Renewed FAITH in DDC dealers!

[Busted Knuckle]

Well as many of you know, I absolutly detest taking anything to a Detroit dealer. Well I have to admit this past week was a very trying week for me. (actually past 3 weeks! LOL!) Anyway on the 60 series in my Setra after replacing the air to air cooler one week, and the turbo the next week, and spending the entire week working on it trying to trouble shoot why it was blowing/sucking the hose/boots off the turbo going to the air charge cooler. After all was said & done I just could not figure out what the problem was, and could not fix it! So I finally broke down and called the company's finance officer (dad) and asked just how much $ I had available, so I could get the dang thing fixed! Well I took it to the DDC dealer in Orlando, and told them what I'd done, and what was happening, and that I NEEDED IT FIXED! I told them to please keep in mind that I started with nothing and still had most of it! LOL! Well 15 mins later they told me that the "Turbo Hose" that we bought from NAPA was indeed marked "Turbo hose", but was probably intended for a toyota or something probably producing 6-8 lbs of boost, not the 28-32 lbs  my turbo was producing. Also the clamps I'd reused weren't the correct ones either. And the "new" charged air cooler had oil in it from when the turbo leaking when the hose would come off and release the back pressure and allow the turbine to loosen up and let oil bypass the oil seal! Well I told them to fix it. Well less than 3 hrs, 4 correct turbo hoses, 9 turbo clamps, and $588.37 later an I was out the door with my bus running better than it ever has since I've owned it! So yes I have a renewed faith in them especially the one in Orlando! I have always been afraid of being raked over the coals and over charged for having work done on the road, but I feel they treated me more than fair. I was expecting that maybe I had major issues and would cost probaly double what it did!   BK 

[H3Jim]

I've had good expereiences with the DD dealer in Mira Loma, Ca (Riversides) and bad experience with the one in San Diego.

[TomC]

While it is a hard job working on buses in general, I know at my Freightliner shop in Whittier, Ca, we have many buses and motorhomes pass through our doors.  While I'm confident on our knowledge of Series 50, 60, DD15, and Mercedes-Benz Series 4000, when it comes to working on the old 2 strokers, I would still highly recommend Don Fairchild in Bakersfield, Ca.  As BK has found out there are many muances to working on the electronic Diesels that sometimes makes going to the Detroit, or Freightliner shop unavoidable.  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

Stay away from Freightliner in Vegas they charged me $13,800 for a inframe on my 8v92 that lasted less than 10,000 miles and I was told that I had 90 days labor and 1 year on parts and the 90 days were past for the labor

[NJT 5573]

NEVER break down in Nevada. That is a #1 rule in trucking.

[Busted Knuckle]

NEVER break down in Nevada. That is a #1 rule in trucking.

Same with Wyoming! I once had a service guy in WY tell me the price just to come out, and then ask me "whatcha gonna do?"! When I told him it was hiway robery he said yup, but yer stuck, and this is the way we do things here! More than once I got it stuck to me in Wyoming! Once it was the Wrecker Service that Operates up on top of Mount Sherman when they towed my truck back to Cheyenne Freightliner. Then the Freightliner dealer finished me off, by blowing my engine and telling me that the hole in the side of the block was there when it came in! (I was the one driving it & I know better!) I had the truck towed to Springfield, MO for another great hosing by the DDC there! FWIW BK

[larryh]

I'm going to stick up for the Dealers and Mechanics because I was one. When a person comes in and says I have a problem with leaking oil and lack of power not like it used to be and the shop forman writes up what I'm supposed to do per owner that is all I can do is what the owner said nothing more. So when you come in with a preconceived problem and when you leave the real problem not determined then you blame the &%^$#) mechanic or shop. Our shop went to a flat fee diagnostic of 150.00 would tell you what your problems were then you could decide what you wanted done. BK told them what he had done and exactly what he wanted fixed and they did exactly that and it was the problem not always $$$$$$$$$$$$$ but let them determine what the problem is after you give them some background. If the mechanic got to talk to the owner/operator then there wouldn't be so much misunderstandingand then more  just my 2 centavo.

Larry Higuera
Quartzsite AZ
currently Harrisburg OR and loving it

[Busted Knuckle]

I'm going to stick up for the Dealers and Mechanics because I was one. When a person comes in and says I have a problem with leaking oil and lack of power not like it used to be and the shop forman writes up what I'm supposed to do per owner that is all I can do is what the owner said nothing more. So when you come in with a preconceived problem and when you leave the real problem not determined then you blame the &%^$#) mechanic or shop. Our shop went to a flat fee diagnostic of 150.00 would tell you what your problems were then you could decide what you wanted done. BK told them what he had done and exactly what he wanted fixed and they did exactly that and it was the problem not always $$$$$$$$$$$$$ but let them determine what the problem is after you give them some background. If the mechanic got to talk to the owner/operator then there wouldn't be so much misunderstandingand then more  just my 2 centavo.

Larry Higuera
Quartzsite AZ
currently Harrisburg OR and loving it

Larry I believe you have misunderstood what I said here! I told them what problem I was experiencing, ,and what I'd done up to that point attempting unsuccessfully to fix the problem. I told them that so they'd know what had or hadn't been done. I also told them to FIND AND FIX whatever was causing the problem! Which I am proud to say they did, and did quite well at that! That's my story and I'm sticking too it, so don't be try'n to twist it around! Still happy a heck with the service & price I received! (which is more than I can say from past personal experiences as well as war stories I heard about! )  FWIW !   BK 

[jjrbus]

So what happened to Holly???

[Busted Knuckle]

she's still around and we spent time together while I was there!   BK 

[jjrbus]

 U r suppose 2 keep us up  on the details, its in the rules!

[bubbaqgal]

and don't forget your mothers birthday is today!!!!

[Busted Knuckle]

and don't forget your mothers birthday is today!!!!

Yes Cat I already made her a card! Thanks for reminding me though! By the way I got a piece of mail for you out of our box last night.    BK 

[jjrbus]

 If it is a bill, mark it deceased and send it back