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Pre-Buy jitters, Reliability nightmare horror stories... Please Help.

MaverickH1

Member
345
6
18
Location
Roanoke, VA
If you take any vehicle on the market, and give it to 300 separate 18-21 year old men and tell them to drive through a war zone and someone else will maintain it and pay for the damages… you’re likely to end up with some horror stories. When you neglect machines but keep them in service, more horror stories. When the vehicles require training and finesse to smoothly and gently get over obstacles where most people want to use momentum and throttle out… you’ll end up with some horror stories. When you have a vehicle rated for 10,300 lbs and loads it to nearly that capacity and does all of the things listed above, you'll have horror stories.

There are things about the HMMWV that are different than other cars. And as another poster alluded to, this sometimes makes them more complicated. But there are Hummer H1s out there with verrrry high miles. The highest documented at 782,000: http://www.humvee.net/hmh.html

The Hummer H1s are already well into the world of collector status. They also have a rabid following of guys who work to keep them on the road. Personally, I have been on the Hummer Network forums as much as on here. Most of the mechanical problems they face will get you prepared, but the electronics are much different. I highly recommend reading and lurking over there.

While my low beam/high beam switch might be less reliable than a Jeep Wrangler’s… mine is JUST a low beam / high beam switch instead of a combination turn signal/hi/low/windshield wiper/fastfooddelivery/Bluetooth switch. It takes two screws to get to and the wiring is clearly labeled and wiring diagrams and technical manuals are free. So even if it lasts 60% of the time of a Wrangler one… it takes 2.3 minutes to disassemble and diagnose if I go to the fridge to get a beer in the middle of it.

The same can be true of the main computer. The same for the windshield washer pump. Etc, etc.

And there’s no telling who may have screwed what up. If it has 2,500 miles on it, are those real miles? Does the engine have 2500 hours on it? Did it have water in it? Did they disconnect the batteries when unplugging electrical things? Etc. Etc.

And one of the biggest advantages to me? It was made almost exactly the same way for 30 years. Compare that to almost any consumer vehicle that might get redesigned every 6 years, thus resetting the knowledge base and reliability reputation of the vehicle. At the moment, parts are very easy to come by for everything I needed except for obscure body configuration parts. And if you can’t find the parts, it’s often possible to have them made pretty easily. The biggest advantage to me is that knowledge base I alluded to earlier. I challenge you to have a problem that stumps the experts on these vehicles.
 

infidel got me

Well-known member
1,679
32
48
Location
Newberry, Florida
I drive mine everyday-- so it's a daily driver. Anywhere I would drive my f-150. The truck is only as reliable as you make it. Maintain your vehicle and all is good!!!!!!!
 

Wire Fox

Well-known member
1,252
161
63
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
I mean how do I know the timer engaged if the fan is not already on?

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Well, if the fan isn't running when you enter the water, it's extremely unlikely to start running. Think about how much additional cooling that the body of water provides and how rapidly your engine temperature will drop. As always, slowly enter the water with caution and you shouldn't have any trouble. You have several seconds from when you hit wide-open throttle to when the fan will potentially re-enable, so blip it and then roll into the water.
 

911joeblow

Active member
508
68
28
Location
Utah
I have had trucks show up with a gallon of water in the oil pan, no fluid in the tranny, planetaries empty, muddy water used as coolant, driveshafts bent, fuel tanks full of dirt/mud/rocks, frames twisted, oil coolers bypassed, fans disabled, and much more. The grunts and mechs can be really hard on these trucks. First time buyer might want to consider buying from an individual or shop vs auction to avoid the above.

That being said there are good trucks out there but you just never really know.
 

StackJ

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
172
-2
16
Location
SoCal
Juan, not that I would ever do it but I'm still trying to figure out how you got 69 mph without bouncing off the road! IBID for my limited experience. Go for it. We are 7 months into ours and my wife finally drives it to the store once a week. Its hers anyway. Everything is hers for that matter....
 

juanprado

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,605
2,898
113
Location
Metairie/La (N'awlins)
Juan, not that I would ever do it but I'm still trying to figure out how you got 69 mph without bouncing off the road! IBID for my limited experience. Go for it. We are 7 months into ours and my wife finally drives it to the store once a week. Its hers anyway. Everything is hers for that matter....
Honestly don't know. When I picked it up and drove home I got 65 on I-10 from Ft Polk to New Orleans on the original goodyear radials and it did not ride bad. I have one of those gps/speedometer apps on phone. Since then, I put the bajas on 24 bolt rims and since they are taller I picked up a few clicks. I did have the tires balanced. On the first mile I an feel it riding harder then it evens out. I have not turned up fuel and have a 6.2l with 3 spd.

I was also paranoid since others reported the motor will explode but I added a tach and looks like 3400 at top speed for me. Max rpm has been posted by others at 3600. Chase car has confirmed phone app. I run 35 front and 40 psi rear.

I am just plain lucky and got a good one is all I can think. :)
 
Last edited:

MaverickH1

Member
345
6
18
Location
Roanoke, VA
Honestly don't know. When I picked it up and drove home I got 65 on I-10 from Ft Polk to New Orleans on the original goodyear radials and it did not ride bad. I have one of those gps/speedometer apps on phone. Since then, I put the bajas on 24 bolt rims and since they are taller I picked up a few clicks. I did have the tires balanced. On the first mile I an feel it riding harder then it evens out. I have not turned up fuel and have a 6.2l with 3 spd.
I was also paranoid since others reported the motor will explode but I added a tach and looks like 3400 at top speed for me. Max rpm has been posted by others at 3600. Chase car has confirmed phone app. I run 35 front and 40 psi rear.

I am just plain lucky and got a good one is all I can think. :)

My M1123 runs 2500 RPM at 65 MPH and I think THAT'S fast in it, haha!

I find myself petting it saying "easy girl, easssyyyy... not much longer now..." :gimp:
 

sully199

Member
170
6
18
Location
coral springs Fl
My HMMWV is my daily driver, and I drive 60 miles a day. the only thing I have had to do so far is put in a new Generator, and she got the 12k service. My shop, we restore hmmwv and hummer H1's. I have 10 other customers with hmmwv's and the only problems 2 of them have had is control box issues. My shop is near the beach in Ft Lauderdale, and like I tell my customers that are only here during the winter, cars are meant to be driven, the hoses need the hot fluids to go through them, its not the best thing to have vehicles sit in one place for months. I would buy another one in a heart beat, but I do own 4 currently
 
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