Car Maintenance

[blueerica]

No, I already agreed, so next step: aside from oil changes, run this baby into the ground. Oh, but only after I get new shocks, struts, whatever I need to make it a smoother running into the ground.

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by NirvanaMan

Umm, Escapes have never been carbureted (they are too modern a vehicle), so either they are just making things up or perhaps you mixed up what they said.

He said it was where the carburator used to be. I remember that.

This is what the thing says

'Performed TBDY and MAF Service. 88.

Replaced plug #4 .

This damn thing doesn't make any sense. It is pure labor, the cost for parts is 8.51. Bill is 185.17.

Hubster said they called it 'Carbon build up on the air intake'. Doesn't say shiet about that on this paper. They also charged us for the deductable when they said they wouldn't, waiting for a response on that. I was at work, lucky for them {and me, cause jail would not do well for me }

So, on top of that, they tell me my car is ready yesterday. I was so pissed I said I'd pick it up today {let the hubster go with me, I ended up having to work}. He goes, pays the inflated amount and then gets into the car and the f'in light is still on. So he has to take it back and get another rental.

I called and asked the service person, I told him I know he doesn't do the repairs but how can the mechanics bring the car up when the light is still on? How can they say the work is done???

I seriously wish I had taken the car elsewhere. I just didn't want to drive it in its' condition. But, look, after the major service, in just over 300 miles, it was back in the shop with the light on. So, how did they say it was fine? Then, they said it was fine and not even driven out of the parking lot and the light is back on.

I have so many issues, I don't know who to call first.

DPR~ that is why I won't drive it. With the problems it had, I know that if I drive it, that could happen. Right?

blueerica~ that sounds like the cars we had prior to this. We thought we'd have many many years without any of that crap. We bought our son a '99 Ranger. It is beat up looking but runs well. They gave us a list of $750 worth of things to fix, we told them to just change the oil.

One thing wrong with it, the indicator is off. {the drive, park, etc. indicator}. They wanted $175 to fix it. I did see on line that you can fix it at home, I just want to make sure to do it right.

[blueerica]

Wow, MW... Wow.

Sounds like you've had some Grade A crap to go through... yeesh... If I'm reading this right, they just made up stuff on your invoice? Wow.. just wow.

[MouseWife]

It totally looks like it. I am waiting a bit, trying to calm down, before I go down there. I am going to call the place NM told me to, first, before I go down there.

What BS is that to not even explain what they did? I swear I am going to graffitti that damn place with a giant 'FVCKERS!!!'

I am thisclose to taking money for this vehicle and then buying a kicker car and going back to renting a car for road trips. Out of 33,000 miles, probably half are from road trips. So, a kicker car could work to get the Boy to school and me to work.

Hubbys' Saturn? Wonderful. And, it is 6 months older than my car and it has 42,000. Geesh, thinking about that, he'd better slow down on the miles or he'll use up his 75,000/7 extended warranty too soon! The Boy should get it, and the Hubster wants a Sky.

Any news on those, NM?

[DreadPirateRoberts]

'Performed TBDY and MAF Service. 88.

TBDY is probably an acronym for Throttle Body
MAF is probably a Mass Air Flow sensor

Both of those can get carboned up, so they probably did clean them. You would be charged for labor, no parts to speak of.

DPR~ that is why I won't drive it. With the problems it had, I know that if I drive it, that could happen. Right?

No, a block gets cracked when the previous owner drives the car without coolant and lets the engine overheat.

[MouseWife]

LOL Yeah, that is how our previous cars started out, being overheated. The head/pistons were resurfaced {?} which I thought was also related to being overheated/cracking a block?

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by MouseWife

LOL Yeah, that is how our previous cars started out, being overheated. The head/pistons were resurfaced {?} which I thought was also related to being overheated/cracking a block?

yes

[MouseWife]

Are these new cars super sensitive or what? A major hose broke some time back {maybe Feb? March?} but it broke when I parked, that is when all of the water came out. I did not drive it. BUT thinking to when it is dropped off at the dealer and when they get it to the work bay, THEY probably drove it. They kept turning my car on this time and when it was towed in for the major problem beginning of July, they were driving it here and there. I figure it is too much to ask to have some type of system where they don't drive cars but have the team push it to the work bay?

I am currently on hold with FoMoCuService.

The idiot who said he'd call me back by 2:00 must be waiting until 2:00.

[MouseWife]

Okay.....they are working on getting the deductable refunded. The FoMoCuService was surprised at all that I told them happened with my car, but other than offering up an address for new vehicles, they didn't do much. But at least, I hope, that call went on record. They took all of my info.

So what did they figure out what was wrong with it? The computer. They will replace it at no cost to us but now I wonder if the work they just did was even necessary. I am going to bring that up when I go back. Almost $200 of work, if unnecessary, that money should be in my pocket, not theirs.

Thanks you guys for all of your sympathy, your tips, etc. We are still going to see what we can do, some of the things could be serious. Once the vehicle is fixed, and, they've run it on the computer again, I am taking it to another Ford dealer and have them check it out.

Oh, well, on that note, the Customer Service said to take it to a Ford dealer because their computers would read more accurately than one at say, Auto Zone. Is this true? And, I was a bit surprised that she put me on hold and called the dealer. Well, at least they know I know they know. {Oh yeah, they love to talk to me, running around in circles!}

Well, I do like to drive this pick up. Wish I had money to go somewhere while I can put some miles on it.....

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by MouseWife

Oh, well, on that note, the Customer Service said to take it to a Ford dealer because their computers would read more accurately than one at say, Auto Zone. Is this true?

Each manufacturer has many company specific custom error codes, so it's quite possible that their diagnostic computer would know more about them than the generic Auto Zone one. Both would tell you that the computer threw a code, but the Ford one might tell you a little more about it.