing list has much more info on H1s, including a list of high mileage hummers.

http://www.humvee.net/hmh.html

Check out the two links and this should help answer some of your questions.

[Yetti]

having previous experience with the GM diesels the 6.5's have the best rep. the older ones had bearing trouble `91-`94, and then the first of the electronic pumps had a terrible time, but all in all a well maintained engine should last 200k, but the fuel system is the weakest link, I have replaced so many Injection pumps I lost count. the worst thing is when they sit for long periods without having the fuel treated. its so close to being a full organic that it grows bacteria in the tank, it then will travel through the system to create trouble like poor performance and then fuel starvation(whitch wipes out the lift pump & the Injection pump), if you treat your fuel about every other fill up with good additive(anti microbol) and never park it for long periods without treatment it might last forever.

[ssgharkness020147]

It has been agrued that the reason that the injector pumps on the 6.5 fail so regularly is because the heat generated by the two 500 watt transistors on the FSD generate exsessive heat that eventually fry the optical sensor inside of the injector pump. The best way to avoid this is to mount the FSD on a remote heat sink, which will take alot of heat off off the pump and cool the FSD down preventing premature failure of the FSD and the injector pump.

[Texas Red]

Hmmmm.