Monday, 12 May 2014

Foggy Mountain breakdown...

And then we have this.....and it wasn't foggy. A funny feeling in the steering wheel (was the engine missing) and when I stopped to check about, I could hear a pop-pop-pop out the tail pipe. fffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk 

















Here is an edited copy of the note I sent......hopefully I have left out all names.

You will see by the notes, that last week I was in one of your Kamloops stores, as a result of engine troubles and a tow. When I arrived, end of work day, and then again in the morning, I explained to the desk person what I thought the trouble to be. (I had been in touch with the shop in Kitimat where I live and would normally have work done, asking for some insight as to what the problem might be. By my description of the problem, the owner observed that the most likely culprit was a coil or plug.) I repeated this to the both the people on the desk, in the evening and again in the morning. After a diagnosis was completed the mechanic said that he had been unable to see any electrical or ignition issues but had checked for fuel problems and had determined that the fuel pump pressure was low and he said that this then was the problem. Nine-hundred dollars at later and after the suggestion that perhaps I should have a full tune-up done, to the tune of another $1,500 , which I declined, the vehicle was pronounced ready to go. As soon as I left the property and tried to accelerate, it was clear that the problem had not been resolved. I returned immediately. The mechanic, again plugged in the Scan tool. This time, lo and behold...he saw the reading of a misfire. It took some time and he tested it out on the road several times and did a coil test before replacing the coil for number one cylinder. And hey presto...good to go. The Scan gauge was not showing codes in the usual read-out, but they were stored in Memory, which apparently,  had not seen during the initial scanning.

To re-cap..I had twice said coil/plug. However, I was not listened to. Of course, when the mechanic said fuel pump, I was not going to argue with him. And I should have. By the very nature of the pop-pop-pop coming from the tail pipe, that is not what a fuel pump causes. It surges or falters. My engine did neither of those things. That's why I go to your shops. I kind of figured that they knew best. Also, I was not offered the original fuel pump and never did see it. I was in the truck thru-out the day and was available.

So...you can see my dilemma. I have a new $454.00 fuel pump that I didn't need, and labour to remove and install. A $900.00 bill that should have been about $200.00. That would cover the coil that was the problem and an hour for labour. I will add, that the asst manager adjusted my bill by $200.00 to $700.00 when I brought up the matter to him and he called the store manager. That was where we left it.

Except for the air breather part that he left under a door, then closed it. And the part is obsolete, and no longer in Fords listings of parts. He is now scouring the used parts lots. This too just fills me with warm fuzzies.


I  have no idea where this will go now. The shop I am dealing with has a very strongly worded warranty. I will be very vocal whichever way it goes.




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