Bluedresser

:'( :'( This pasat week has been a bod day in Black Rock and tears a hole in my old respect for MOPAR's after purchase service. I have 6100 miles on my '03 HD 6-speed. I was towing an 8500# racecar trailer to Pahrump, NV last Thursday for the Dwarf Car Nationals. The turn from US 95 to Nevada 160 was coming up, so I began slowing with the exhaust brake on. When I stepped on the throttle to downshift to 5th, the entire road behind me was covered in grey/white smoke. I pulled a very long uphil grade to Pahrump in 6th gear at 60 mph so figured nothing was really bad, except maybe a valve seal, but the next day, Friday morning, I decided to stop at the local Dodge dealer. The service manager was viry kind and wrote up the repair order. Half an hour later he was back with the mechanic to explain that the turbo was bad (apparently the oil seal) and that I couldn't drive it any further due to possibly destroying the intercooler, or having the engine run away on lube oil.<br><br>Then the catch 22 started. They couldn't contact STAR, so couldn't order the part. I called my dealer in Carson City, 400 miles away, and they couldn't get hold of STAR either. So, as STAR is closed on Saturday, there was no way to contact them before Monday. CAn you believe this??? ??? ??? ??? MOPAR has a system set up that no warranty parts can be ordered except through this STAR system, and if this stupid system is down you can't even order a part, and worse, it isn't a 24/7 system???<br><br>Oh, the Service Manager tells me. We can give you a purchase order for a rental car for 5 days.<br><br>But, I try to explain. I am a racecar driver. That is my business. I have a racecar trailer here that has to get to my home 400 miles away by Monday, so I can unload the trailer and tow it to the Bay Area - another 200 miles, to finish up another racecar to bring back to my home to paint it in time for the next weekend -- and here I sit, with a broken $43,000 truck and I can't do my business and you can't even order a part for at least three more days?<br><br>Well, I went to the only rental car place in town (Enterprise) thinking that I could drive one-way and turn the car in at home, then fly to Las Vegas (55 miles from Pahrump) when the truck is finished. How to I get from the airport in Las Vegas to here I ask. The SM didn't have an answer.<br><br>I went to Enterprise to pick up the car (they are the only car rental agency in Pahrump) They are out of cars #1, and #2, they don't allow one-way rentals.<br><br>Back to the drawing boards. How long will it take to get a part here when you find one? (In the meanwhile, my local SM who is a greaet guy, gave me the number to customer service. I called them and found that the suffix to the part has been changed, indicating that there has been a modification -- perhaps too much pressure on the old oilseal with the HD engine and the Jake brake) answer - well, if it's in LA or Las Vegas we can get it the next day, but if it's in Detroit it takes four or five days ---- What, haven't you ever heard of Fed Ex and overnight?<br><br>So, I rode back to Carson City with a friend, who lent me his truck to at least go back to get my trailer, but first we had to go to Las Vegas. So, with four hours sleep on Friday night, three hours on Saturday night (daylight eavings time and all) we ended up driving 600 miles on Sunday, getting home and to bed at 0230 Monday. We got another 3.5 hours sleep and then drove 800 more miles to get my trailer. I did stop to see my dealer on Monday morning, and the General Manager was no help, but the SM called the tech rep who at least arranged to have the turbo sent via next day delivery - although it hadn't arrived my today.<br><br>I don't know if any of you guys have run into this sort of thing, but as much as I love my Dodge, I think I could have loved a PS or Dynamax just as well as my friends who have them have dealers who actually provide them with loaner trucks to use until theirs have been fixed.<br><br>Thanks for listening to my tales of woe - Good luck :'( :'(

misterKTM

Wow, that's a little scary. I notice in your sig. you are waiting for gauges. Do you have them in yet ? If not, I wonder if the seal damage may have occured due to shutting down the engine before exhaust temp was down to 300 deg. ??? I sure hope so....I have the same set-up (6spd with jake brake) and am not excited about the turbo seal not holding on... Good luck and keep us updated there bluedresser.

Mopar_Mudder

I ran into the same kind of thing when I went out to CA a couple of weeks ago. Not as bad, the electric fan clutch went out, but was still drivable with out a problem. I found that it is the dealer that is the problem, not so much Dodge. Took it to a dealer to get fixed and got the run around for a couple days and then they said it would be 4-5 days to get it. Got fed up and called another dealer, who is about 10 minutes time found the part I needed that was at another dealer about 60 miles from from the dealer that has my truck! Called the dealer that had my truck and asked them why they didn't do a search on their computer to see if another dealer had the part they could get it from, &quot;oh we don't do that&quot; !!!! Told him to give me a car and I would go get it for them, &quot;we don't do that either&quot;, keep in mind this is a 5 Star Dealer.<br><br>Needless to say I went got my truck took it to the dealer that had the part and they fixed it in about 45 minutes, didn't even have to wait to get it in. Night and day difference from one dealer to the next.<br><br>I am sure the turbo may not be as common a part to find on a dealers shelf, but you never know, did they check?

Berak

Your complaint sounds to me entirely to do with a particular Dodge dealership and nothing to do with DC itself. No manufacturer has much control over any individual dealer's customer service, Ford, GM, or DC. There are good and bad that sell every brand.

YNGRAMMER

Beak, <br> I think he has a valid point about getting parts the next day or two. I too have had a bad experience with dodge, a friend has a dakota 2wd with the 4.7 L v8, at 36,700 miles the front wheel bearing failed. Friday night in Daytona, FL, we run to the biggest dodge dealer in Fl, 10 min after their service dept closes we arrive, sorry, your truck is on 95 broken down, we can't help ya.... good luck.... I am like wait, you are telling me no one can get in there and get us the bearing, Manager comes over, sorry, can't help ya hope your truck doesn't get hit on 95. After I calmed down we left, what else can we do, call a few bearing stores, no one has it so we baby it off 95 to a hotel. wait out the night and in the am go to the dealership explain what's up to the service manager, he said we can't write it on warr. repair b/c it's over 36,000 miles, he explained it's a problem that occures with those type vehicles and tough luck. We are like ok, well we'll just buy it, 180 bucks later we got the part but it lists for like half that on their dealer price but he explains that is the only price, they can't give us any discount. Ok, well we get the old one off, try to put the new one on, it's the wrong one, won't work, drive back out, get the RIGHT part, I even looked at the computer and made sure he was right, maybe he can't read a series of numbers I don't know anyway replace it and on the road again. Anyway, bottom line the dealer was unhelpful and outrite rude no help whatsoever. I had hoped this was just one dealer, but have come to find service in this region Sucks.... Maybe someone should make a list of good dodge dealers in the US.<br><br>Lenny

spots

Not to be devils advocate but I am gonna anyway. ;D Attitude goes a long long way when you are dealing with customer service. Honestly how was yours?? If turbos were dropping off these things like crazy I would think that the dealers were not doing their job with stocking parts. But for them to have every little piece in stock is impossible. You got a bad turbo, and I think that is a drag. You got poor service from one dealer, and that sucks too. But to brand all Dodge products, or any product for that matter because of a crappy experience is wrong IMO. Everyone has a “friend of a friend” or whatever who had bad experience. Most people have a friend of a friend who has had great experience. We never hear of those stories tho.. To say you would have a more reliable truck with a PS (are you kidding???? Check out the F*rd forums) or a “Dynamax” (uhh I think that is Duramax) well, that is like picking the winning lottery numbers. (grabbing my crystal ball and checking) We are only hearing one side of the story here. If you would like to dump your truck I think Luke S would take it on trade for a “Dynamax.” He deals both. Good luck.

GrandpasRam

I agree with spots. As a side note, if you did not have the pyro installed, the long grade at 60 in 6th gear could have generated a high egt, which could be the cause of the seal failure. Just an observation. As to the dealership, if it is a 5 Star, report them to DC - they may lose one or two of those stars... :'(

Jim O

I pulled the same grade two weeks ago and I was weighing 20,000 lbs at that time. Then I turned down to Death Valley and went out through Stovepipe Wells to #395 and believe me there are some real hills that way. Unless your truck has been bombed I don't think the turbo seal would be affected by the heat from a stock engine. I know what gauges I want but I am waiting for a A Pillar mount that will allow me to keep the grab handle.<br>Jim O

Hunter

Jim O<br><br>Not long ago I took that same route, and coming out of the whatever feet it was below sea level up to the top, it felt like my poor Daisy was not gonna make it. Thought something was wrong with her in fact.<br><br>I was towing my RV and total weight of all was 20,000#. <br><br>Just curious as to how yours acted coming out of there going to 395 and what you might have been towing.<br><br>Hunter

Jim O

Hunter<br>It was a real pull from Stovepipe Wells @ -5 feet to what ever you hit at about 14 miles north of there. We started from Stovepipe at about eight in the morning and at about 60 degrees F but I got see her work hard that day. ( I had done this same trip two years ago in a F**D Diesel motorhome that was Banks equipped and so I knew what I was in for).There are also some hills north of Lone Pine that I was sure glad I had an exhaust brake for, I believe this is Sierre Phils territory.<br>I weigh 20300 lbs with a full load of fuel (78 US Gal.) I did not experiance any over heating and I probably down shifted early as I do not have a Pyrometer yet. I was glad to have the 6 speed and not have to worry about transmission heat as I did with my MotorHome. My Trailer is a Canadian made Citation Supreme and It is rated for 4 seasons (heated tanks). it has a 34&quot; X 14' slide. and it is heavy It has 10,000Lb axles with 8 stud 16&quot; wheels. About half way up most of the hills I would catch up to someone pulling a bigger trailer than mine with a less powerful pickup and then I would just chug up to the top if there was no passing lane. I did pass one fellow with a PStroke and a trailer about the same size as mine and he caught me at a rest area and asked me what modifications I had done to my engine. ( It is dead stock)That made me feel good.<br>Jim O

Hunter

Jim O<br><br>One more question, do you recall what gear you had to go down too? Seems like those hills did not look that imposing but I believe had to get down into the 3's and 4's at times. <br><br>Are they deceiving looking or what? <br><br>And, yes, a jake woulda been nice. That is the only time on my 7,000 mile trip that I would even have had use for one, so no jake for me<br><br>Hunter

Bluedresser

OK - I finally got my truck back. Understand guys, that what I wrote was what happened. My cemeaner was always calm, cool and collected. Many years ago I was a Chrysler Service Manager and really know how to treat them. First of all - the problem was not really with the dealer I took it to. They told me the truth - Warranty work and parts that have failed a lot on one vehicle, have to go through STARS. STARS orders the parts and has them shipped. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING, no one could get through to STARS. Not that dealer, not my dealer when I called them. My contention is that if STARS is so important, it should have a 24/7 desk, and there should be more than one way to get in to it.<br><br>After I got home last Sunday night with a friend, I went in to my dealership the next morning. On the way in to them, I called Pahrump. They told me that they had contacted STARS and the part was on order. My service manager called his service rep who went to the trouble to assure that it would be shipped via next day service (although being Pahrump, it arrived two days later). My dealer didn't have a truck with a tow package (his demo was out or I could have used that), but, my SM arranged to get expenses paid to Pahrump and back to pick up my trailer. My friend lent me his truck and Jas and I made the 800-mile round trip by 4:30 the next morning.<br><br>Anyway, the service rep told my SM that the SM in Pahrump was less than helpful to him when he called for information. I called Pahrump from the road and told him that I found that the part would be there overnight and hw wondered how I knew when he didn't. Anyway, he was nice on the phone and the truck was finished by Wednesday night so my friend could pick it up on his way home from the Grand Canyon. Haven't seen it yet, but will pick it up today.<br><br>Points: 1 - STARS is not user friendly, but should be.<br><br> 2 - The fact that the suffix of the part number has changed indicates that the part has been modified.<br><br> 3 - Even if the dealer had it in stock they couldn't fix it under warranty without STARS approval - according to both dealrs I spoke to.<br><br> 4 - I always cool the engine down before turning it off - I've been driving Diesels for over 40 years. I used to teach Diesel maintenace at Detroit Diesel in Michigan.<br><br> 5 - pulling the hill to Pahrump had nothing to do with it as the turbo seal had already failed. Also, I can't think of ever having my foot to the floor and whenever I get below 50 on a grade I downshift so I doubt if turbo temps ever get very high.<br><br> 6 - Still waiting for the guage package.<br><br>Nice to have my truck back.

Jim O

Hunter I do shift down early as I do not have a pyro and I have ended up in 3rd gear on some of those hills. I did catch a guy with a 1st generation Dodge Pulling a big Fiver ( three axles. and I idled in 3rd gear for about a mile until we hit a passing lane. Could I have made in fourth if I had not caught him, I don't know but when I get a Pyro I will get braver. Has anyone found a way to put gauges on the A piller without giving up the Oh Sh*t handle yet. I don't care for the ones that sit on top of the dash.<br>Bluedresser Sorry to hear about your problem I think it was just a freak thing. I was talking to a guy in Tacopa and he was telling me what a wonderful dealership that was in Pahrump, and I think he was sincere. He has a California truck (5 speed Diesel) but gets all his service work done in Pahrump.<br>Jim O

crabman

I dont like the pillar mount either. I have been considering BDs X-moniter or a similar unit that Bully Dog is coming out with soon. Im waiting for them first to come out and second for someone else to install em and give then the seal of approval.

parshal

[quote author=Jim O link=board=20;threadid=13384;start=0#127481 date=1050202414]<br>Has anyone found a way to put gauges on the A piller without giving up the Oh Sh*t handle yet. I don't care for the ones that sit on top of the dash.[/quote]<br><br>I have the single gauge mount from Geno's that goes on the a-pillar but retains the handle. It mounts just under the handle and sits over the dash. It's very easy to see and fit great. The only issue is that it will hold only one gauge which is fine for me.