Okay... So I had the whole thing of the engine dieing on me after coming down from a crusing speed for a while. (Drive at 70 for a while then off the freeway to street speeds and the engine kicks into protect mode, pull over, shut it off, wait a min, start back up, and proceed on my merry way).

So I finally get the stealership to run a diagnostic, $80 from my pocket and they want to replace the entire throttle body... Only the code that it was giving was P0122 (TPS).. Sorry I say.. I'll spend $62 for the TPS and replace it my self.. or if necessary, pay about $180 for a new TB.. But not $280 for just the part, and certainly not another $100 for labor..

So I picked up a new TPS from Napa and threw it on last night.. I followed pretty much every step I could find to make the process a simple as possible.

So success.. The TPS is changed. But now there is a CEL again.. Most likely I will go to Autozone (so Im not getting raped another $80 for the use of thier diagnostic comp at the stealership), and have em check out the code.

So my question is this... After they check the code.. all that should need to be done is pretty much they just clear it out and thats it right? BTW the throttle response is much better now that I have replaced the TPS.. Before there was quite a bit of hesitation when flooring it, now there's still a small amount, but nothing near the amount as before.. I am guessing this is because of the CEL.. Right?

 

Do you know what engine you have ?

 

Sorry for off topic, But what part of Idaho?

I'm in Boise.......

 

JBrew:

I have the 5.4L . (suprised that my sig never posted.. I know I had it in there)

Truck is an 06 SCREW 4x4 5.4L XLT.


Cetansapa:

Not a problem.. Im in North Idaho.. CDA to be exact.

 

Yea, before you submit your reply, scroll down a little further and check the box for "Show your signature". Then it will show up. You have to do that every time when you want your sig to display.

 

Okay... Well.. I went to "the Zone" today and had them clear the CEL light code which was an O2 Sensor code (which I half expected.. had that happen to me with a 91 5.0 L F150 XLT where it was throwing an o2 sensor code but turned out to actually be the TPS in it.. That was a pain, I remember changing that out at night with minimal tools and a flashlight in KC Kansas, just 10 minutes after the parts store closed and it was my last hope.. I was on vacation from Colorado to N.C. then but that was another story)

Anyway... the zone tech came out read the code and like a good parts store clerk wanted to sell me a new o2 sensor but I declined and asked him to clear the code. Make notes here**** Autozone will not clear codes... but... they will let you push the button to clear the code... But you have to insist and you have to ask.. Their response was the Liability issue thingy that everyone always says..

So I cleared the code to which the guy said it would come back on again immediately ... But no... it didn't and it hasn't ..

So TPS change on 5.4L Triton... Mission Successfully Accomplished!! Score one more for the Shade tree Mechanics and F150OL, minus 1 for the stealerships!!!

 

i can't believe these dealerships actually charge to scan your damn vehicle. i work at a gm dealer and we have never once in the 2 years that i have worked there charged anybody a dime for scanning their vehicle. i guess i can see charging somebody to scan it but not an hours labor. thats just insane.

 

we scan the codes for free, but if you want me to do a diag, you're gonna pay. sorry if everyone else wants to sell their time for free, but my time is worth something to me. i'm a pretty nice guy and want to help out the customer, but being a nice guy doesn't pay the bills.

edit: i should say that i don't work for a dealer. i've never seen a dealer though that will just "scan the codes" they always do a diag. just giving the customer the codes usually blows up in your face cause they just go home and do some internet research, have no idea what they're looking for, and then "fix" the problem. then when the light comes back on next week, they're in my shop screaming about how i must have told them the wrong thing cause john smith the "30 year ford master tech" on the internet told them to replace xyz part.

 

Just purchase your own DTC scanner, - Harbor Freight had them for $39 not to long ago.

 

well i was just thinking more of a random guy drops in becuase his cel just came on and he wants to know what it is. i could see charging him for diag if he wants to do it himself but if he doesn't then it turns into a job anyhow so why make him pay for diag and the job itself. that is the number one reason we have had the same customers come back year after year. not to mention it creates new customers. we don't take you for every penny you have and people really appreciate that. i know what you're saying though, i work on flat rate so when i get pulled off a job to go scan a customers vehicle then yah i expect a little something for it. usually my boss will mark what i did and give me a little extra at the end of week and let the customer go free. as for just scanning the codes, what we usually do is scan them and give the customer a vague idea of what it is and set up and appt. later. when people get charged for something like that, thats what i don't get.

 

ok, now i see what you're saying which is pretty much the same thing i'll do. althought around here i have NEVER seen a dealership just scan the codes. i'll give a customer the codes if they want them (usually takes about 2 minutes...i don't even pull the car in the shop) for free, and i'll give them a general idea of the problem, but i explain that it could be many different things and the only way to know for sure is to do a full diagnostic. usually this works out OK, but i've had quite a few times where i end up in the situation i described before. i usually just laugh when those people come in.

 

yah thats about all you can do is laugh when a person like that comes in.