My 2001 F150 still has blue smoke from the tailpipe. A trip to the dealer offers little help; they couldn't duplicate.

My truck has 19,500 miles on it , and I want to begin documentation and the arbitration process before warranty expires.

Can anybody offer advice on where to start the ball rolling?

Where do I begin the registered letter process at Ford?

Any help is appreciated.

Mark

 

Go to your Ford dealer and ask for the Ford arbitration packet.. It is my understanding that they are required to give this to you if you ask for it.

I am curious about your problem... Is the problem consistant or intermittent? For most lemon law type issues one usually should give the dealership several attempts (around 3) to correct it..

The first step one usually should take is contacting the Ford 1-800 customer service number.. The person on the phone is not in any postion to actually solve your problem, but everything that you say and request is documented..

On the one occasion that I used the customer service number (actually I called several times), I made specific requests of what I wanted from Ford that would help restore my confidence in the vehicle and FoMoCo in general.
Well, these requests were forwarded to both the regional rep and the dealership..

The dealership top service guy called to explain to me that what I requesting is just something that they can't do and said I was being un-reasonable..

However, a half hour later a different person at the dealership (the service writer), called and informed me that my vehicle was fixed and ready to be picked up and that my request was already approved by the regional rep..

Finally, if you want the dealership and FoMoCo to make things as difficult for you as possible, then all you have to say is 'It doesn't matter what you do, I'll never buy a Ford product again'..

If you make statements like that, then they know they've already lost you as a customer. So why would they spend time and money trying to get your confidence back if you've already made up your mind..

 

You might think about using a camcorder and filming the blue smoke at startup. Capture this several times and you will have the evidence needed to either get your dealer to fix the problem (without) actually duplicating it, or with the arbitration.

Jim

 

Thanks for the "arbitration advice".
I'm just downright frustrated. This is my 3rd for truck; I actually switched back to Ford after my '97 Chevy. I want Ford success!!
I buy new trucks, and expect an 8 to 9 year vehicle; I drive 35,000 miles a year, mostly highway.

I have video tape documentation. I've taken-it to the dealer once; they would not watch the tape, and in all fairness, the darned thing doesn't smoke all of the time!! They say nothing came-up in the computer.

For the life of me, I cannot explain blue smoke that smells like oil, but only does it once every week or two. For what it's worth the truck also has rough idle.

Other than the above symptoms, I love the truck!!!

Any other comments are appreciated.

Thank you.

 

MARK,
Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your truck. I just completed the FORD DISPUTE SETTLEMENT program with the troubles I am having with my 1999 f150 5.4. I though that they would settle the case and give me a replacement but I was mistaken. I didn't get anything from them. My next step is to contact a lawyer and use the lemon law against them. My best advice is for you to.

1. If your truck is smoking take it to the dealership,(while it's smoking) and have the dealership general manager, the service manager, the head service tech, and anyone else that will look and see it smoking while it's running. (before you turn it over for another repair)
2. Get the full name of anyone that sees your truck smoking and acknowledges it.
3. When you turn your truck over for repairs, make sure the service writter writes down exactly what your symptoms are. When you recieve your reciept make sure each and every problem is worded the same as you told them when they took they truck in.
4. Never leave the dealership without a reciept!!!!!! No matter how little the repair is.
5. Each time you take you truck for repairs and they couldn't find a problem make sure you call FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE and complain. Each time you do they will take you vin# and it will atleast be in their system as a complaint.
6. Keep taking the truck back to the dealership as many times as humanly possible.
7. Most importantly take very good notes. Every time you call the dealership, ford, or talk to anyone about the problem write it down somewhere. The more proof you have that you have tried to get your truck fixed the better off you will be.

I wish I knew then what I know now. I would have done all of the above and then some. I wish you luck with your truck. If you need any other information let me know and I will help all I can.

 

hi mark:
my g/f and i just completed a lemon law case against suzuki motors for an suv she had.
step one is documentation!!! always get paper work that your vehicle has been in the shop. get ugly if you have to but get the paper work. (my girlfriend used to threaten them that i would leave work and come down there)also if a loaner is given keep that paperwork also. the manufacturer will try to fudge things on copies of paper work.
step two is check your states laws for lemon law.
here in wis. the problem had to occur 4 times, or the vehicle had to be in the shop for 30 days.
step 3 is get an attorney. believe me when i tell you that i am the last person in the world who would recommend this, but, in this case it's the
only way. i began doing it myself and got complete run around from the dealer, the manufacturer, and even the state dept. due to their ignorance of the laws.
a good atty will not charge you anything. their fees are paid by the manufacturer, as long as they don't settle within 30 days.(usually they don't) if they due settle it usually costs just $1000 for the atty. not bad considering the headaches you will save. no money up front btw.
step 4 is relax, it takes a little time, ours took approx 4 months to complete.
good luck.
oh btw yes my g/f is now driving a shiny new f150.
hope this helps you out some, let me know if there's more that i can do.
terry

 

Thanks to all for the good experience and advice.
I plan on giving the dealership due opportunity to correct the problem; after all, they haven't "seen" the darned thing smoke!!! I will pursue good documentation, keeping records, tapes, calls, registered letters to Ford, just in case the engine "blows" at 36,001 miles. I simply don't want to get hung-out-to-dry with the cost of a replacement engine.

From the mechanical side of things:
What on earth causes intermittent smoking (smells like oil)? I don't notice abnormal consumption (maybe a quart between changes), gas mileage is great (19-21 mpg mixed driving), and performance is fine, other than rougher than expected idle. Mechanical "problems" like valve guides, cracked pistons, etc... don't just go away. My problem occurs every 1 -2 weeks.

Any thoughts???

Thanks for your help and advice.

 

MARK,
A QUART OF OIL FOR EVERY OIL CHANGE IS ALOT. FORD AND THE DEALER NEEDS TO KNOW AND HAVE THIS DOCUMENTED ON FILE. WHEN YOU BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SMOKING PROBLEM MAKE SURE YOU ADD THE LOSSING OIL EVERY OIL CHANGE ALSO!!!!!!!!!!!(AS A SECOND PROBLEM). IF YOU HAVE A ROUGH IDLE ISSUE HAVE THAT DOCUMENTED ALSO!!!!!! LOOK IN THIS SECTION AND YOU WILL SEE THAT I HAVE A TOPIC NAMED
"ROUGH IDLE/ENGINE MISS" AND READ THRU THIS. THIS IS THE PROBLEM I BROUGHT MY TRUCK TO THE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BOARD FOR AND GOT NO HELP. MY LAWYER IS WORKING ON MY LEMON LAW SUIT RIGHT NOW. I DIDN'T DOCUMENT EVERYTHING AS I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE. BUT NOW I DO. DID YOU GET MY EMAIL WITH MY ADDRESS. I WILL BE GLAD TO HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP US INFORMED.

 

.

 

Consumption of 1 quart for every 3k or 5k miles is not excessive.. Some engines will have less than this, but others might even have more..
According to the Ford Techincal shop manual:

"Oil use is normally greater during the first 16,100 km (10,000 miles) of service. As mileage increases, oil use generally decreases. Vehicles in normal service should get at least 1,450 km per liter (900 miles per quart) after 16,000 km (10,000 miles) of service. High speed driving, towing, high ambient temperature and other factors may result in greater oil use."


In any case, let the dealership know what the oil consumption rate is.