Jim Warman

One I nearly forgot to mention (and I don't have the tome open at this moment.... = memory thing happening) was a meassage dealing with engne oil dilution or contamination - can't remember the exact wording... I wonder how many times a day we will be saying "yes, this is a normal characteristic when you don't service/maintain/fill things".

The few dealings I had with aftermarket warranty companies had them trying to dictate my shop pricing and repair policies. On top of that, they assumed that I would grant them credit privileges "simply because"... I made sure that I made it abunmdantly clear that any repair was to be between me and the vehicle owner... I would provide any pertinent documents that the warranty provider requested but it would end there. This solved any of those "we don't pay for that"/"but I wont fix it without that" disputes.

The FUMOTO valve has been with us for a long time. It's quite a popular item with some owners (I guess they haven't figured out complex things like a 3/4 inch wrench). I'm not a big fan of them, myself but then I've seen more than one piston cooling jet clinging to a magnetic drain plug for dear life... Starting about page 48 in the owners manual, there's about 11 pages of possible message centre warnings... too many of them announcing to the driver that the truck is about to lack speed and/or power, run real bad or maybe even not run at all. One of my favourite messages is "Enginge turns off in one second".... by the time you read that, it will likely have already happened... Interesting messages include "fuel filter change required", "low fuel pressure", a few messages that appear to refer to EPAS rather than the SuperDuty, a message pertaining to an electronic locking differential as well as (finally ) a message that might help some of these illiterate bastuhds get out of 4LO. I am beginning to think that Mr. Fudd was right.... "Be afwaid.... be vewy, vewy afwaid...".

2011 diesel owners supplement is currently available on OASIS (select "year and model" - "2011 F-350" - "Owner Info"). This should offer at least a little insight into the 6.7. Perhaps Kieth has a spot he can host a copy of the manual for those of us without corporate access?

"Back when", they would send us a trade magazine called MotorAge or some such (they stopped mailing to Canada many years ago). Back then, there were several "business reply cards" included with the magazine... one of them would ask a few questions regarding labour times charged for various operations... one month might be heavy into Toyota questions and the next another brand... some months may cross platform suspension questions - kind of a mix and match. Googling "motor age magazine" gets you THIS - quite different to what it used to be even just 10 years ago. FWIW, Mitch Schneider had a column in MotorAge - I always used to enjoy reading his articles all based on events in his own shop. Back to the topic.... I would opine that this group would use their survey results to adjust various labour ops "mark ups".

Here in Slave Lake, we are north of some imaginary line that the fuel mongers have scratched in the sand... Along about November, they (our suppliers) begin to ship P40 diesel fuel to our facilities. The P40 refers to the "cloud point" of the fuel... the temperature at which the wax in the fuel begins to condense (causing the fuel to "wax off" or "gel") at cold points in the fuel system. In the case of P40 fuel, it will remain cloud free at -40 degrees and will usually still flow easily at temps well below that. P40 fuel is not very much more than kerosene and has a comparably low cetane rating. Fuel gelling is something we very rarely see in our area - but a quill packed solid with ice is relatively common - especially in aft axle fuel tanks without an extended vent. The obvious trade off is that winter fuel delivers less power and poorer fuel mileage than "summer" fuel. FWIW and totally off topic.... at approximately -20C, the 6.4 will barely maintain a coolant temperature of 140F at low idle. Sorry about the mixed metafors.... as a child of the switch to metric, I can often be found spouting little nuggets like "it's about half a meter long - give or take an inch".

Sounds like your problems may run a little deeper. All customers are create equal... some are a little more equal than others.... You may have a problem that is fixable - do that first. The devil you do know is usually better than the devil you don't.

There you go.... Canajuns know it is "voila" rather than "walla". Good catch with the heat gun (my first experience was in about 1985 with a TBI Nissan pick up... I used my loving brides blow drier to spot a temp sensitive concern). Bruce... when you overlay a harness like this (being we are dealing with a VRS sensor) do you twist the wire pair and overlay both halves or what? Reason I ask is because I'm not a big fan of overlaying harnesses as a repair. I have come to the realization that, sometimes, my biggest enemy is me... Why is it that you can proof read something 400 times... but you can't see the typo until you click <SUBMIT>?

Like most others are saying... the aftermarket warranty company can do whatever they like to their customer - IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!!!!! I didn't enter into this agreement... the store I work for didn't enter into this agreement... our only requirement is to perform an accurate diagnosis and a timely repair. Even if it is an aftermarket warranty comapny, it is still a retail repair - Ford is the only people that are allowed to bark at us. If all else fails, I like 'warranty time X 1.4'...

Don't laugh... I've had a couple of people tell me I should run.... I'm just not sure if you Yanks are ready for somebody like me....

FWIW.... someone a lot like me ( only he's a Deutscher Schäferhund - honest ) replied to that thread... He will likely get punted (again) for character substitution... unlike everyone else that substitute characters ( like ** *) instead of actually expressing themselves. In retrospect... the last time that Ford chose to deny message board of my wit.... would I have been treated differently if I had uttered "Oh, Ralphie-poo... you are such a scoundrel" instead of what was to become my epitaph....?

I don't think that anyone at the dealer level can see into those little nooks and crannies that likely exist in any module - not without some directions, at least. At various times, I have had Hotline instruct me to enter a (memory thing) "special functions" menu and then enter what was obviously a hexadecimal address into the IDS... Several lines of information would be presented and the Hotline respondent usually had an excellent grasp of what it was we were looking at. Take a look at the computer you wrote this message on... a few mouse clicks and POOF - you have an "image" of your PCs programming... one you can return to later, if required. Automotive modules have come a long way since the mid 80s... look at what we have now... It isn't enough to install a module and do a PMI... now we are looking at "parameter resets" - basically, we use the IDS to "introduce" Mr. PCM to Ms. ICM. The debate over at the monkeyhouse will always rage on... not because any of it really matters. But because "honest" people will act in a fraudulent manner - and that, gentlemen, is a very, very sad comment on the state of modern society. While I am in the mood for conjecture... I firmly believe that Ford could, in a heartbeat, proove to their own satisfaction, that a particular modification was the progenitor of a mechanical failure. But it would turn into the "test case from hell". If it went wrong or backfired, the company might never recover from the stigma. Are they better off letting the odd stinker through the system? Is any one manufacturer ready to be the leader in such a venture? Remember this... You Yanks have to deal with Moss-Magnusson. In Canada, we have no such burden. Indeed, inspite of what Canucks see and believe, Canada accounts for only about 10% of Fords worldwide revenues. Would the existance of Moss-Magnusson precipitate a legal action... or would the lack of legislation make something more attractive? Vehicle owners.... is one of the reasons we haven't seen a test case thus far because an owner that has had a warranty claim denied hasn't had the where-with-all to register a class action suit of find a law firm willing to battle the big boys? I keep seeing vague references to the "VID Block"... vehicle identification data... in various documents... The PCM and the ICM are two of the most likely repositories of this info... with other modules likely capable and/or actually blessed with copies of this information. Look at newer vehicles... In the past, the PCM was the "gateway" module. These networks are moving away from that and we are starting to see other modules yasked with the "gateway" duties. Can the dealer "see" a tuner? Not without help. Can Ford see a tuner? Ever tried OASIS Quick Start? What the heck is some of that light flashing all about (just before it deplays the VIN, the mileage, memory DTCs and whatever else)? The reason they aren't using this info (as far as we can see it not being used) is because they haven't gathered enough of it..... yet. You can bet your first born.... when this info gets used.... it will be iron clad and incontravertable... What worries me the most about this whole deal (the monkeyhouse) is that I really don't like doing business with people that will commit fraud...

I don't see anything about the '11s on BBAS yet... At the same time, I would opine that both the fuel tank AND the urea tank will fit under a regular pick up box... I would also opine that if they fit under a regular pick up box, they would most likely also fit under a service body... under a flat deck and even under a hydraulic fold up picker. The only challenge(s) may be to routing the filler plumbing and maintaining CMVSS 301 (FMVSS 301 for our southern neighbours) certification. As for high underhood temperatures... way back in the stone ages... back when we all just a bunch of dumb hicks..... if a guy was using his truck as a stationary power unit and the temps got to high.... they would ahhhhhhhhhhh - well, they would open the hood is what they'd do.... (usually at the time they started working to avoid playing nursemaid to the truck). One more vote for "if the salesweasel was any fuller - he'd start leaking....".

If I could recount the number of times I've been told "It's only my wifes car" or "Its only my Moms car" when trying to negotiate a substandard repair.... All I can ever do is shake my head and ask "Is that how you want to treat your <close relative>? We can assume that the car will either wind up in the hands of someone that will substitute aftermarket parts yet wind up costing more than a "front line" repair... or an unscrupulous shop or well meaning but cheap assed relative will empty out the cats. Either way... it should add some punctuation to my insistent call to overhaul our industry. As for hooping anyone good.... mayhaps we should rethink ourselves...

There will never be a "perfect" system... ain't gonna happen... For Michael Moore... Aaron has his point of view... the old guy has his point of view and Tony has his point of view... Now - I am going to tell you MY point of view from MY point of view. Why would I tell it any different? Hey guys... this is waht I think but I must be full of shit because people disagree with me???? Don't you tell us things from your slant and doesn't Tony talk from his slant? This guy is going to spend his money to make a movie he doesn't believe in? Disclaimer... I am not agreeing with his views... but he certainly knows how to get your attention. How long we wait for a doctors appointment has everything to do with what we need done... I can walk into the local clinic or hospital at lunch time and have my blood pressure tested quickly. An MRI or any other specialized procedure is going to take a while longer.. and this depends on the availability of trained people and the availability of necessary equipment. We can fix this problem - all we have to do is throw cubic money at it... Who will step up and sign the cheque?

This could be fun... shit, now I sound like an Xtenze commercial.

As I've mentioned in the past, there are several government mandated inspections that I perform as part of my job... In this past week, I received word from Alberta Infrastructure that the have redesigned the manual I use to direct Out of Province inspections. Some back ground... the OoP inspection is for any motor vehicle (other than brand new) that wasn't registered in the province of Alberta last year. If it was an Alberta car the year before that but was registered elsewhere last year... it is time for an inspection. Anyway... when I say the manual was redesigned, I mean they threw it away and started from scratch. While more up to date and (in some areas) a bit streamlined... it covers more ground (but, as far as emissions tampering is concerned, it is either lacking or open-ended) and addresses more conditions that were left to our discretion (a bad thing in a legal document). One of the changes was to make an electronic copy of the manual available for free and on line. I offer, for your reading pleasure, THIS web page. From here you can access the manual I must use. If you notice, down the left side of the page are several links... These direct us to information that we "SHOULD" know. I am sure that many of you have, like me, encountered motor vehicles that have no business being on the road... I can only offer this in reply. Vehicles that are bad enough must be removed from our compound using a tow truck... once the owner gets it out into the street, it is out of my hands. For those that will offer an anonymous phone call to the authorities... there is little sense in wasting your time - or did anyone think the cops never get "anonymous tips" from disgruntled neighbours? If you are going to give your name and number for one of these 'tips'.... be prepared to appear in court and swear, under oath, that what you said was true...

Aaron... it's just a fucking movie. Maybe it doesn't have glitzy special effects like Star Trek... but it is still only a fucking movie... And it is doing what Moore does best... stirring controversy - and not in some gentile, politically correct way... When Moore serves up controversy, it is like a good swift kick to the 'nads. "Wake up and smell the coffee..." appears to be his mantra. Instead of directing our anger at Moore... we might be better served directing our anger at a flawed social system. As for committing fraud for medical attention? Well.... if it was a splinter or a hangnail or a wart... Probably not. But my wife has had Crohns disease for over 36 years... it hasn't been a pretty affliction and major surgery isn't an "if"... it is a "when" and it has a "how often?" qualifier. Without universal health care, I would be both bankrupt AND in prison for robbing banks. Commit fraud for health care? You fucking bet I would. Tony, most of Canada has been in a "doctor crunch" or many years.. There isn't a doctor I know that isn't performing triage every single day (this is assigning aid based on need). The system has very nearly let us down a few times... but has always managed to gather itself back up and help us out. Health care (and I mean universal type health care) is like education. These two considerations are vital to our countries success and profitability. Without a healthy, well educated population, we are going nowhere. My son has been out of school for several years - yet I still pay school tax - and so I should. Well educated youth are far less likely to become a social problem in any manner than those that have little or no education - skills - or talents for anything other than breaking the law or being a burden on our other social programs. Universal health care is expensive... somebody has to pay the bill. We can design a system that works - or we can keep a system that allows the wrong people to reap profits. Something that many here should be able to identify with. Health care (as health plans are concerned and as Canadians are concerned) is paid flat rate. A check up is worth this much, that procedure is worth that much. In a freemarket system, good doctors would be allowed to set their own rates.... Instead, good doctors are like the automotive techs of the world... the good ones are inundated with the hard to cure cases while the lousy ones have to settle for the money makers (the no-brainer shit, if you will). Fact!! - Fifty percent of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class... which 50% do you want working on you?

Note to self... do not get sidetracked cleaning dog hair from twixt keyboard keys with an unposted message on the screen... Back about 1980 (when many of you young'uns were watching Cosby Kids and stealing Dads Playboys) we built a 4.9 in a full sized Bronco - nothing real radical since it was a daily driver and had to run pump gas. Split headers and an aluminum intake with a 500cfm Holley two barrel - shaved the head a touch and gave it a three angle valve job and some gasket matching. The thing went like jack the bear... but if you think a V6 with duals sounds a bit odd.... you want to hear an I6 with duals. (It would be like crawling into the sack with Jessica Simpson only to find out she has a bigger package than you do...).

Used to be that we would build stuff... You would not believe what Clifford engineering did with the 240/300 CID Ford I-6s... sometimes using stock parts from other makers... This was the remarkable thing about yesteryear... hotrodders would DO something... Today, and I do have to admit that we had our RB stroker short block built for us, we usually find that Joe Hotrodder has gone out and bought a power adder... he hasn't used any real knowledge... he hasn't learned anything (other than having cubic money is good).. and he wont ever be able to progress beyond what someone is willing to sell him... If you want to challenge me in a match "wallet to wallet"... you are going to win (though I will commit myself to making it painful for you). If you want to challenge me knowledge for knowledge...... let's just say that there are some things that money can't buy. In this brave new world of "instant gratification", we all know where my old fashioned pride is going to go... You guys can buy all the power adders in the world... and never hear the ear candy that is a big inch V8 with a really long cam.... You can have a big dick.... or you can buy a power adder.... Happy new year....

A long time ago...03 or 04ish, we had a 6.0 come in with some kind of a problem that required removal of a rocker arm pedestal... (hows that for a memory??)... This was back before I was demoted to foreman... After consulting with hotline, we all came to the conclusion that we would try just replacing the one bolt... IIRC, we still had pilot injection and head gaskets weren't yet a real issue... We left the engine in cold soak overnight and a new set of head bolts was brought in. the one bolt was detorqued and replaced with a minimum of time spent in detorque. Now... I'm not recommending this method one bit... it bothered me then and it would bother me now... But it is interesting to note that I do not recall us ever having to do head gaskets on this truck. I think the general concensus between us and hotline was that if the head gasket failed subsequent to this repair... we had to replace the head gasket anyway... It was a cheap experiment and Ford made out like jack the bear. Now... in Fordtechnicians case (Gad... it would be nice to put a 'real' name to that) I'd bet that the main reason for going to studs is because the problems have already surfaced.. Personally, I would throw a tantrum... screaming that I'm not a fucking hooker and I wont do "anything" for a buck. As trained professionals with reputations to protect, we should be deciding how a repair strategy will progress... not the customer....

Several years ago, one of the glossys ran a whole series on street sleepers... I recall a 67ish Mustang.. running the bottle, of course... right down to the mismatched looking wheels... dented fenders and rusty wheel wells... I like watching computer nerds in their japscrap whing-dingers getting shat on by big inch V8s... There ain't no replacement for displacement...

That's not "proficient"... it's called "wrong place... wrong time... glutton for punishment". Lower management has it's perks.... I just haven't figured out what they are

Kenny and I locked the place up for the holiday... all that last minute silliness... waiting for the tow truck... getting a pissy customer into a rental if available... trying to see if you can get that last minute guy with a "simple" problem back on the road. In everything you do, it is vitally important that you remember that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence... it is just that the light is hitting it from a different angle....

The car is fugly... this does not automatically mean it is slow.... Relating this to real life... cute chicks are great... ugly chicks try harder... If it don't go, you can always have it chromed... You would have loved the old days - especially when it came to the quarter mile... There were a lot of low buck, low tech ventures that featured a "run what ya brung" attitude taken to new levels... multi engine dragsters with mismatched engines made life interesting... hell... multi engine dragsters with matching engines.... One picture I have been searching for was a Fiat bodied rail car from the early 60s... Memory is hazy but I recall either a flathead with ArDun heads or a 392 hemi with a 240 or 300 Ford I-6 in front of it... Knowing the ragged edge of the sport back then, there is a very real chance that the I-6 was pulled from their tow vehicle and installed in the race car at each venue... In 1958 I was watching Popeye cartoons on TV... Popeye was beating the crap out of Tojo and Hitler... remember that whenever you think your youth was fucked up... If Aaron can ramble... I can show him how we really ramble...