Got the dipstick recall and DEF flash done today

[jejb]

Frustrating experience. I had called yesterday and found out they had some of the long dipstick recall parts in stock. I'd been "on a list" to be called when that happened, but never heard from them. Just luck that I called in and they had some. So schedule it in today for that and the DEF flash. Guy tried to sell me an oil change too. "We recommend every 5K miles". I said, no, it's a Cummins so its every 15K/12months. "My mechanics tell me every 5K. If you have an extended warranty, they may hold you to a lower mile change too.". I told him I'd read the ext warranty and it says no such thing. Heck, the truck doesn't even have 5K on it yet (picked it up early Oct of last year) and I do my own maint anyway. So I obviously turned that down, but was still kind of pissed about the hard sell.

Get a call while at lunch with the wife, truck is ready. Get back and they hadn't done the tranny recall stuff. "We don't have the parts. We ordered them.". I'd already explained that I talked to their parts dept the day before and they had them. "Who'd you talk to? Okay, I'll go ask. Yep, we have it, sorry. We'll get right on it.". 1.5 hours later of sitting in their showroom and it was done. "sorry about that".

And they were not busy. Saw a lot of the techs standing around. At least it's done, but service sucks these days.

Grid heater relay is supposedly on order. They can only order 1 per week. We will see.

Oh, and I re-read my Max Care extended warranty. It says, as I knew it did, follow your factory recommended maint intervals.

 

[chri5k]

I am shocked the Max Care contract didn't say "Follow factory recommended maintenance intervals or whatever some random service writer says to pad his weekly numbers".

 

[OLEJOE]

I wanted to get the full length locking dipstick and tube and get rid of the short locking dipstick but I bought an original dipstick like the truck came with. I can check the fluid level and keep it under the back seat. Keep the shorty locked in place and they will have to call and beg me to bring it back in. This is a NHTSA recall and it is on FCA to get it done. I finally (think) I got the grid heater relay done after 3 trips to the dealership. They can catch me for the other.
I did check and the truck has the new vent tube on the transmission.

 

[jejb]

I wanted to get the full length locking dipstick and tube and get rid of the short locking dipstick but I bought an original dipstick like the truck came with. I can check the fluid level and keep it under the back seat. Keep the shorty locked in place and they will have to call and beg me to bring it back in. This is a NHTSA recall and it is on FCA to get it done.

That was my original plan. But once I found out they had upgraded the recall parts, I just waited them out and got the long one to begin with.

I finally (think) I got the grid heater relay done after 3 trips to the dealership.

You think? Please explain.

 

[OLEJOE]

That was my original plan. But once I found out they had upgraded the recall parts, I just waited them out and got the long one to begin with.


You think? Please explain.

I thought the relay looked different and I finally got a pic of it and it has the upgraded part number.

 

[RamCares]

Hello,

We are sorry to hear about your experience at the dealer. If you can please send us a PM with the dealer's name/location, we want to make sure we get this noted for better implementation changes. Thank you

William
Ram Cares

Frustrating experience. I had called yesterday and found out they had some of the long dipstick recall parts in stock. I'd been "on a list" to be called when that happened, but never heard from them. Just luck that I called in and they had some. So schedule it in today for that and the DEF flash. Guy tried to sell me an oil change too. "We recommend every 5K miles". I said, no, it's a Cummins so its every 15K/12months. "My mechanics tell me every 5K. If you have an extended warranty, they may hold you to a lower mile change too.". I told him I'd read the ext warranty and it says no such thing. Heck, the truck doesn't even have 5K on it yet (picked it up early Oct of last year) and I do my own maint anyway. So I obviously turned that down, but was still kind of pissed about the hard sell.

Get a call while at lunch with the wife, truck is ready. Get back and they hadn't done the tranny recall stuff. "We don't have the parts. We ordered them.". I'd already explained that I talked to their parts dept the day before and they had them. "Who'd you talk to? Okay, I'll go ask. Yep, we have it, sorry. We'll get right on it.". 1.5 hours later of sitting in their showroom and it was done. "sorry about that".

And they were not busy. Saw a lot of the techs standing around. At least it's done, but service sucks these days.

Grid heater relay is supposedly on order. They can only order 1 per week. We will see.

Oh, and I re-read my Max Care extended warranty. It says, as I knew it did, follow your factory recommended maint inte

 

[Sherman Bird]

Frustrating experience. I had called yesterday and found out they had some of the long dipstick recall parts in stock. I'd been "on a list" to be called when that happened, but never heard from them. Just luck that I called in and they had some. So schedule it in today for that and the DEF flash. Guy tried to sell me an oil change too. "We recommend every 5K miles". I said, no, it's a Cummins so its every 15K/12months. "My mechanics tell me every 5K. If you have an extended warranty, they may hold you to a lower mile change too.". I told him I'd read the ext warranty and it says no such thing. Heck, the truck doesn't even have 5K on it yet (picked it up early Oct of last year) and I do my own maint anyway. So I obviously turned that down, but was still kind of pissed about the hard sell.

Get a call while at lunch with the wife, truck is ready. Get back and they hadn't done the tranny recall stuff. "We don't have the parts. We ordered them.". I'd already explained that I talked to their parts dept the day before and they had them. "Who'd you talk to? Okay, I'll go ask. Yep, we have it, sorry. We'll get right on it.". 1.5 hours later of sitting in their showroom and it was done. "sorry about that".

And they were not busy. Saw a lot of the techs standing around. At least it's done, but service sucks these days.

Grid heater relay is supposedly on order. They can only order 1 per week. We will see.

Oh, and I re-read my Max Care extended warranty. It says, as I knew it did, follow your factory recommended maint intervals.

 

[Alaskanib]

Thats crazy if they actually hold us to that, the manual clearly states 15k or 12 months. New mechanic maybe?

 

[jejb]

Thats crazy if they actually hold us to that, the manual clearly states 15k or 12 months. New mechanic maybe?

No, it was the service adviser (who has been there for years) that told me that, saying that's what his mechanics advise. It was all just an obvious attempt to get money out of me, but I'm sure they are pushed hard to upsell services, needed or not. I can imagine a lot of low or no knowledge folks agreeing to it.

 

[Gr8bawana]

....and sadly, I get watered down, pusillanimous excuses all over for poor service/ customer care. THE leading one I get is "We just can't find good help"... WTF?

pusillanimous...

Somebody broke out their thesaurus

 

[Sherman Bird]

pusillanimous...

Somebody broke out their thesaurus

 

[GTyankee]

I had a fair high school edumacation

The funny thing is, at times i have an issue with spelling a simple 3 letter word, i catch it, BUT ..

 

[68PowerWagon]

....and sadly, I get watered down, pusillanimous excuses all over for poor service/ customer care. THE leading one I get is "We just can't find good help"... WTF?

I am a Plant Manager, & unfortunately I have found it nearly impossible to find good help. Since Covid we have to cater to & coddle anybody we do get. It used to be the dealerships had the top notch guys working in the shop. I don't feel it's that way anymore. It's the guy who flunked out of doing the fries at McDonalds!

 

[Sherman Bird]

I am a Plant Manager, & unfortunately I have found it nearly impossible to find good help. Since Covid we have to cater to & coddle anybody we do get. It used to be the dealerships had the top notch guys working in the shop. I don't feel it's that way anymore. It's the guy who flunked out of doing the fries at McDonalds!

I've no idea what your age and scope of experience is... That said: Dealership level technicians have been declining in competency and quality for decades. In the 1970's, I worked at a Ford dealer service department. The vast majority of the technicians were older "great generation" WW2/ Korean war veterans who were absolute artisans at the profession of diagnosing and repairing cars. Many were German descent. These guys put their name on the work they did. It was done with utmost pride in the application of training through the execution of the repairs. Details mattered! These men mentored us "grasshoppers" with pride and caring for the concept of passing the torch to a new generation of technicians. It was an honor and privilege to have been there to hone my own skills on their tutelage.
The valuable lesson I took from working with these guys? They gave a damn! You can't buy that for millions of dollars!
The idea of "Covid" being a defining moment in sorry work ethic? Nah... that's base level character, plain and simple. Anyone hubrisic enough to act like these entitled snot-noses are doing so today have no clue as to reality in the long game. The "gimme" attitude has cheapened the quality of the end product, and they are accomplishing nothing in the struggle to make our skill base here in these United States the envy of the world.
Maybe they listen to WIIFM radio... What's in it for me! Instead of "how may I be of service?".

 

[jejb]

Grid heater relay is supposedly on order. They can only order 1 per week. We will see.

Called to see if my replacement grid heater came in. Parts dept said it would be 6-7 months yet. They are ordering what they can, but ordering and receiving are two different things apparently. I decided to not wait and ordered the part myself yesterday from Mopar. Should be here today. I'll still have the dealer install it, and then I'll go through the reimbursement process for the part. I'm not super worried about it, but it's worth the extra hassle for the peace of mind.

 

[jejb]

I got the relay yesterday. It was sent from a Ram dealer in Little Rock. I find it interesting dealers will sell them to John Q. Public while they have a waiting list of folks waiting for the recall to be done.

 

[MTDewX8]

So schedule it in today for that and the DEF flash.

not sure how much you drive but it sounds less than me, but im VERY curious if there is any difference? currently waiting for the flash for some reason.

And they were not busy. Saw a lot of the techs standing around.

Agreed, oil changes dont take 3-4 hours (quick lube? haha)

 

[WY-Dave]

Around here we NEED alot of Dipstick recalls

hehe

 

[jejb]

not sure how much you drive but it sounds less than me, but im VERY curious if there is any difference? currently waiting for the flash for some reason.

I didn't notice any difference from the DEF flash. But I have never had any DEF issues either.