About a month or two ago, right after I passed 100,000 miles, the check engine light came on on my truck. At 101,000 miles, the brake pedal went to the floor twice on me and the ABS light came on, after which it's braked fine. Then last week at 102,000 miles, the speedometer stopped working.

First, I'm annoyed at these little failures but oh well, these things happen. After the ABS light came on, I called the dealer to arrange to bring the truck in, and said I needed a loaner car. They told me they'd have one available on Thursday (I called on a Monday). On Thursday they said Friday. On Friday they said Monday. On Monday, they had a loaner car available and then said "I forgot to ask, are you over 25? We can only give loaners to people over 25."

Angry, I said I was 23 and will call them back when I've made arrangements for a second car. At this point we still had salt on the roads, and my Jag was not ready for this season's driving yet.

Now the weather is nicer, there is no salt on the roads, and the Jag is done so I am driving it. I dropped the truck off on Monday with the laundry list of things to do. Today, two days later, I received a call that amounted to "We don't know what's wrong, we can just guess." When I was a Jaguar master tech, the expectation was that we knew these cars inside and out. "I don't know what's wrong" was not an option. This dealer apparently doesn't feel the same way. Then after some questions on my part, the guy said he'd call me back, and hasn't yet. Tomorrow I am calling and if I don't get answers, I'm coming to pick the truck up. This is absolutely absurd for them to have the truck for this period of time, and when they call me to not have answers.

So, I will probably have a post soon about asking for help fixing these problems myself. The whole reason I brought this to the dealer is not because I can't fix it myself, it's because I wanted to drop it off, get it repaired, and get it back quicker than I could if I fixed it myself. Now I am going to have wasted this time, and then have to fix it myself anyway.

 

I completely agree, If they cannot determine the problem, I would not pay for any diagnostic time.

 

Just tell them (directly yet kindly) where you're coming from. Don't bother with anyone below the service manager. Preferably the general manager. If you're not offered an immediate, concrete resolution, never use that dealership again.

 

Ted,

I know this is VERY frustrating...

You can look on the bright side...at least this dealership didn't go the other way and simply replace a bunch of stuff on a 'hunch' and your nickel!

So while you are understandably upset...at the apparent incompetence of the dealership...some dealerships out there show their incompetence AFTER you paid them and realized that they simply had no idea so let's try this rather than say "I don't know what's wrong" and look foolish!...so perhaps you can take some solace in that?

Let us know how it goes...

GOOD LUCK!
joe.

 

Very good point and varied observation Joe.

 

Well, I just got off the phone with the dealer, with another "I don't know" answer. What they told me is they could "start" by replacing a $600 module (plus labor). Ultimately, what it came down to is they have no idea what is wrong with my truck, and wanted me to authorize them replacing parts that may not be broken. If I had wanted to just have someone throw parts at it, I would have done that myself.

After explaining that I used to be a Jaguar Master Tech, the guy then proceeded to insult me and said "Well obviously you haven't worked in the industry very long, or you'd understand what I'm telling you." Personal insults are not acceptable from a dealership, period. I am picking my truck up this afternoon, and for that, I will argue up to the general manager that I shouldn't pay a dime for anything they've done. I certainly won't pay for the "diagnostics" that they performed.

The whole reason I took my truck to the dealer is because I didn't want to have to fix this myself because I have other things I need to do. Now I'm going to have to fix it myself anyway, I've just had to be without my truck for three days, inconvenience friends to drop it off and pick it up, and just generally waste time. It's really annoying when the factory trained master techs can offer me no better answer than I can provide myself.

 

Well, at lunch I got the truck back. After arguing briefly, they waived the $150 "diagnostic fee" on the check engine and ABS lights. Tonight I'm going to buy/order new O2 sensors and throw those in.

I'll make a second post about the ABS, so hopefully I can get some assistance there.

On the plus side, I now have new fluid in my diffs and transfer case, I have the door code, and they washed my truck so it's clean. The wash was "free", though.

On the minus side, aside from overpaying for these services (which I wouldn't have minded so much if they had done anything else to it), as I left the dealer I heard the exhaust tick for the first time. We all know what that means... before long I get to pull the manifolds and install those eBay headers I bought. While I'm at it, I'll probably change out the muffler for a Magnaflow.

And I love driving this truck!

 

Pull your COP's and check your plugs for tightness.

Ford modular engines, up to '03, had a really bad problem of spitting spark plugs.

Stewart

 

I was going to pull the COPs tomorrow and check the plugs for tightness, yes.

Today's update: A friend came by to work on his Corvette, and I borrowed him to bleed the brakes and get new fluid in the system. While I was at it, I decided also that I would pull the ABS module and have a look at it. I pulled the computer thing off the side of it. It looks like the computer overheated or got damaged at some point, and it looks like it definitely needs to be replaced. The metal cover on it is warped, exposing the circuitry. There was also some corrosion where the computer attaches to the valve modue, but that didn't look too terrible. Whether or not the valving module needs to be replaced as well, I don't know. The code points to the valving module.

I suppose I would rather just replace both and get it done with, but I don't wnat to spend a ton of money. I also don't want to put a used part in, unless it only has about 10,000 miles on it.

Can anyone suggest a good place to get these parts inexpensively, either new or rebuilt?

 

Ebaymotors.com or even some FTE sponsors.

 

Now here's another question:

I pulled the valving module thing with the little computer bolted to its side located on the driver's side underhood behind the headlight. I want to replac the valving ma-gig and the computer. Are those sold as two separate parts or as one single assembly, and what is the technical name for it/them? "Valving ma-gig" might not get me very far when I'm telling people what I want.

I've checked eBay, and all I see there are used parts, and one "new" one with no box and cracked plastic. I want to buy something I know will work. Sponsors I will check. Thanks!

 

Ted, is the part easy to take off and take the dealership? If not get the part num off of it and tell them the part num, that should get you the name.