If they can't prove engine damage, then how can they deny warranty coverage under the law? They don't have a leg to stand on in a court of law in front of a jury BFB. By the way, I'm sure that Superchips would be VERY interested in a dealer claiming engine damage from one of their chips since they help Ford occasionally with programming their stock vehicles. Begin with a nasty letter to the dealer from an attorney stating the law and none of this speculation of engine damage. They decided to play hardball, now it's Roberts' turn at bat. Don't give in.

 

I am going throught the same thing. They voided my warranty back in Jan. and I ended up fixing it myself and then trading it in. Their denial was based solely because I had used a chip. They never even diagnosed the truck. I have written letters, had my attorney write letters, to no avail. The lawyer says as soon as we file the actual suit that Ford will settle. I have 5 years to file so I'm just kicking back and monitoring the boards for info such as this thread so that I can nail 'em to the wall when the time comes. Although Ford has lost me as a customer forever they haven't heard the last from me!

 

I don't have any advice for you,but I've certainly learned from your misfortune.Thanks for sharing.I'm on a teeter-totter 'bout mods.I want em,but im a chicken *****.I'm neck deep now.I couldnt afford a new motor or lawyer.I guess Fords got me by the gonads,untill I can find a sneaky way out.The Ford dealers here are sniveling little pecker heads.They would snitch you out for a clean beer coolie.I hope you hit the lottery on this one.

 

In court, Ford isn't the first at bat here! Robert is responsible to step up to the plate and file a suit now because of what Ford did. Robert must show that his chip, racing (obviously he doesn't add the stuff on there not to race or have fun), and other alterations did NOT cause the engine to die, and that it was Ford's fault in either production producing a weak component, or in repair work and not replacing out something that might have been weakened by the intercooler failure. This might be a case of arbitration, or other court circumstance that doesn't require a jury!

Do you think this doesn't happen all the time? Yes, it does! It happens EVERY day to someone or others. Superchips is NOT going to go to court with him, end of story! There would be too much riding on this for them to waste their time and dollars by sending an expert in. Robert would have to subpeona them and that's only if the judge allows it.

A nasty letter isn't going to mean squat to Ford. If they lose, it's just $10k in repair and salary (they have in house lawyers you know). They LIVE in court much like ALL major companies do.

I need to make it clear that I'm not defending Ford here, and I want Robert to be ready and armed and not take this lightly. Otherwise he's lost all of his time and effort as well as money. But I also need to make it clear that we all realize that installing aftermarket parts just might cause damage.

Now, if an O2 sensor is bad more than likely the vehicle will run rich, NOT lean. So now we need Robert to prove somehow that his O2 or O2's is/are bad, and that it or they caused the vehicle to run rich. If they aren't, then he's got to prove it was something else that caused it. As the sensor ages and becomes sluggish, it may not allow the computer to flip-flop the fuel mixture fast enough to keep emissions within acceptable limits. If the sensor dies altogether, it will cause the feedback control system to go back into open loop with a fixed, rich fuel mixture.

Robert, why don't you test your sensors and let us know.

BfB

 

First thing, contact mtroyer@compuserve.net

He will be very interested in this!

 

Stories such as this one continue to baffle me.

The dealer could have made good money repairing your engine, but instead got less than nothing -- the Hines Park New Hudson MI dealership now has public attention that they're not customer-focused.

You'd think the money was coming directly out of the dealer's pocket. If they'd have been smart, they'd have had a bunch of money being added to it's pocket.

I'll bet you've also dropped them from your list of dealerships likely to get your business on a new vehicle too.

It seems that the job-description for service managers doesn't include any notion of what constitutes good business sense -- and certainly not one of customer focus.

Gotta just wonder what exactly that service manager thinks is his role !

 

In the end, Robert will probably wind up paying for this himself. It will be pretty easy for Ford to show that the truck wouldn't be running dangerously lean over the redline without a chip.

I'm a big fan of chips, but everyone has to realize that they aren't "free" horsepower. They make your motor and trans work harder. That introduces reliability concerns, whether large or small. If you aren't willing to take the risk, don't mod your truck.

I've know of more than one chipped Lightning that toasted a cylinder on a high speed run. Ford can't be expected to warranty these motors for all our mods and 140 mph freeway runs. If you want to play, you've got be prepared to pay.

 

Yea...be sure when you do those 140+ m.ph. blasts down the highway, you know your chips A/F ratio. It would be a big help.

 

BFB: Please read AND understand the posts before replying...I never said send a letter to Ford. I HAVE dealt with them in the past. I said send a letter to the dealer. By the way, any dispute over 20 dollars I believe and both parties are entitled to a jury trial in a law suit in this country....check it out.....

 

Good luck Robert. BfB is correct on this one, get as much info as you can. It will save you with both Ford and your lawyers.

 

LoL, you're right, my bad I was thinking about the area rep. Remember she voided it. She works for Ford I do believe.

Sure, as long as his contract he signed when he bought it didn't state that he forfeited those rights to a court trial. He may have to go with what a lot of us would have to do as well: Arbitration . It also still depends on what his state law is of course. I've heard of a few cases being able to go to trial even though an arbitration agreement was in the contract.

BfB

 

Actually it was the field service engineer...

 

Robert, get an attorney. I am a little skeptical about how the field rep came to the conclusion that the chip mod caused a lean out condition which in turn caused your cylinder to go out. Did he down load the chip software and analyze the air/fuel ratio's ? Or, more likely, just look at your mod and assume that it caused the problem. I would not let that dealer look at the truck again so they can cook up a bunch of additional lies to bring to court. Repeat, get an attorney, one that will take a cut of an award with no out of pocket cost to you. Good luck.

By the way Ford has a multi billion dollar waranty problem. One way to cut down on that problem is to deny claims. That works out real well until you start to get hamered by the lawyers. Can you say FIRESTONE FIASCO??

 

LoL

BfB

 

I sit corrected. You win