Had my 30k service completed today, major disappointment. I picked the truck up and drove approx. 10 miles to the gas station to replace the 1/4 tank of fuel that was missing. In the 10 miles that I drove I noticed that the steering wheel was approx. 2 degrees from the normal horizontal position (towards the drivers side of the truck) and noticed the truck pulling in the opposite direction. After futher inspection I noticed an unusual where pattern in the tires,(after only 10 miles or so) passenger side appeared to be wearing on the inside of the tire and the driver side wearing on the outside of the tire. I had told the dealer that the truck had a vibration at 35 to 40 mph since the last tire rotatation about 200 mile before 30k service. The dealer had said that there were high spots on the tires, it also appered that weights on the rims had been repositioned(during 30k service). What have they done to my truck? What should I tell them to fix when I take it back? It should also be noted that they have left my coolant approx. 1 gallon low after flushing the system. This does not give much confidence in the work that was performed on the turbo during this service (dealer diagnosed oil leak noticed during my last oil change back of motor between trans and motor). please help

 

send it back to the dealer with the list, I hate those crappy mechanics, they get paid per job hour, so if its a 4 hour job and they fix it in 2 hours they get paid for the 4 hours, so most rush jobs to get as much $$ as they can, BS system. I just got a 2002 f250 diesel last summer and I do all My own maintainance, just did the 15K maintainance, but found 2 problems. one is a small oil leak developing on the front drivers side oil pan gasket, looks like its only rtv to Me, and in the rear there are a few spots on the under side of the bed sheetmetal that have surface rust, so ford will have to fix both of those soon.

 

I usually do my own maintenance but wanted to have it looked at prior to losing warranty. I took it back this am, one more chance!!!

 

damn dealers. yeh when Mine gets to be close to the 36k mark I will bring Mine in with a specific list if I find anything.

 

MY truck just passed 100000 last week so I have no warranty even on the engine. Was gonna put it in for the servicing but when they told me how much, I started to learn how to service my own diesel. From what you say in your post I'd be thinking the service department took your truck out to see how the 4x4 was working. I'd be Very upset and have a little talk with the service manager!

 

Some dealer service departments are run by semi-educated orangutans... It sounds like they had some fun at your expense and hit a curb or rock.... I took mine in for a problem, it cost $175.00, they said there was nothing wrong, and remarked, somewhat proud of himself, that he put it through it's paces and I wouldn't of wanted to be along for the ride... That's telling me he beat the crap out my truck.... I considered decking him....But the "mechanic" and service mngr. knew that it was the wrong thing to say to me.... Earnhart Ford won't see me again...

Ya' know guys, everyone refers to problen dealers without idenifying them ... I know we're not all perfect, and sometimes we get bent out of shape over something that may not be the fault of the dealer, but don't you think dealer names should be included so others can at least be forewarned to a dealer that is not up professional standards ??

 

unless you know your mechanic or dealer personally, always beware, like any other business, they are there to MAKE MONEY, and are not usually interested in anything but that.

a friend had a new explorer and took it to the dealer to get it aligned under warranty because the front tires were wearing unevenly, they told him they wouldnt do it under warranty and would charge him because he had non ford replacement shocks on it which they claim caused the problem....yeh right.

 

If you have to take your truck to a pro to get service, take it to International - many International dealers will work on the Powerstroke, particularly in small towns. They are cheaper than Ford dealers, and know far more about the engine.

Theo

 

New to the 7.3 maintenance requirements. What should I check or change at the 30K interval? I have changed Fuel filter and Air Filter and Oil and transmission filter and fluid as normal maintenance items. Any additional insight is appreciated.

 

In my opinion about the only thing else that you might want to do is lube steering, suspension, and driveline components (every 3000 miles). The primary reason for my doing the service was my lack of understanding and fear of the engine coolant and the problems associated with it not having the proper chemical makeup. I learned after having the service done (or maybe disservice) that if you have the premium gold coolant you probably will not have to do anything for 100k miles. If anybody else has any opinions please let us know.

 

Thanks for the insight. Do you recall the service engine soon buzzer sounding at your 30K mark? Mine goes off first thing every day right now? The truck seems to be fine from a performance standpoint.

 

No, but I had service at 29700 miles