View Single Post
 
Old 10-21-2009, 09:01 PM
Capt Steve Capt Steve is offline
US Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,663
Likes: 761
Liked 2,879 Times in 417 Posts
Talking All good things must come to an end

And so it is with this nightmare. When last I left you breathless readers no one could figure out what the problem with my truck was. Most agreed it was some sort of parasitic voltage draw. Well three days after the "healing" by the dealer and miles form nowhere while camping, the same old BS. Dead battery, so dead it would not take a jump or pop of the clutch. I jury rigged my deep cycle battery off the trailer to get home from the mountain and back to the shop it went.

My conversation with the service adviser was a tad terse (but no profanity). I told him to have the mechanic that was going to work on the truck this time call me so I could give him as much relevant info as possible. Of course he did not do that and three days later, as in 24 billable hours at $100 per, the mechanic does call. When I told him the problems started 2 weeks after the alternator was installed he freaked. "That has to be the problem" he exclaimed. Sure enough it was generating a 4 amp draw. Everyone kept checking the alternator for output, which was fine but not for a draw. Arrrrrrg!

Dealer puts on a new alternator and replaces the battery that is once again fried and all is well for ten days. Dealer presents me with a bill for $1300 for an alternator and the battery they fried. In a subsequent meeting with the owner of the dealership I manage to carve $700 off of the bill for their transgressions.

Head out camping once again and while trying to merge onto I-10 the alternator fails completely, truck shuts down and we nearly get killed just getting off the freeway. Wife says the truck has got to go and I have no argument. Tow the truck and trailer home, the truck back to the dealer where they find another defective alternator, their eat.

I now have a new, to me, 2006 F-150 (Certified Pre-owned, as in very clean), and the dealer has my old truck in trade. I got $2500 in trade which is about what I had put into it over the last 6 months but did well on the price of the new truck. Never had a V-8 before and the 5.4L is a beast. I love the new truck and to be able to put this nightmare behind me is a major relief.

"THANK YOU" to one and all who contributed so much good advice and support. May you never walk/drive down this road. (o; I'll post a pic of the new truck soon, but now it is time for a brewksi!

I
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post: