I agree that no one is without fault in this. I should have insisted the shop tow it back when the oil level was so high. Of course I got a check engine like with “overfilled crankcase” being a possible cause and called them. I guess everyone just assumed that this was it, given the evidence. I should also have insisted it be towed for low oil pressure even ever calling them and checking to make sure there were no leaks and that it was reading full on the stick.
I also think they should have checked to confirm that the oil was reading correctly on the stick. What if a human punched in the wrong number or engine type while filling? Some cars barely take more than 3 quarts. Others such as heavy trucks take a whole lot more. They should have offered to have it towed if they were so certain of the level. They should have said “STOP DRIVING!” when I called them and told them the oil light was coming on after being informed I drained oil out. They didn’t seem concerned at all about this. They are the experts I am paying of course so wasn’t worried. I figured it was just the sensor.
I am a tech guy of course but see too many people reliant on only the “computer” or “machine” and don’t give any other information a second thought! I have seen stories about people jsut driving into a river or lake because the GPS said to do it. In one case the bridge had been removed but the GPS not updated to reflect that the route no longer existed.
I heard many stories like this during the Pokemon Go craze a few years back. I group of people was caught trespassing inside the fence of a nuclear power plant somewhere because the game told them to go there. Never mind the fence and all the signs…
That is a good deal. However, I thought the $6000 for a Motorcraft remanufactured engine was a good deal too. I paid $5800 in 2002 to have a factory new engine installed in my 91 Toyota Tercel, so with inflation that would be over $9000 today for just a small 4-cylinder engine. I believe the warranty was one year unlimited miles, not sure what kind of warranty Ford offers on its remanufactured engines.
Ford offers a 3 year/100,000 mile option so that is a good deal. I have another shop in town saying it would be $5200 out the door so maybe I should just go that route. Everyone seems to agree that the Ford or GM engines are a better way to go than Jasper around here. I just looked at the Ford again and it might be unlimited mileage for 3 years but cannot tell. Either one sounds good. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go this route as the rest of the truck is in good shape with very little rust. I shouldn’t look at it as I have already sunk more into this dog than it is worth. I should look at it as “This will be a great truck if I spend a tad more.”
Of course I think I should hang tight and see what resolution I get. Most I talk to think I should at least get SOMETHING for their mistakes even if I made some mistakes based on their work as well.
I guess no one is immune from misunderstanding accurate measurements. There was the multi-billion dollar power plant example I mentioned where such an error allowed water to flow over and breach a dam. Of course NASA had this mistake in mixing standard and metric units during a Mars mission. Either way, this is an expensive learning experience, much more for NASA than myself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter
If I am reading the posts correctly, it sounds as though the seller put thicker oil in the crankcase to mask the worn bearings. If this is the case, the seller sold the OP a truck with a bad engine. I would guess that the seller would deny doing this and it would be difficult to prove that the seller did, indeed, put thicker oil in the truck.
I made the mistake of not checking a vehicle out thoroughly when I bought a 1955 Pontiac back in 1962. I bought the Pontiac from the Rambler dealer. The dealer’s shop had overhauled the engine. The overhaul consisted of new rings and a valve job. It held good oil pressure, so I assumed all was fine. It wasn’t. The oil passages to the heads were sludged up and plugged the hollow studs that held the rocker arms. The lifters also should have been replaced and were not. I fought the car for six months. The final outcome was that my parents had a Rambler that was totaled. The Rambler dealer had the same year Rambler that was totaled on his lot. The insurance company negotiated a price for the replacement Rambler. My dad could either have the replacement Rambler or the check from the insurance company. My dad had a 1954 Buick that he was ready to sell. We took his Buick and my Pontiac to the dealer. The dealer offered a higher trade-in allowance for my Pontiac. The dealer got the Pontiac back and I got a car to drive with fewer problems.
My experience with two different mechanics is that if they make a mistake, they own up to it and make good. I had one mechanic who was replacing a water pump. His wrench slipped and he put a hole in the radiator core. He took the radiator to a radiator shop and had the radiator fixed on his dime.
In the second case, I bought a Ford Maverick from ab out of town Dodge dealer. As I was going through the town five years later. the Maverick started to overheat. I went to the same dealer and the problem was diagnosed as a bad freeze plug which could only be repaired by removing the transmission. The dealer’s shop was busy and I needed to get home. The service department filled the radiator and gave me a gallon jug of water in case it was needed on my 50 mile trip back home. I took the Maverick to my mechanic and reported what the Dodge dealer had told me. My mechanic removed the transmission only to find out that wasn’t the problem. The problem was a defective heater core. My Maverick had factory air conditioning and the way the condensate drain was placed, it looked like the coolant was leaking between the engine and transmission. The mechanic ate the cost of removing and replacing the transmission. I argued with him that I was somewhat responsible for reporting what I had been told by the Dodge dealer and I was willing to pay some of his labor charges for pulling the transmission. He told me he should have been smarter in diagnosing the problem and wouldn’t let me pay him an additional amount for his time. I did finally get even. I sent a lot of my department colleagues to his shop.
The truck ran ok, he just wanted to clean up a few things. He acknowledges making mistakes as well, contributing to the unfortunate situation it is in now.
This is probably how I would be thinking at this point as well. If the rest is solid, I’d be inclined to go this route. A a new motor will still have more value if you end up getting rid of it later.
Please keep in mind that the other thread “I bought a lemon…” was based on incorrect information from the shop. At the time they were telling me the seller likely put some snake oil in the engine to mask the problem, the engine HAD NO OIL! I was unaware of this until I went to drain it myself. They didn’t catch the truck had no oil or oil pressure but were glad to charge me for an oil pressure sender without even looking to see if there was anything else wrong.
When I told them it still had no oil pressure, they told me the engine was shot and that I needed to put 20W50 in as a band-aid but this was no cure. They also told me to take out full coverage and make sure it lit on fire.
Keep in mind I called them when it showed over full. Keep in mind I called them when I got an oil light. It was reading full on the stick and I saw no leaks so they said there was no need to worry. Keep in mind I was PAYING experts without questioning them so I guess that was my mistake.
Upon having another shop look at the receipts, they are telling me that many very simple jobs were billed as full hour jobs. Again, I would understand this if I brought it in for one dinky thing but this added up to be quite a bit of money for a lot of labor that was most definitely combined for the entire job.
They were also happy to take my money when I asked them to go over the truck and tell me if there was any reason not to spend all this money. They said it would be a good solid truck. Then when I questioned them, they told me I was the idiot for putting all that money into this truck. Again, this was the SAME EMPLOYEE so that really gets me.
Maybe I made some mistakes but obviously this shop wasn’t on the up and up. I have never been screwed by a mechanic before but I guess there is always a first time.
Sounds like some little details got overlooked from both parties. Hindsight is 20\20. 95% of the time overlooking small details won’t matter. It’s when we are in the 5% group that we learn to try and not to skip the little details. Like a mechanic checking the oil after a fill, or a customer checking his oil before leaving a lot. I hope things work out for you.
It may be an uphill battle BUT if they replaced say a dip stick for a f 150 or similar in your truck and it is the wrong dipstick and resulted in your engine causing issues now, they would be liable for that. Like you said perhaps they would just reimburse your original bill if it was thousands, and you could get a used engine. I would ask for that and if they refused take them to small claims, and explain to the judge you were willing to settle for that.
Its like when they don’t tighten the oil plug, or forget to put oil in it after an oil change, yea its a tiny error that ends in a catastrophic loss for the owner and they are responsible. I don’t see any difference here…If their work ended with a wrong part on your vehicle and that ended in a ruined motor, they are responsible…
I am going to look into my legal options but also my repair options.
One of the mechanics I talked to has said that he feels a rebuild is possibly the best and most economical if I have the time to wait which I do. He is going to call a few machine shops and figure out if this is a viable option. If it costs as much as a reman, then that is the best route since they have the best warranty. He feels that I might be able to get away with a rebuild for the same price as the used engine deal and feels that an engine machined and brought back to factory specs is a much better option.
This is also the guy who was talking about the legal precedents. He is going to make some calls on both and figure out how I should proceed with the shop as well the repair.
Someone else asked if I had used a credit card. Part of the bill was paid with a card but that bill has been paid if that matters. Again, I don’t want to dispute the charges just yet until I talk to my attorney but that is yet another option for me.
Also, a couple shops I called Fri called back. They said the do NOT suggest rebuilding this engine because new heads would likely be required and that the most economical option with the best warranty is a reman.
I think the roller rocker arm 5.4 Tritons are known for top end noise. You change rockers and cams and still have noise. Maybe your motor was one of those making noise? Low oil and OHC heads is not a good mix
The shop that was involved in all this told me it was a rod knock. The other issue is that this thing is smoking like mad now. If it has been run low on oil, I feel there is more to deal with with the OHC heads being damaged and all as well.
I think the time now is to just replace the thing. I am looking into more of a new engine at this point. I was warned against the shop that quoted me the $2500 used engine installed.
