MM owners Different Breed?

[Bradley G]

It may just be my impression,But I can't help but notice If someone has an issue with thier Marauder,They would rather fix, upgrade, Modify on thier dime.Not all of course,but the prevailing MO is take it to the dealer LAST.I being in the car business,was curious as to the temperment (mind set)of the members that practice this.I know it is a hobby for a lot of members, But if you guy's do all the corrections on your own ie. speaker deck rattle, seat cover coming loose underneath,Ford gets off easy.Do you guy's & gal's distrust? inconvienence?Hang on let me suit up ....................OK :duel:

[FiveO]

Agreed.

If I was realllly that worried about my warranty I wouldn't have purchased a Ford product.

I have horror stories about what Ford did to the Gen 3 SHO community and the horrible cam shaft failures.

I really hate cheby's, dodge/chrysler and imports....so I had to go with a Ford product.

I have one problem with my Marauder that is warranty related.

I'm getting the AC squeak from the compressor. This site has already given me the answer...and I'll deliver it to the dealer. When they try to blame it on my newly installed S/C....I'll laugh, take it somewhere else and pay for the fix.

I'm not waiting 2.5 more years to mod my car.

[Smokie]

Let me put it succinctly: I ain't letting just any idiot touch my car.

I hope this helps to explain.

[merc406]

Let me put it succinctly: I ain't letting just any idiot touch my car.

I hope this helps to explain.



Have to agree with Smokie having worked at a dealer and being a porter in my younger years, customers cars, and quicker than usuall customer cars went through the "road test", kinda like what that dumb a-- Mustang mechanic posted on the internet a couple years back. What he did wasn't unusuall at all for us car jockies to do.

[hbarrett]

My biggest worries with dealers mechanics is that they don't respect owner's property. I have had things removed from the glove box, dents in body panels and scratches on fenders and doors. Service Manager always deny any damage done at the dealership, and the stress from arguing with them is just not worth it. Next week, I am having the dealer install gears, and I am already having a nervous stomach thinking about some less than caring or competent guy taking my car apart. Not to mention the grease on sterring wheel, mats, seats, door trim, etc
It may just be my impression,But I can't help but notice If someone has an issue with thier Marauder,They would rather fix, upgrade, Modify on thier dime.Not all of course,but the prevailing MO is take it to the dealer LAST.I being in the car business,was curious as to the temperment (mind set)of the members that practice this.I know it is a hobby for a lot of members, But if you guy's do all the corrections on your own ie. speaker deck rattle, seat cover coming loose underneath,Ford gets off easy.Do you guy's & gal's distrust? inconvienence?Hang on let me suit up ....................OK :duel:

[Dan]

Bradley,

I think that this is a great question.

I am not worried too much about the warranty. I did some math last night I if figure that I will be out of warranty by June of next year anyway so why wait until then to tune and tweak my car. It if breaks, it breaks.

I don't know about anyone else but, with the Marauder, I am finally in a position where I can own a car for the fun of it. I can afford to replace a tranny, engine, etc and will do so - WITH UPGRADES - if the need arises. If I think that it is a Ford related issue I will hire one of my attorney friends to fight that battle for me and email me weekly updates.

I have been using my dealer for oil changes and did so as a way to build trust with them. I watch their neatness practices and so far they are 100% on it. I am confident in their work but would still talk to them seriously about the look of my car if I had to go there for something more seriously.

Just as a side point... prior to letting a dealer work on your car, get one of those slips that car rental places use that show the side panels of the car in a drawing. Then ask the service manager to do a walk around and mark anything on the car he see. That should make it a bit easier to make sure they stay careful.

I like the advice that can be gottne here on MM.net but I haven't had any of the issues that a lot of guys talk about. Maybe it has to do with when my car was built or that it isn't a pre-post-non-de-un-sub-ex-contented whatever unit. :) Whatever it is, I know for a fact that if I work on my car I am going to torque everything to spec, use lock-tite or never-size on any bolt that I think might need it, use upraded hardware and make other small changes to the way something is done that I think will improve the car to a step above the way it came from the factory.

Again, I think it is a great question. Glad you asked. :up:

-Dan

[Bluerauder]

It may just be my impression,But I can't help but notice If someone has an issue with thier Marauder,They would rather fix, upgrade, Modify on thier dime.Not all of course,but the prevailing MO is take it to the dealer LAST.:duel:
I have noticed the same thing here. However, I must be one of the lucky ones. My dealer really takes care of me and my MM. :D Of course, I have to drive halfway across town to get there 'cause the nearest L/M dealer doesn't instill trust and confidence if you know what I mean, Vern.

Other than simple stuff, I am not really mechanically inclined to do it myself so I have to rely on dealers and such. :confused: My father's words from 40 years ago continue to ring in my ears when he said "Boy, you better watch and learn what I am doing 'cause otherwise you will pay big bucks for this kind of experience." He was right .... but I didn't listen or learn very well. :sleepy:

[Marauder8]

Being former Ford Technician, I can tell you that service at a dealership is only as good as the technicians that they employ. One other thing, the reason I do not work at dealerships anymore, is FLAT RATE!!! The tech gets paid X amount to do a particular job, no more no less. I can also add that technicians do not like warranty work because FOMOCO does not allow a great deal of time do repairs on anything. Also squeaks, rattle and small stuff really annoys them.
One final note, when the technician goes into a trim panel, dash, engine, etc.....you only get to see the cover and not what might have been put back, or not put back.
Oh!!!!!!!! Dollars per hour are outrageous. At the local Ford dealership they charge $135.00 to hook your car up to a scan tool, plus the diagnostic and repair time.
I could go on forever, but you get the picture. Most of my customers detest dealership for lack of quality and high pricing.

[Silver_04]

I can't stand dealer service departments. I'd much rather work on my car and do for the jobs I can handle. Otherwise I medicate myself and to the dealer I go. My last service trip to the dealer resulted in 8 follow up visits to let them correct what they messed up. Bleh.

[jgc61sr2002]

Let me put it succinctly: I ain't letting just any idiot touch my car.

I hope this helps to explain.

Javier - I agree completely. Sometime more is less.

[RF Overlord]

I've been a shadetree mechanic for over 30 years, and I enjoy doing as much as possible on my own cars, and helping friends with theirs. If a job requires skills or tools that I don't possess, I have no problem paying someone else who does...IF I TRUST THEM.

I know nothing about the service department at the dealer where I bought my MM, and I hope I never have to find out. It's just too damned inconvenient to drive the car there first thing in the morning, arrange for someone to pick me up and bring me to work (because "all our loaners are out right now. Sorry."), then do the reverse at the end of the day, only to find that they either never worked on it, or they did but "the parts weren't in stock so it won't be ready until tomorrow" so now I get to inconvenience a friend to give me rides for a SECOND day...(all the above have happened to me too many times)...

Not all of us are blessed with the Olympian Gods at Team Ford; I was lucky enough to finally find a small local shop with techs who are as picky about their work as I am, and who do it for a reasonable price.

[Tallboy]

i've spent 10 years working for a dealership here in florida. i know people at many linc-merc/fomoco dealerships. i had an issue with my marauder concerning the a/c. i took it to four l-m dealers in this area. they either didn't know or didn't care what the problem was. i asked for help on this site and was directed to carfixer in fort myers. 70 miles away. to make a long story short, he knew what the "problem" was. i will drive to fort myers and pay carfixer before anyone in this area will touch it for free.;)

[Smokie]

i've spent 10 years working for a dealership here in florida. i know people at many linc-merc/fomoco dealerships. i had an issue with my marauder concerning the a/c. i took it to four l-m dealers in this area. they either didn't know or didn't care what the problem was. i asked for help on this site and was directed to carfixer in fort myers. 70 miles away. to make a long story short, he knew what the "problem" was. i will drive to fort myers and pay carfixer before anyone in this area will touch it for free.;) I completely agree, I drove 140 miles to have Carfixer work on my car, he is a topnotch mechanic, he loves the MM. and his service dept. is inmaculate and well equipped. If you are serious about your car and within driving distance...make an appointment, you will not regret it. :2thumbs:

[CRUZTAKER]

..... dents in body panels and scratches on fenders and doors.
This ALWAYS happens to me. And it doesn't matter what dealership or service joint. Even the best places have caused some kind of damage to my car. It never fails....never....

I call them the scars of dealership visits. My best scratch (on the front bumper) happened at a dealership in Columbus while they did control arms of all things. Of course I found it after I left and stopped at a rest area on the way home.

I have even seen it happen in front of my very own eyes....:nerd:

[gilby04]

Bradley,
I tend not to entrust any of my vehicles to dealership care.
The foremost reason is due to a lack of confidence in dealer competence.
Overfilled oil changes or mistorqued tire rotations do not, in my opinion, cultivate a loyal customer base.
In my experiences, dealership "attention to detail" is fantasy.

[Bradley G]

Thanks for your comments .I feel fortunate to have developed contacts/relationships in the auto Industry over the last 15 yrs.But I'm still at the mercy of dealer competence.I feel with this site and the members enthusiasm/knowlwdge we are better prepared for issues that may or will arise.Gilby ,I could'nt help notice "tire rotate"in your post.I had an issue with a private garage rotated the tires front to back(different sizes)the s/m called me and said "You have big problems the diagnostic lights are on the dash are all lit up like a christmas tree!!(ABS, trac con ect.)"needless to say I'll never go there again.

[gohogs]

I'd rather eat dirt than take my mm to a dealership for anything!!

[Joe Walsh]

Ditto ^^^^ what everyone has said above..
I DON'T TRUST THE SERVICE DEPT. MANAGERS and ESPECIALLY THE 18 YEAR OLD "TECHNICIANS"
Having said that, I will not condemn ALL Dealerships...I would love it if there was a "TEAM FORD" in my neck of the woods...But I haven't found any.
I agree with 'Silver 04' ....I medicate myself before going to the dealer...
It's just not worth the hassle, argueing, mis-diagnosed problems, NEVER FIXED problems, return trips, more argueing, "its not warranty" argueing, $25 'shop supplies' (B.S.) fee, "oops! we didn't get to your car today" like we promised you at 7:00 a.m., "no we are all out of loaners",..... :blah: :blah: :blah:
I'll stick to fixing it MYSELF..I'd rather cuss at my Craftsman wrench when it breaks loose a bolt and smashes my knuckles on the nearest sharp object than cuss at myself for bringing my MM to a numb nuts service dept.

[BillyGman]

I've found it difficult to locate a place who is a performance oriented SVT dealer while at the same time employs mechanics who might actually give a rip about customers' cars. In my homestate, that combination is just very difficult to come by. I must comment on Tallboy's, and Smokie's comments about "Carfixer". Even though I reside in another part of the country, Carfixer has sent me PM's that have helped me out tremendously when nobody else on this board was able to. So if I did live anywhere near FLA, it's his place that I would bring my Marauder to w/out hesitation.

[kurly]

I'd rather eat dirt than take my mm to a dealership for anything!!

DITTO ! :banghead:

[Bradley G]

DITTO ! :banghead:even if required several thousand dollars to fix??

[BillyGman]

even if required several thousand dollars to fix??
Brad, is this really hypothetical, or are your questions related to your Marauder specifically?

[gonzo50]

It may just be my impression, But I can't help but notice If someone has an issue with thier Marauder,They would rather fix, upgrade, Modify on thier dime. Not all of course, but the prevailing MO is take it to the dealer LAST. :duel:
Anything that I can do on my own, thats not major, I'll do it just to know it was done right or for that matter, done at all. :confused:
I don't have any problems with my Dealership, they do every other oil change just for the record. ;)

Being former Ford Technician, I can tell you that service at a dealership is only as good as the technicians that they employ. I can also add that technicians do not like warranty work because FOMOCO does not allow a great deal of time do repairs on anything. Also squeaks, rattle and small stuff really annoys them.
One final note, when the technician goes into a trim panel, dash, engine, etc.....you only get to see the cover and not what might have been put back, or not put back.
I could go on forever, but you get the picture. Most of my customers detest dealership for lack of quality and high pricing.
If a technician works from 9am - 5pm, then I expect the same proficiency job out of him at 4:59pm that he gave at 9:01am. :duel:Also, they should not get annoyed at the things they're suppose to be able to :censor: fix.

I can't stand dealer service departments. I'd much rather work on my car and do for the jobs I can handle. Otherwise I medicate myself and to the dealer I go.Bleh.
Same here, do what I can, and pray when it goes to the Dealership. :razz:

[Bradley G]

Brad, is this really hypothetical, or are your questions related to your Marauder specifically?HeyBilly Gman, I don't have any major problem just a vibe thats a sore spot. I still love the MM. I was responding to I'd rather eat dirt than to take the MM to dealer.I havent done any warranty jepardiseing mods.because I'm not that financially secure.If my MM is ever Found On Road Dead I am going to need the thier help.$$$$$I was thinking of you at the Dreamwood Cruise in Michigan a couple weeks ago when I saw my first GT500 drive by:rock:

[JohnnyB]

I have a Ford EEC V code reader. If the check engine comes on I'll hook up the gadget, read the code and get to the oroblem. If it's a senor or some other part that I can replace I do it myself. I brought the car in last year for the foggy headlight problem. They replaced the whole headlight assembly but it started fogging up again. It's a poorly designed headlight assembly.

[Bradley G]

I have a Ford EEC V code reader. If the check engine comes on I'll hook up the gadget, read the code and get to the oroblem. If it's a senor or some other part that I can replace I do it myself. I brought the car in last year for the foggy headlight problem. They replaced the whole headlight assembly but it started fogging up again. It's a poorly designed headlight assembly.I heard thats why they got stricter about replaceing them, depends how bad they were affected.the dealers were sent guidelines actual photo's of lamps with varing degrees of moisture.who's the genius behind that decision?? stock went up for spray bottle companies as all the dealers used them to ensure the good customers would get thier new lamp lenses:rolleyes:

[teamrope]

My dealer's service department has done good by us. I even refered 1Bad03MM to them when his dealer blew off his head tick. They replaced his head for free. The tec that refilled the coolant put the wrong stuff in, and Curtis caught it, and they had no problem resolving that issue.

I still have them do the oil changes, that way I don't have to keep 100K worth of reciepts to keep from voiding the extended waranty, and get a free car wash with every oil change.

[Marauderman]

I found it easier to find a local high perormance shop ( racing type even better), to become friends with and with your Marauder--they care about your car, both inside and out and take CARE with it--totally unlike Dealers--as has been said here already--- SO , I'd recommend to look around your areas for such shops--- they are out there--check them out ,, and decide which one you like and become friends and things will work out for ALL your cars.....it's what I did--Dealers---NO WAY!.......Tom

[Bradley G]

I thank you guy's for your comments.I understand where your comming from.I have befreinded several techs over the years, some at the dealer. Others at private garages,and with the help of this board and vendors meeting more entheusiasts, I'm very luckey to have these resources.the dealership I got my start with has several President award winning techs(3) this is the highest achievement ford techs recognise, and this dealership has the worst CSI (customersatisfaction index) in the chicago zone!I can ask almost anyone there for a favor or pick thier brain, they are very good to me.A dealer is only as strong as its weakest employee.I know all have faults, and regularly make mistakes, but it's the attitude that makes the difference.