Any clarity anyone might be able to shed on the mechanics of this problem would be appreciated.

If a dealer can not make a truck safe after exhausting every service option available to them and the time runs out under the Lemon Law act how is the problem resolved. Is teh dealer stuck with buying the truck back or do I have to work directly with FMC (Big Blue)

 

At this point your dealer (service manager) should be very involved and getting Ford involved...

 

Thanks Andy,

This question is directly connected to the other string about my 350 pulling left. Dealer & detroit are having conversations I guess and working through the service bulletin. I'm just trying to sort out my options and understand the process. God knows I'd rather see my truck on the ready line next time I visit the dealer but all of this part swaping without resolution has not generated much confidence in this truck.

 

Get on the net and type maine lemon law into your browser for the latest info...

 

yep - did that....and printed off a copy. Lot of mumbo-jumbo there but the nuggets I understand are (briefly) 15 days in the shop or three returns for the same problem. At 15 days I need to inform the dealer in writing I'm going to invoke the lemon law - that sounds to me like a registered letter. But, I have a attorney I'll visit about day 10 just to make surte all my I's are dotted and "T"'s crossed.

I really do hope it won't come to this though. It would really throw a wrench into my two month vacation trip plans in January/February. If I have to order a new truck the mddle of December and wait for the 6 week delivery that puts it into the end of January and I wanted to be in Arizona then shoping for a camper - not breaking in a new truck here in Maine.

But, I appreciate your interest & I'll stay abreast of it here. I'm going over to the dealer today and offer to the service manager the suggestions/information about calipers on the right and pinched lines and ABS motors. Don't know how receptive they might be to a civilian offfering info like this when they have teh whole FMC engineering department to tap but we'll see.

 

Sometimes they need a nudge in the right direction!! What happened????

 

the svc mgr was friendly & pretty receptive when I remarked to him I had been doing some web searching and came up with some of what you guys have related re: pressure gage on the caliper, kinlked hose or solenoid. He offered me a job (in jest) as a researcher. I was a bit concerned that there wasn't a ready made tool handy for the pressure test though - the lead mech was fabricating one as I was in the shop. On the one hand I applaud that creativity and old school mentality that a blacksmith can make about anything, but I wonder how much a pressure gage device might tell them about other fluid driven or operated processes on the truck and that having one handy would be a good thing.

This late in the game though I'm not holding out hope for a positive resolution. My brother can (and has) hand build, dyno tested and installed a completely new 327 for his Cobra in the time these guys have had my truck so if they suddenly find the fix in the eleventh hour after I flame Dearbourn ....

Thanks for asking

 

Keep us updated! I am interested to see what happens.

 

Just thought I would give you a little info that Snap on does make such a tool part # svt80097 and it will test all standard and ABS systems. It will diagnose brake pull, uneven wear, and master cylinder problems. It will also test both line pressure and ABS accumulator pressure. It test from 0 to 5000 PSI. I am sure the Ford dealer should have a Snap on truck visit them once a week.
Good luck

 

The best of luck to you! I hope this has a positive outcome for you.

 

thanks DWolf - I will let them know - funny the accumulated knowledge in that place didn't know that. ....and here I reasoned out that such a devise would be handy. Well, good on me

I'll drop by on Friday afternoon and take another look

 

You bet glad to help any way I can and yes there is some great info here thats what is all about.

 

Update

I just talked to the service manager. He doesn't hold any hope or optimism he can pull this out of the fire so I'm writing my buy-back letter to Dearborn this weekend.

They have replaced the ABS pump (something?), and all new brake lines and who knows what else. The line pressure to the calipers is still uneven 500 one side 600 the other but where the obstruction is or what it may be nobody knows or seems able to diagnose.

Now have to enter a new phase of dealing with FMC. Trying to get my money back

 

Sorry to hear they can't fix it for you yet and that know you will have to plan something else for your January trip thats a big bummer when you buy a new 40k plus truck so you can do things and WOW now you can't. Two days before mine died this time I had stoped to place a order on a 40' fith wheel toy box. I just don't think I can trust it or wait till I can so I bought a diesel pusher motorhome instead. The bad part is I should not have to do that since thats what the F-250 was for. hope it works out for you R man

 

*bump*

mailed FMC their buy-back notice today. I doubt it's the kind of mail they look forward to getting. I sit in anticipation.