cbriggs Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 So, i had this 05 f-350 come in on the hook last week, 200,000kms , died while driving, smokes, no power, start and stall. Egr valve was hung open. no biggy. Also had P0611, so i performed ficm diag, informed the customer that it also needs a ficm. Customer decided to leave the ficm untill the truck wont run, he cant justify a $1100 part, when the truck starts and runs now (with a new egr valve). OK, whatever. Fast forward to friday, (3 or 4 days later) truck comes back in on the hook, shut it off at a drivethru - wouldnt restart. I finally got time to look at it yesterday. -15`c outside, truck fires up and runs(even though ficm mpwr is at 29 volts?). IPR at 85% all it can muster is 900 psi icp, once eot reached 30`c truck died. Leak test revealed absolultely no leaks at all. Needs hp pump. I happened to notice while working under the hood that there is 2" of diesel fuel in the degass botttle, and the degass bottle and rad cap are all fucked up from the fuel. I called the customer in, stayed 45 minutes late last night showing and explaining to him the problems with his truck and what is needed to repair it, including showing him cuttaway pictures of the heads and where the fuel can get into the coolant, how the HEUI system and the hp oil works. Today he came in and wanted to speak to the General Manager. So I get called to the GMs office with the owner. He states that the head of his truck is cracked because I used ether to start his truck when the hp pump failed. Then he proceded to say, I stood in the shop last night and told him that I used ether to start his truck so we didnt have to push it in. I sayed WTF are you talking about. You will never find a can of ether in this shop, nor has there ever been one. Anybody that uses ether on an engine with (operating) glow plugs is crazy. Then the SM added that he was one of the people that had helped push the truck in.... His Bullshit went south from there. He was asked to settle his bill and have his truck towed off of our property, and he is not welcome at our dealer anymore. What a Douchebag. At least the GM trusts what I say and is willing to take our word. What a shitty way to start the day though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 I'm no longer surprised by the shit we see customers try. It still (so far) rarely escalates to a GM kinda thing but I'm sure it sometimes bounces off the edge of his radar.... It's gonna get worse - honest. Scanned a dudes fleet truck for DTCs yesterday - I always turn off the HVAC and the radio. I told the man it wont be a simple fix (not a driveway fix, at least) and he will have to book it. Bear in mind that he WATCHED ME TURN OFF THE ACCESSORIES - two minutes later, I get called to the counter again - "now his heater doesn't work". I push the button - the heater goes <brrrrrrrrrrrrr> - "I tried that....".... ayup... and the Pope is Jewish and there's a UFO in the mall parking lot, right? Another one is about to have (I can feel it in my bones) a CUDl opened on it. On his last truck (a 6.0), he agonized over the ESOF. This truck (a 6.4), he faithfully checks his oil (something he had never done before) and is convinced it is always overfull... This man and I have a 'history' dating back to about 1982 so I am used to it - I am sure he hates me but he refuses to leave. Bottom line... these trucks are complex and there is no denying that one problem can mask several others. Customers will eventually get used to that concept but we will look like idiots and thieves until they do... We should be good at looking like idiots and thieves... we've been doing it since before I got in the trade. Slopey shoulders.... the shit runs off them. An asset for todays tech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 I still remember the one customer that brought his vehicle into our dealer to have his problem diagnosed on MY dime in this thread: http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/forums/ubb...11479#Post11479 Ever since then, anyone rolling into the shop requiring a "diagnosis" gets a scan test for 1.0 hr. If I have to touch ONE fastener for further diag, extra labour gets charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselD Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 I have a classic from years ago that I have not forgot. It was a 01-02 7.3 that had zero power and would idle ok, no misfires, white/blue smoke from the pipe. Runs just like its got gas in the tank. first thing I check...nope. 1/2 tank of clean diesel. all the basics check out and it should be running fine. just cant get it out of my head that it has to be a fuel contamination that killed all 8 injectors. Go to the customer to ask what type of fuel was being used and if he ever put gasoline in it by accident. He got really defensive could tell he was BSin me and he wanted it fixed under warranty. I was sold on it having gas run through it but I couldnt prove it. I dug around the console and found a receipt for 30 gallons of gas from a small town between phx and yuma. The truck was a mess like he just got back from somewhere offroad. Had the foreman bring up his reciept and talk with the customer. finally admited that he put about 1/2 a tank in before he stopped then put diesel in. Figured it would be ok and drove from yuma to phx towing 5th wheel which is about a 3 hr drive. He ran all the fuel through the tank then put fresh fuel in it which is when I got ahold of it. Sold him 8 injectors and ran like a champ. However I wasted a bunch of my time and the customers time without the correct information up front and he still ended up with the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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