Newbie with Questions

[FORD MAN]

I am looking at an 05 Expedition with 200k.

What do I need to look out for before buying?

I know the 5.4 has tensioner issues, which owner has said he replaced.
How can I tell if it was replaced?

Truck is in excellent shape otherwise.
He says the water pump has been replaced also.

Once a tensioner has been replaced is this a recurring issue or does that solve that problem?
Thanks for any help letting me know what problems may exist with the 05.

 

[superduty4x4]

At 200K I would go over the chassis wear points with a fine tooth comb- ball joints, tie rod ends, shocks, sway bar end links and bushings, etc. See if you can find a tire shop that will put it up on the lift for you and give a good once over, I did this with the 06 Expedition we bought not too long ago and found a few worn out parts that I was able to use as a negotiating point on the price. Check the tires for uneven wear and cupping indicating alignment issues. Check the fuel pump driver module for corrosion- http://www.expeditionforum.com/f41/crank-no-start-p1233-fuel-pump-driver-module-22543/#post182030. Check the transmission fluid for proper level and color. Check the engine oil for proper level and color. Other common issues with these vehicles:

Radio display may be dim or not light up, cheap fix if you can solder
Rear wiper doesn't work and window washers don't work- cheap fix because the rear wiper motor is probably unplugged
Rear wiper motor tries to work but all you hear is a click or a thunk- the wiper tranmission (no I'm not making that up) is full of crud and needs to be cleaned out (I don't have a link for this one). Easy test is pop the glass and try to move the wiper by hand, it should move easily. If you have to force it then the wiper shaft is caked with corrosion.
Try to get a peek at the plugs and see if they have been changed (at 200k I would hope they have at least once)
If it has power adjustable pedals and they don't move more than 1/2" or so the gear that drives them is cracked, there is a member on the forum that sells a bronze replacement gear that won't break

Hope I didn't overwhelm you and you find the info I posted useful.

 

[Skauber]

Also, run it until hot and let it idle. Listen for the phaser knocking, if it's bad they may have to be replaced. It's usually worst on the passenger side.

 

[GAINMOB]

Go to main page...it is broken down by generation which u have 2nd gen...there is a sticky thread that a lot of ppl have put info on that tells what to look for...

 

[GAINMOB]

Plug intervals are 100k i believe so i would change them regardless...do u have an owners manual?