Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: (email redacted) (Matt Silveira x257)

To all those out there in Fordnatics land that responded to my note I want to thank you.

To Chuck:

I love your idea about getting rid of the dealer and service writer, but I too don't want a felony wrap to compound my misery. (Just kidding. although it is fun to imagine a WC Fields sort of conclusion to this wicked story.)

Regarding (email redacted)'s message:


Yes! You're right, the DIS is not adjustable and the only solution (albiet underground solution) is to modify the EEC software. (Something I didn't want to do under warranty and with CA's strict emissions laws.)


However, I want to make a point about my pinging (or more precisely, pre-detionation as I suspect it is.)

1. It knocks throughout the power band from 1500 RPM to about 3200 RPM (I don't like to rev the engine to 4K because I don't want to shorten its life.)

2. Its a 4.0L V6 with DIS that is not adjustable.

3. The day that I had its "break-in" oil changed the mechanic found a half-moon
key that came from the timing gear on the crank. At that point they claimed it was a "spare". (Can you believe the lies!)

4. I have checked the timing and it "walks" out of spec. My true suspicion is that the bozo who assembled this little engine didn't do it right and the cam is out of time (thus causing an over-all incorrectly set static timing.)

*What does the group think about this theory.


Now, as Paul Harvey says, "here's the rest of the story."

Just the other day the dealer called and said that he was pulling the intake because of a leak that was causing the cylinders 2 &4 to get oil fouled. I said that there was no evidence of this (i.e. oil consumption, smoke, fouled plugs, etc.) and that I thought this wasn't where it was at!

I also said that the plugs on many holes were burnt WHITE and the porcelin was noticeably scorched! (Wow, that's really hot.)

He told me, (can you believe it! - not) that the leak was *so slight* as to not give tell-tale symptoms. (Yeah, and I have this bridge in S.F. called the Golden Gate.)

Then, two hours later, he told me that after re-installing the intake that they are going to pull the heads (and of course, the intake again!) When I asked why they didn't pull the heads in the first place he claimed he was following Ford's procedures!!!!!

I said I was calling the useless 800 number and they claimed that they had no say in the fix, that they relied on the dealer's opinion. (As Heller's famous character said, "What's the catch? It's catch-22."

So at that point I demanded a meeting with the service manager, the writer, the chief mechanic, and the factory rep. The service person refused to grant the request and told me that," if I didn't like the F&*KING service to take the damn truck and get it out of this shop." (Hmmm... very professional.)

I said how could I given that it's taken apart. So I sit with a rented GEO metro. At least it doesn't ping.



Again, your responses, quips, and other sundry musings are always appreciated.


Sincerely,


Matt Silveira
System Engineer
OSI
(email redacted)
"Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer."

Thought for the week:

Manual, n.
A unit of documentation. There are always
three copies at any given time.

One is on the shelf, some one has the others, the
information you need is in the others.

-Ray Simard