new computer installation

[04birdman]

Re: new computer installation

was it the harness???? or what?

[LOP]

Re: new computer installation

awaiting the full write-up.

[Welker]

Re: new computer installation

Ok, here is the almost full write up. The dealer is having a meeting today and has all the information, and then some, that I am posting here. He is the owner and I spoke with him yesterday and gave him as much info as I could and I emailed him what I am posting now. He is going to call me later today and tell me what he wants to do about the situation. I'll let you know. He's an honest guy and has a good reputation. Here goes the email I sent him yesterday.

Thanks, XXXX, for returning my call. Here is the story as best as I can put it together. I told you that about 95k miles an ignition coil(COP) was replaced under a Ford extended warranty applied to a problematic aspect of the engine shared with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S. No problems. I note here that the transmission fluid should have been changed at 70k miles and was not even though Tim knew how important it was to me to keep this car in as good a shape as possible for as long as possible. I really ant to keep this old bird going.

We had a problem earlier with the cooling system which you took care of. When the car overheated in Phoenix and had to be towed back to you, you repaired it again and paid for the tow and I appreciate that.

At 99997 miles I brought the car in for the 100k mile tuneup which you performed. At 100,072 miles the car went into limp mode and I brought it in and left it.....I think on February 4th. You kept it until March 30th.

During that time I was told all sorts of things you were working on. First, 7 of the 8 COPs failed and were replaced. Then, he diagnostics showed that the problem of failed COPs still showed on the diagnostics and the problem was in the computer which you said you replaced. The problem, after computer replacement, persisted and was eventually identified as probably related to a faulty engine wiring harness which was no longer available from Ford and you were searching for one. I did try myself to find one and was told by a manufacturer/repairer in Elgin, Ill that the harness is not usually the problem with the symptoms as I related them. As I told you, I knew nothing about any of these issues until this came up and am far from an expert now.

At any rate, I was eventually told that since Ford did not have a harness available, your service department could no repair with an after market part and Nick in service took the car, at my request, out to Autoworks in Prescott Valley.

Autoworks has repaired the car and it is now running well. I was told by Autoworks a number of troubling things. First, the original computer module had never been removed. Autoworks removed it and replaced it and the major problem was solved. Further, all eight plugs, new less than 100 miles earlier, showed significant wear, one was sitting in water when Autoworks got the car(it is visibly rusted), more like 30kmiles than less than 100. They replaced al eight at my request and following their recommendation. Two of the COPs needed replacement, both having damaged covers on the plugs and Autoworks said that while the COPs were clean, they were not new as I was told they were, having been replaced at the beginning of our search for a solution to the problem. Further, Autoworks installed a "boot" of some kind which was to help protect the COPs and should have been installed by you as it was the subject of a service bulletin dated 22 August, 2005. I should say here that I wonder how much of this could have been aboided if that bulletin had been responded to in the first place.

I have all the parts from the Autoworks repair and they said they would be happy to provide what detail you might need t clarify all this. The total repair from Autoworks came to $1,960.86 and dit included the replacement of all eight plugs which were a part of the 100k mile tuneup which you performed.

In any event, that's about as clear as I can make it. As I said, I am not trying to implicate anybody but I cannot believe you would not want to know about this situation.

Thanks for looking into it.


So....we'll see. I'll let you know the result of his meeting today with his people involved in this. Anybody learn anything from this?

[007Cruiser]

Re: new computer installation

Yup, I had a similar problem with my Cadillac dealership or stealership. Part of why I now have my Chrysler.

[LOP]

Re: new computer installation

Thank you for sharing. Good Luck on resolution.
I did learn something from this.

[Welker]

Re: new computer installation

The dealer/manager/employees et al had their meeting and the net of all is that they are blameless but sorry for all the trouble and are reimbursing me $150 for the diagnostic work done earlier. The manager claims they could not find a computer module but I have seen the box it came in to the shop that repaired the car and it came from the dealership. He was going to "look into that". I guess that would be just after we see the pigs fly. Stealership is right....I told the manager that it is clear that the main purpose of the service department is to get as much as possible from the customer at the least cost and effort to them but they need not worry about me any longer because they will never see me again.

I told him the main thing that bothered me was the absolute lack of concern for the situation....all communication was with the intent of shutting me up, getting rid of me as quickly as possible and he and his crew have done exactly that.

Anyhow, the upside is that I have found a reliable shop to deal with. Sometimes the law of unintended consequences works for you.

[V8 Cat]

Re: new computer installation

What a story! Did the dealership give you a loaner for the almost two months they had your car? This kind of treatment by the dealership and Ford doesn't say a lot for the brand. I thought with all of the competition in the auto business we were past this kind of treatment and incompetence. So you get $150 back. What a pitiful response and insult!

[Welker]

Re: new computer installation

Nope, no loaner or offer of one. When the manager called and gave their side of the story I asked him why he so easily excused his people and so readily dismissed my observations. He replied that none of what i said happened and I told him that that was exactly the problem.....nothing that had been said by his people was true and his believing them made me the liar. I told him I couldn't have made this up if I had tried. What I did not tell him, because of his luxurious promise of the 150 bucks was that when I have the check in hand I will go on his web site and give his dealership a recommendation not soon to be forgotten. I belong to a breakfast club that will be entertained by the story, as well, and as this is a relatively small town and we belong to two clubs and my wife belongs to two others and plays bridge regularly with another group, there will be no shortage of places to spread this story. I might mention that this is a small town and my wife's circle of friends will be interested in this as they have already been since our TBird is a daily driver and everybody in town, the people at our church and both country clubs see it and admire it regularly. What could have been good advertising for the dealer will now be more like a version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". I may dim somewhat in my zeal to spread this but my wife will not. So there. Huh!!

[007Cruiser]

Re: new computer installation

There's no shame to their game. When you decide to publish your review, you might do it here.

http://www.dealerrater.com/

[V8 Cat]

Re: new computer installation

What I did not tell him, because of his luxurious promise of the 150 bucks was that when I have the check in hand I will go on his web site and give his dealership a recommendation not soon to be forgotten.

Make sure you cash the check and that it clears first. No telling what this dealership would do when they see that review.

[5bird7]

Re: new computer installation

Ned, Your saga gripes me to no end that the dealer would not own up to their real problem - that they really did not want to fix your car and would not tell you up front. Sorry that it had to take you two months to get your car fixed. An 8 year old car is not really old, it just had a lot of miles on it.

I'll be posting a link to this thread on my site and point it out to those who ask me what's going on when their dealer starts giving them excuses about why they're having trouble fixing a person's tbird.

btw, George got a chuckle out of your comment that you saw the cardboard box for the computer at the 2nd shop with the Ford dealer's name on it.

[04birdman]

Re: new computer installation

i would print out all i had , with dates , times , names copies of invoices et al and send it to my states atty generals office, they may already have a file on these guys ... but i would get it on there radar ....

[Welker]

Re: new computer installation

Thanks, Dot, for the sympathy. Sorry about the typos in my earlier message...put it down as frustration at the finger level. One point I did not make earlier that you might add to the original saga....since I did not know how bad the service was until trouble started, I had planned to buy a Lincoln Hybrid from this dealer. When we had to have the car towed following the cooling system repair my wife expressed serious doubts about the dealership(years ago we had some problems with our now gone MilleniaS). When it went down less than 100 miles after the tuneup, she prevailed so we traded our RL for another new Acura. We have never had a problem with Acura/Honda. My intention was to buy American and I regret that I could not bring myself to do that and I lay the blame at the Ford dealer's feet.

[merlot4]

Re: new computer installation

This is an amazing saga and I'm glad that it ended happily for you. It's also a sad tale of greed that would probably have ended much more expensively for you had you not been pro-active and informed. And last, the positive and knowledgeable help you received from TBN members demonstrates yet again what a very good group this is. I hope that you have many trouble free miles to come with your bird.

[Welker]

Re: new computer installation

Thanks, Frank, my wife says the same. I told her it would be hard to make a case without having been charged for the "work" but she intends to prevail.