The Penske PM trap that cost me a blown head gasket

Last spring I picked up a used Freightliner from a guy outside of Nashville and he swore the oil cooler had been done. Pulled the service records from the local shop and sure enough there was a PM ticket from a chain that rhymes with Penske, but the date was 14 months before I bought it. I trusted it and ran it hard for three months until the coolant started bubbling at a job site. Now I tear every cooler open and check the gasket myself, no matter what the paperwork says. Has anyone else gotten burned by trusting a fleet's PM log instead of popping the cover?

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grayw322mo ago

I get where youre coming from but I dont fully agree. A PM log is only as good as the guy who signed it, and 14 months is a long time for a truck that mightve sat or been run hard. That said, popping the cover on every used truck isnt realistic for most guys, youd burn a whole day before you even know if the deal is worth it. Ive had more luck calling the shop that did the work and asking if they actually replaced the gasket or just resealed it, one conversation tells you more than a paper trail ever will.

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