Stranded me.... Won't fire..... JUST BOUGHT IT!

Oil pan gasket was first?. stick with that. Have a look in that pan. Try not to flush crud thru the motor afterwards.

Get ready to get dirty and learn, you did buy a project.

Lots of info on here and helpful folks. Capitalize your search topics,,the engine seems to do better that way.

I had first typed to yank payment on the check and threaten small claims on the guy for the cost. Lets do this. Keep all of your reciepts. See what it totals out to once it is fixed. No need to show cards just yet.

 

Good way to get arrested for GTA.

On what grounds? Private party sales are as-is with no warranty in most states.
Used car dealer? You generally get a 30 day warranty, and MIGHT have a legal leg to stand on shortly after the warranty of the vehicle was misrepresented.

Private party sale? It's the buyer's fault that he didn't have his own mechanic inspect it before buying.
A lot of people end up with "damaged goods" because they were taken in by a "pretty face"

But honestly... it's a 20 year old truck with 200k on it, and from the appearance (lift, tires), it's had a hard life.

 

All that gets tossed Rich if the buyer can prove fraud. Usually, the seller just in hearing his name is going to get associated with fraudulent actions on court documents will sit up and think about things. Have heard and been witness to these type of actions succeeding in a private vehicle sales where no one seen the inside of a court,,always settled outside thru the lawyer's if it got that far. YOU MUST have your documents in place within 7 days of purchase. It has to be a slam shut case, because they can boomerang you with a slander if you don't win.

State to state is not completely the same,,some hard work involved and it can absolutely get costly.

Now if a used car dealer sells a car privately,,as a private sale and all this takes place, They usually don't make it out the other end so well. A form of the fraud rules kicking in.

Am I A legal specialist??,,absolutely not and don't claim to be. Hell I am just a sucker that did get taken by a pretty face. Still friends with that pretty face, and she is a 25 year veteran of the fraud wars with folks in high places.

 

huh?

There's no way the OP can hold the seller liable whatsoever. Sucks and I'm sorry OP.

You'll spend less on getting it fixed than you will on legal fees that will probably yield you nothing.

 

Actually if he can get the previous owner to admit that he had these problems already, which I believe he did, and also that he didn't disclose them upfront. He does have a leg to stand on. Yes the vehicle is sold as-is, but if all details known about the vehicle are not disclosed then the seller is in the wrong and legally accountable. Trust me, I've been through this exact process in TX. The biggest problem is proving it.

 

Ok I'll chime in since we're going the legal route. OP basically has no leg to stand on in this case. Unless the seller out right admits that he sold the truck knowing it had issues and did not disclose to the op. However I highly doubt op took a recorder or a had it in writing from the seller. OP saw a nice truck. Neglected to take it to a mechanic before he purchased. Is it ethical on sellers part no is it legal. Yes.

But before we go on a witch hunt with the seller. He seems to be keeping communication with the op and that is better than most. Perhaps he didn't know. Perhaps he did. We won't know that until he comes out and says it. May or may not ever happen.

OP I hate that you're going through this. But I would consider it a lesson learned when it comes to buying a used truck, car suv, house. You wouldn't buy a house without an inspection from a licensed contractor would you?

I am not an attorney note do I pretend to be one. Just stating the facts.

 

The seller did admit he was having the same problems, but it was AFTER the purchase. Admittedly there is some gray area here and only the OP and the seller know all the facts.

You don't know legal facts unless you're a lawyer in TX since these things differ from state to state.

 

Very true. it's a very good thing that he is disclosing helpful thoughts. Maybe a feeling of guilt a little?. Regardless, you don't get that help very often.

Yup, In the here and now, you must research your purchases,,if at all possible.

Sorry for the right turn this took Jonathan. Back on track I think.

 

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer/buying_car.shtml

Well it does clearly state to take it a mechanic or licensed professional before making the deal. And lemon law in Texas only applies to a new purchase or new lease. Not a used purchase or lease.

 

Either way. Not here to start a passing match. OP hope you get it fixed and it's not costly to repair.

 

"Just bought the truck on Saturday and ran great, drove fine, so on and so forth..."

OP's words. He'd be wise to spend money on the truck rather than legal fees that will get him nowhere.

Good luck, OP. TW is a great community to help you figure out your truck's issues.

 

At least the OP is willing to do the work himself, instead of getting shafted by the dealer.

 

In Massachusetts, the Lemon Aid Law (General Laws Chapter 90, Section 7N) and the Lemon Law (also known as the Used Vehicle Warranty Law) apply to the private sale of used cars.

**Edit** The buyer can return the vehicle within 30 days and must pay the seller .15 cents per mile for every mile put on from the buyer vehicle since the sale.

 

WOW guys..... I've missed quite a bit on here while at work today evidently!

Couple of quick things. When I went to look at the truck knowing it was old and had miles on it I knew it wouldn't be perfect, and its not. I drove the truck with a buddy, that also used to be a mechanic, for about an hour on side roads and the freeway and even drove it around in 4wd on a construction site. The truck ran like a top. Smooth idle, shifts smooth, no apparent issues. I did notice the oil pan leaking quite a bit at that time which is when the seller told me about the lucas stop-leak.

At that point, I wasn't buying a home so I didn't have the home and foundation equivalent inspector look at this truck, it wasn't a $200,000 truck, I paid $3,000. Not a huge investment for the going rate of these trucks in our area.

The seller was more than forward with me about past repairs and recent issues. He sent me a ton of receipts today in the mail for parts he's bought over the last two years (he gave me everything, lol) and said he was looking for a few other items. He's been extremely helpful.

Also, I truly appreciate the temporary thread hi-jacking pertaining to legal ramifications; however, I bought the truck and am not looking to place blame at all. I'll gladly sleep in the bed I made.

I really like the truck and am prepared to deal with the current and future issues. I'm a toyota fan regardless of the situation. This is my 4th Yota pickup and I'm 31..... I Like Em'

 

Back to business, anyone know where I can find a microfiche online to look for part numbers?

Headed out to the garage to continue to diagnose...... I'll snap a few pictures and post after while.

Thanks again for all the input gentlemen.

 

^^

There's more to it than that, but people around here that sell a vehicle really just hope and pray nothing fails or breaks in 30 days of getting rid of their vehicle.

 

Check the EGR valve is moving freely and look for burned engine wiring around the valve. Other than that maybe ECT switch and/or ignition module. Just guesses and I'm probably WAY wrong. Good luck.

 

It's not microfiche... it's PDF. But see attached

 

You Da Man!

 

OP, I like your attitude! With that positive thinking and with the knowledge of the folks on TW, you'll get it done. Good luck and enjoy pal.