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Total surprise at the dealership shop today - NO CHARGE

ShadowsPapa

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I finally got a break from the endless days and evenings of work, construction, restorations and just plain CRAZINESS. The break won't last as I have a car to put back together for a show in 3 weeks and there's that much work to do on it, and then the big show in Colorado Springs first part of June, and I have several restorations to finish and send out so people have them to put back on their cars before the big meet out there.

Anyway, I took the truck to the dealer shop for a simple list. I told them I expected there may be charges for at least 2 of the items, I didn't care, just do it and let me know how much when done.
Most of the list was warranty or the wave oil change, rotation, etc.

oil change,
tire rotation,
POM rivet wouldn't stay put in the right rear splash guard (that I had installed - something goofy going on)
interior trim left and right of the rear glass was coming loose - the velcro tabs were coming off the top, adhesive had let loose. Told 'em to just glue or use 3M tape, I didn't care as I was too busy to mess with it myself like I usually would,
add sales code for passive entry to VIN so that it would be there any time they flashed the thing in the future,
I told them I also added the auto-high beam option to it, and explained how it wasn't available in the package when I bought the truck but the following month it was, explained I wasn't sure if they could do anything about that or not, but please check,
then I explained that when they replaced the steering gear under the TSB last year it wasn't aligned - and that alignment had been added to the latest TSB (January of this year) - but ALSO -
the steering was better after they did the gear replacement, but it gradually got worse, then suddenly this year it was as bad as ever, wandering, not pulling, but it would tend right, I'd compensate, then it would tend left, and I'd counter, then it would wander right, and every time I tried to compensate, it would change its mind.
I asked them to please check it, it acted like there was negative or no caster, steering felt "loose".

I dropped it off with the list on Monday 7am
They called me that after noon saying "we're needing to replace the steering gear, they had to order it, could they keep the truck overnight". Absolutely.
Tuesday they said the gear came in but was too late to do the alignment, could they keep it again and they'd finish it up Wednesday AM (today). Sure, fine, I have another Jeep and my cars (one of them being in 1,000 parts swapping door hinges - must strip dash to do that)
I went to pick it up today, expecting a bill for the splash guard (since I installed them, they were not dealer or factory installed) and for them calling mother MOPAR to get the passive entry added and flashing things to sync it all up.
Nope - no charge for anything and they ordered new trim for next to the rear glass (huh? Only the adhesive on the velcro pads came loose, but they ordered the whole shooting match)
They said that because I had asked another dealer for passive entry, they missed it, the truck came without and I added it - they'd take care of that as a mistake in ordering and cover it. I told them - but I didn't even buy it at your store! No problem, no charge.
Did they REALLY contact MOPAR and get it added? I have no way of knowing - until the next update to things and it gets flashed again.

But - the steering is definitely better. This time I could actually feel it as I left the parking spot they had it in. It turned just a bit harder and sitting at a light, messing with the wheel, if I moved it even a tiny amount I could feel the tires respond. So the first replacement must not have been quite right from day one. That one was better on the road at first, but I didn't have the golly, gee, this is great instant impact driving out of the lot that others said they noticed. This time I did.
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slowstang305

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Its nice to hear a story where things go right. Usually I leave service departments pretty unsatisfied and avoid them at all costs.
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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I swear, anyone who thinks that they'll retire and have more time, more free time, or less to do - HAHAHAHA - I mock thee, I laugh at thee.
6 weeks of - well. we hired a contractor to handle a list of things - things I was too busy to do, or in some cases, were too much for my back (the retaining wall, concrete blocks, etc.) - and, well.......... guess who ended up doing some of the work anyway. Huge doors for a big closet we have (tri-pass doors idea I came up with) - I ended up taking the lead on that. Then the wall and walk-way - yeah, I was involved.......... getting the materials for replacing the carpet on our stairs with oak -that was a huge battle (and fedex screwed things up so royally) so of all that time, I got almost NO shop work done and fell further behind and yet people want me to do their show restorations now, word has spread.

I was thinking that once I took a breath and popped back in I'd be stoned, shot, dragged behind a wild horse, or similar. ;-)

Yeah, I was happy with the bill - $0
I told my wife - expect to pay something as the adding of that sales code to the VIN, I'm asking for something not normally done, it's not broken, not a defect, I'm asking something be added or changed, but no, they took care of it.
They had to order the interior trim pieces but that's fine, it's just a minor annoyance more than anything.
No comment on the steering gear other than they made a note on the paperwork -
"Internal Fault Steering Gear"
The service writer who took it in made a quick comment about some code - but I forgot to ask what the code was (no indication of any fault, truck worked FINE other than steering)
 

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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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Thanks, guys - going crazy now trying to keep up with shop work. Tomorrow back out for a couple of rush jobs that must be done this week - for show cars that you'll see in Colorado Springs in June.
 

Munkey Boy

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Ha! Retirement: Definition, noun. The false perception that you now have time to do all those things you weren't able to get to when your back and hands actually worked properly.

Good to see you back, sir. Just ain't the same place without ya. Better still is any service free of charge. Win, win!
 

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rr11

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I know what your saying about retirement, while I was working I maintained 60 acres and still fished one day a week. Now I have so much extra time I'm behind by at least a week on what I'm supposed to do.
 

SteveInOrlando

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I installed the Proximity sensors myself and used my JSCan to configure my vehicle.

They have done updates to my vehicle ECM twice since then and the door locks are still configured for proximity. Despite what we have been lead to believe, I don't think they reset all setting to factory every time they update the vehicle ECM.
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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I installed the Proximity sensors myself and used my JSCan to configure my vehicle.

They have done updates to my vehicle ECM twice since then and the door locks are still configured for proximity. Despite what we have been lead to believe, I don't think they reset all setting to factory every time they update the vehicle ECM.
I installed the proximity locks myself - handles, caps, harnesses and programmed it all using AlfaOBD. I also setup the auto highbeam myself using that tool. IT all worked fine - but some updates could clear that (I never checked after the massive radio update to see if those things were still showing in the menu on the radio screen)

No, not every update will change all things. The flash to take care of the trailer brake controller issue didn't impact anything at all other than the ABS.
But the PCM update they did last summer because of the "recall notice" on my VIN changed the behavior of the whole thing - shifting, running, MPG was hammered, etc. and they say in the bulletin for the steering gear to "put radio settings back" or words to that effect, after flashing for the new steering gear.
Also, for insurance purposes, the insurance company goes by your VIN to see what it's got. I had a huge fight with the insurance companies when Dad was killed and his truck totaled in a freak "accident" a couple of years back. They insisted his truck didn't have certain things (and even called it a long wheelbase truck). I want my VIN to reflect everything possible. I know it can't tell them some of the accessories or equipment it has that I've added - the bumper, bed rail system, other stuff, but all the safety equipment I want in my VIN as the discounts rely on that.
They said they flashed it after updating the info in the VIN - I believe it as my MPG had basically started all over again so it cleared a few things out.
 
 



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