Need Input! Purchased my truck at the end of october. 98 12v ec/rb 4x4 bonestock as far as i can tell..Last wednesday i dropped my truck off at a local truck dealer with a reputable cummins guy..dropped it off because i was experiencing some black/ light colored light smoke/haze while driving, also was having some difficult cold starting issues. wasnt a big problem, just wanted it checked over because its my new truck..and i wanted piece of mind. well i get told that gridheater had a few problems that needed attending, but for the main concern of the haze, i am told that it was out of timing.(mind u that the truck is running fine when i took it in, just the slight smoke/haze issue) i was told that he'd redo timing and that should be taken care of. so finally today almost a week, and $1058 dollars later im told its done. i go to pick it up and start it and its running HORRIBLE! the engine was cold, but i have never had a cold start like this even before i took it in. its bellowing white smoke, bucking, shaking, missing..basically running a heck of alot worse than when i dropped it off! mind u i even gave benefit of doubt and sat around for 20-25 to see if it went away, NOPE. 7 days in shop and $1058 bill and i get the truck back worse than when i took it in. Left the truck there and took my check back...NOW WHAT dudes??
thats what i was thinking? maybe he did it and it slipped again..to me, it was an obvious timing problem when i went to pick it up. but could it possibly be he timed it right and i have a problem with my pump or injectors? (which these d*cks r probably going to say) i doubt this though because i was running well when i took it in, so i dont know what to tell these guys? im not paying for my truck to run worse than it did before. u guys think that bill is steep for what they did? i do! whish i could do most of my own work..just not possible at the time. thnx guys
I don't know what the laws are in PA, but did you request a written estimate for the repairs before they were done?
I would look long and hard into consumer rights for your state before I paid over a grand for a timing adjustment.
sounds like timing. if all he did was adjust timing then sounds like it. i dont what he did to the grid heater but i dont think that would effect how its running. but i could be wrong.
also i wont pay for that. ill say it was running fine when i brought it in. now it does not run at all. fix it. if they dont and still charge that outragious price. call BBB if they are a member. and consumer rights. i would like to know what they did with the grid heater.
another thing is if you have a problem with your truck i urge you to ask or search on this site first. this site has lots of helpful people and information. just about every problem you will have, someone asked it before.
there is a tech section for the 94-98.5 in the forums. look at it and those are just some of the basic problems.
doing the timing is not too hard. you can buy a timing kit for about 200 dollars on ebay and the sets to do it are posted in the tech section word for word.
i erred on the side of caution and took it in for a check-up, but i should of just let it ALONE..now i just want my baby back but i want her to RUN. this is absolutely crazy
update- so like i said before, spoke to them today and they said that they timed it right so now further work is needed. they say that either there is a problem with my injectors or another issue with the pump that needs addressed by sending the pump out. my issue is that if the timing was slightly advanced before, how can these other issues be masked? it cant be injectors because it would run like crap all the time, instead of only after these jagoffs messed with it. im kicking myself right now, so i told them set it back to whatever and make it run. i do not know what i will do if they tell me its done and it runs like crap.
I would pull my truck from that shop. They are guessing with your money. Pay them find a good trucking company or dump truck company ask them who works on there stuff. Good mechanics dont guess, they have proper tools to diagnos the issue and repair it. If a mechanic finds that the problem was sumthing the first guy was suppose to have fixed.. go back for a refund, or small claims court to recoup some cash.
get your truck out of that shop...your timing is off. Ask them how they timed it. I would bet they just pinned it, which has been shown many times to be way off. Take it to a cummins dealer not a dodge dealership. Once they re-time it for half the price and fix your issue, demand your refund.
i was positive the timing was bad when i went back and fired it up. if it slipped then he should do it AGAIN..and not tell me that i have to pay for it to get back in the shop right?! now im lookin at atleast 2 hours labor for him to go back in and re-time! thats bull$hit! i honestly dont know where else to take it or what to do at this point..pittsburgh area and i dont know of any diesel shops around here yet. im freakin out thnx for the input and more is appriciated.
dont pay them anymore. tell them to fix it to how it was brought in. Told to the Big boss. if its a nationwide company, calll the corpate office. call BBB. this is BS. they are ripping you off. dont let them send it anywhere. im sure there is some place in PA for u to take your truck. im not from there but hopefully someone from there can post up and point u in the right area. im sorry your going through this but please dont let them take advantage of you.
worst case buy a timing kit and do it yourself.
ask them how they did the timing. it sounds like it is off for sure. after you fix it go back there with proof. paperwork. and demand a full refund. if they dont. say Ill see u in small claims court. and get all your paperwork and reciepts ready. and take them to court.
heres what im sayin when i talk to them tomorrow, feel free to add in what you guys would say; I need the tech to check if the timing he set in the first place slipped or not, if it did then he needs to set it again and do it right this time. im not responsible for your mistake. --now if they check and say its timed right, then they want $$ to bring it back in and put the timing where it was. now i know that aint right but thats what theyre sayin. dont see how it coulda been timed right running like it was when i fired it up, it was classic bad timing running which i wont give them money for. it had to have slipped; it was running worse than when i brought it in..and they want money for that? but their answer is; oh thats because theres sumthing else wrong with it..BULL
and when they say there is somthing else wrong with it. say" your telling me if the timing is off it would run great right?, that does not make sence. I want to know how you all did the timing, so i know if it was done right."
obviously you need to know how to do the timing so you know if what the they are saying is correct. so look over the timing proceeder.
thanx brother..ill get back on nd try to keep you and if anyone else cares updated of what happens. for real, this is making me sick. i just want my goddamn truck back...RUNNING
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