Jay-D Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Is it true that we can deny a warranty repair for having aftermarket tuners in the trucks? What are the rules and do trucks really get flagged on oasis??? I keep reading about Ford flagging trucks on oasis but I never saw that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGM Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Its up to management..If the modification caused the failure yes... If the radio quit and he has a chip, no...(just an example)..If its a good customer, the manager will usually take care of it and just not tell anyone that its been modified.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 We pretty much have a blanket policy but with a few loopholes... If the owner is stupid enough to bring a truck into the shop with the tuner installed.... the SM will more than likely say "here's your sign"... If the customers concern can't be duplicated with the chip gone, there's nothing to fix. We have a few locals with flagged VINs... they accept this as part of their desire for more power. These guys have over $100K CA "invested" in these trucks showing that some people do have much more money than brains. Now, Let's say I'm doing something on a truck with a 6 inch lift and monster mudders.... no chip. Depending on who you are and depending on how close to being an *sshole you act.... you might have two ROs on your truck.... one for what Ford covers and one for what your lift kit costs you out of pocket.... or, you might only get one RO on your truck and be very unhappy that your mouth wrote a cheque that your bank will have to cover. Either way.... a customer can do whatever they please as long as it doesn't affect my earning potential or increase visits from the warranty nazis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torqued_Up Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 I thinks common sense should be used when dealing with this. I am not stupid and I know when a customer has screwed up his truck. I don't think that an EGR valve clogs because of a tuner. A torn oil seal on a CMP sensor was not caused by an aftermarket exhaust and AIRAID intake did not cast a porous block or gouge the sealing surface of the bed plate. My problem is, I don't know which I prefer. The idiots that come in with the tuner still mounted to the dash and everything plugged in under the hood or the ones that actually remove the stuff and try every trick in the book to hide their toys... erasing any data that could have been a help in diagnosing the concern. For diagnostic reasons, sometimes I would prefer they just bring it in the way it is and let me worry about the warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 In all honesty, for a running concern, if I see a chip or programmer, I wont waste anyones time. They can remove the offensive features and do their own concern verification..... After that, then they can bring it to me with enough info to verify the concern for myself. If they can't or wont return at least the PCM strategy back to stock and then ascertain if they still have a problem, they had better be ready for some sort of charge if Ford wont cover my wages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Good topic guys. I will go along with the common sense theory which looks like most of us do. If you read a lot of other Forums like I do you will hear many a tale of woe. "The dealer said they voided my warranty because of my gages... my exhaust... my intake," you get the idea. Some guys claim that the dealer "accused" them of having a chip in the truck declaring that they don't even own one. "The factory rep came down and denied my warranty." "Ford came down and took my PCM." My favorite: "My truck has NO WARRANTY and it has been flagged on OASIS." Is this kind of crap really going on or are we taking a bashing with a load of BS? Personally, I have never seen a "flagged OASIS" and question whether this actually happens. Yes, I think that common sense should be the rule here. Ford is taking a hard hit over this and apparently many dealers are gun-shy. Do the right thing, cover your ass and learn a how you apply a little diplomacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Keith.... I'm not a diplomat and I don't play one on TV. However, I am forthright with my customers (I don't see me requiring that the problem be present without easily removed modifications being removed.... I refuse to try to diagnose anything that could be the result of non-Ford programming). Roda-Deaco makes a purpose built positive air shut off.... These things add time to many repairs (since the PAS is required for some job sites, Ford will pay me to deal with them)... poorly routed wiring or installation can add to that time and warranty eyebrows get raised. Some owners don't like the up front cost of the Roda valve and opt for a cheaper version that is a PITA to deal with and does add to blown hoses. In most of the installations I have seen, this other style of valve (common on the 7.3) interferes with wiring, plumbing and every other thing you can think of.... The warranty nazis don't mind a customer saving money.... the warranty nazis just don't want to underwrite it - and neither do I. Add a lift kit and the ergonomics change... I wont kiss a customers *ss simply because he can afford a lift kit. If Ford wont pay my time... SOMEONE has to pay my time. If the DP wants to eat it, I will let him.... if he expects me to eat it........ In my narrow minded view.... I report what I see... the decison to deny or allow warranty isn't mine though I am asked what I think will and what I think wont fly. I am the soldier in the trench... the diplomat is perched on a stool at the service counter. I deal in brutal realities.... the K&N filter in front of a compressor worn down to nubs and a trail of dust ending at the turbo inlet...... I have no way to "sugar coat" this. If we let one questionable thing slip past, it wont take long to let several questionable things to slip past ("Well my buddy said.....") and we suddenly find ourselves on a slippery slope. I am a small cog in a big machine.... I wont pretend to make decisions other than those in my mandate..... I wont place my integrity in jeopardy..... Like I said.... the customer can do anything he or she wants.... I will not allow it to impede my earning potential - I do that quite well without outside help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Not only does warranty not cover damage from aftermarket "stuff" but it also does not cover acts of stupidity. This week's follies were highlighted by this incident: 2003 F250 5.4L that was towed in for an "oil leak" which was a rotted out oil cooler. (This is a plow truck that probably spreads salt as well) No big deal. The Tech replaces the cooler, spins on a new filter and puts oil in it. runs like crap! Low compression cylinders 1-2-3-4. Turns out that the right camshaft seized and the timing gear sheered on the camshaft. Came to rest not far from its proper position and the cam now turns. It's obvious the driver kept driving until it started to run badly... and played stupid. The customer claims he saw the light come on and he shut the truck off. My only question is, how long was the engine light REALLY on for before he noticed it? The customer called Ford. I cant wait to see how this turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBET Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 i agree i report everything a/m we are a factory ford dealer, vehicles are not tested to withstand a/m accessories and managment can deal with it although it bit the dealer in the ass whenn they took our advice and decided to draw the line with 6.0l chips,first head gasket job denied because of a chip, great retail head gaskets. next one bigger company chipped truck covered under warranty, anyway small town people talk and customers lossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 One customer, who long ago resigned himself to absolutely no warranty coverage, has brought his truck back to us. On this weeks dance card (thankfully, not mine).... R&R heads and machine for fire rings, ARP head studs and a 35 PSI turbo. So far, nobody has mentioned the addition of barbecue fuel.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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