Beware of scammers when selling your vehicle.
In the past 60 days, we've seen the same scam on two separate customers, both elderly and both selling their diesel pickup trucks. Fortunately, they both had presence of mind to call me and ask questions.
Here's the scam. A couple of guys show up to look at your vehicle and one will distract you even if only for a few seconds. During that time, the other person it squirting engine oil into the tail pipe and randomly around the engine compartment and possibly even into the coolant recovery jar right before or sometimes after a test drive.
Then, they'll point out the oil dripping from the tail pipe and all over the engine compartment (in this last scam, also on the windshield and hood insulator as well as places fresh new oil should never be) and there may have been some unusual smoke from the engine compartment during or after the test drive due to where they squirted the oil.
One of them will point out the oil and / or smoke etc. and claim to be or have been a mechanic and proceeds to tell you there is major engine work that will be needed and then low-ball offer you on the spot. They'll will also be rushed to make the deal.
I've been told this is a common and growing scam, (the last was on Facebook marketplace)
Sometimes, it's a little hard to tell exactly what’s going on but in this last case, it was a diesel pick-up truck and the oil all over the engine was fresh motor oil and obviously never been through the (diesel) engine as it too would have been black.
(anyone who knows diesels know that as soon as you change your oil, it’s jet black on the dipstick)
We inspected and found oil was only 6" up the tail pipe, beyond that the tail pipe was dry with only black exhaust soot. We cleaned her back up, drove it and re-inspected and there is no engine problem with this or the other truck from last month.
Be careful out there, folks. They walk among us.
-Scott
All Time Gas and Diesel Repair.