Mechanic hosed my truck, not sure what to do

[mtnman1000]

I have a 2013 RAM 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and started getting a P0301 code. I suspected cam and lifters but a new mechanic (mechanic 1) I used said it was the PCM because it was not sending signal to the injector on Cyl 1. After having it replaced which didn't fix the problem, he admitted to mis diagnosing saying the PCM is supposed to stop sending signal when it sees the misfire. He said he would repair the truck and subtract the $1200 I paid the dealership for the PCM.

When torn he found a cam lobe at cyl 1 worn to nothing. He replaced the heads, lifters and cam but in doing so, it was not timed correctly which after running for 30 seconds it shut down and they found all intake valves bent. They replaced the valves, put it back together but when doing so, shorted a fuse between the alternator and fuse box. Once that happened, they got tons of new codes from transmission to ABS to all over the place. They blamed the dealerships new PCM so brought it back, the dealership put in a new PCM. According to the mechanic, this cleared up the codes.

I was then given back my truck, paid the mechanic and drove off only to find a new CEL with a misfire on cyl 5 along with extremely low oil pressure (11 psi at hot idle). At that point they said they fixed cyl 1 problem and they can't figure out why cyl 5 is now misfiring and recommended I take it to a different mechanic.

The new mechanic (mechanic 2) said they suspect the other mechanic screwed up the install, probably scoring the cam bearings causing the low oil pressure. Mechanic 1 says the bearing are probably out of tolerance causing the original cam to go out. Mechanic 1 also said it probably had low oil pressure to begin with (I never noticed low oil pressure and I have the temp/pressure screen on my panel on at all times)

More code problems to come but if mechanic 1 thinks the bearing were shot to begin with, why would he put in all the new parts? If it had low oil pressure, shouldn't that have been a sign (I do not buy this). I personally think they screwed up the electrical system when the alternator was shorted and also screwed something up inside during the install.

Well, now I am getting these additional codes and misfire on cyl 5 is infrequent now but does happen as seen on scanner.
P0344
B1A09
C121C
P1CF3

I simply do not know what to do. I am out $5000 so far and have a truck in worse condition than when it was brought in. If I bring it back to mechanic 1, he could easily put the blame on something other than their work but he does seem honest. I personally do not trust their work though. If I take it back to mechanic 2, I will have to pay for the tear down just to prove it was mechanic 1's fault and cross fingers they can prove it.

Any suggestions? Hire an attorney and get my money back to put towards a new engine (I still think they fried the wiring). I would trade it in but I bought a new car since mechanic 1 had my truck for 4 months and I needed something to drive.

I am so lost as to what to do.

 

[zrock]

I would tell mechanic 1 you are taking it to another mechanic to fix the issues and he will be responsible for the bill, if he does not like it he can speak to your attorney and also foot the bill for that as well. Why would they have not checked and done bearings while they were in their.. After the first diagnosis and wrong part changed i would have stopped right their and found a new mechanic.

 

[huntergreen]

I would tell mechanic 1 you are taking it to another mechanic to fix the issues and he will be responsible for the bill, if he does not like it he can speak to your attorney and also foot the bill for that as well. Why would they have not checked and done bearings while they were in their.. After the first diagnosis and wrong part changed i would have stopped right their and found a new mechanic.

Sounds like mechanic 1 is either inexperienced or just not very good. Imho, you could spend more on legal fees than the cost of a new engine. I’d check with an attorney, but I’d be prepared to walk away from the initial 5grand and find a better mechanic and have fixed properly.

 

[Burla]

No need for a lawyer, small claims should take care of you. I used it against a shop back in the day, I had my mom get an oil change there after, when they deposited her check I was able to get their account number, so I took the judgement to the bank with the account number and got paid., Many states have laws where you need to give the mechanic chances to fix the vehicle before legal action, so check your local laws on how many attempts they get there.

However, I'd give the guy a chance, if you gives you mess inform him you arent going away BBB, Yelp, department of justice of whoever licenses those people. But use good guy approach until he brings the mess would be my call.

 

[Burla]

If you paid with credit card you can dispute it as well. One thing people don't realize if your limit is low on a card you can call your bank and get a credit limit increase for big ticket items, if your credit is good they are sure to say yes. I always put stuff like this on the card after my mishap.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I have a 2013 RAM 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and started getting a P0301 code. I suspected cam and lifters but a new mechanic (mechanic 1) I used said it was the PCM because it was not sending signal to the injector on Cyl 1. After having it replaced which didn't fix the problem, he admitted to mis diagnosing saying the PCM is supposed to stop sending signal when it sees the misfire. He said he would repair the truck and subtract the $1200 I paid the dealership for the PCM.

When torn he found a cam lobe at cyl 1 worn to nothing. He replaced the heads, lifters and cam but in doing so, it was not timed correctly which after running for 30 seconds it shut down and they found all intake valves bent. They replaced the valves, put it back together but when doing so, shorted a fuse between the alternator and fuse box. Once that happened, they got tons of new codes from transmission to ABS to all over the place. They blamed the dealerships new PCM so brought it back, the dealership put in a new PCM. According to the mechanic, this cleared up the codes.

I was then given back my truck, paid the mechanic and drove off only to find a new CEL with a misfire on cyl 5 along with extremely low oil pressure (11 psi at hot idle). At that point they said they fixed cyl 1 problem and they can't figure out why cyl 5 is now misfiring and recommended I take it to a different mechanic.

The new mechanic (mechanic 2) said they suspect the other mechanic screwed up the install, probably scoring the cam bearings causing the low oil pressure. Mechanic 1 says the bearing are probably out of tolerance causing the original cam to go out. Mechanic 1 also said it probably had low oil pressure to begin with (I never noticed low oil pressure and I have the temp/pressure screen on my panel on at all times)

More code problems to come but if mechanic 1 thinks the bearing were shot to begin with, why would he put in all the new parts? If it had low oil pressure, shouldn't that have been a sign (I do not buy this). I personally think they screwed up the electrical system when the alternator was shorted and also screwed something up inside during the install.

Well, now I am getting these additional codes and misfire on cyl 5 is infrequent now but does happen as seen on scanner.
P0344
B1A09
C121C
P1CF3

I simply do not know what to do. I am out $5000 so far and have a truck in worse condition than when it was brought in. If I bring it back to mechanic 1, he could easily put the blame on something other than their work but he does seem honest. I personally do not trust their work though. If I take it back to mechanic 2, I will have to pay for the tear down just to prove it was mechanic 1's fault and cross fingers they can prove it.

Any suggestions? Hire an attorney and get my money back to put towards a new engine (I still think they fried the wiring). I would trade it in but I bought a new car since mechanic 1 had my truck for 4 months and I needed something to drive.

I am so lost as to what to do.

And the finger pointing begins! This deeply saddens me, because the productive karma ebbs while in-fighting starts up, and blame is spread like thick peanut butter... and the result is a gooey, sticky mess.
I recommend that whoever takes this job in do so with a "fresh approach" mindset. Get all pertinent info germane and use only as necessary reference.

It's unfortunate that you're out 5 grand; furthermore it evokes emotions, reflects unmet expectations, and kills off good will.

ALL of these issues have answers. Someone with a calm, rational mindset who understands the law of descending logic can and will figure it out.

Keep your chin up, persist in staying focused on the end goal. Patience and persistence will win out.

When I'm faced with these jobs (happens frequently) I must distance myself from demonizing prior mechanics who've worked on the vehicle. I recently had a 2008 4Runner 4.7 V-8 brought to me here in Houston from Austin (200+ miles) The truck's owner was angry with the dealer and 3 other indy shops who had cost him thousands over a 2 year time period over a persistent P0171 bank 1 lean code and intermittent misfire codes. He'd lost confidence in his community shops.

At his wit's end, he just wanted to get the darned thing fixed, and reached out to a friend we both knew, who directed him my way! I started from scratch and did many diagnostic procedures. Ultimately, one of the previously installed "Cannon" parts was defective, in spite of it supposedly being an OE part. After all new cats, Oxy and A/F sensor replacement, injectors, fuel pump, timing belt, coolant temp sensor, plugs, coils, and some other odds and ends parts had all been replaced by prior shops to no avail, I found by use of an oscilloscope that the fuel pump was bad. It actually had a dead commuter winding, yet the truck always started up right away.

This new fuel pump which he bought on line from a "Toyota Only" parts source, was a counterfeit. It had NO Denso or Toyota markings or ANY identifying numbers or embossed emblems on it.

Ultimately, even though I'd been briefed on all the previous work which had been attempted, I could NOT let myself get pulled into the blame game/ rescue hero undercurrent that often accompanies these sad sagas. I replaced the fuel pump, and, Voila!, the truck was FINALLY fixed!

There are many competent techs who can help you reach the happy place of a properly repaired vehicle. Keep looking; you'll find one. Cheers!

 

[Sherman Bird]

I have a 2013 RAM 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and started getting a P0301 code. I suspected cam and lifters but a new mechanic (mechanic 1) I used said it was the PCM because it was not sending signal to the injector on Cyl 1. After having it replaced which didn't fix the problem, he admitted to mis diagnosing saying the PCM is supposed to stop sending signal when it sees the misfire. He said he would repair the truck and subtract the $1200 I paid the dealership for the PCM.

When torn he found a cam lobe at cyl 1 worn to nothing. He replaced the heads, lifters and cam but in doing so, it was not timed correctly which after running for 30 seconds it shut down and they found all intake valves bent. They replaced the valves, put it back together but when doing so, shorted a fuse between the alternator and fuse box. Once that happened, they got tons of new codes from transmission to ABS to all over the place. They blamed the dealerships new PCM so brought it back, the dealership put in a new PCM. According to the mechanic, this cleared up the codes.

I was then given back my truck, paid the mechanic and drove off only to find a new CEL with a misfire on cyl 5 along with extremely low oil pressure (11 psi at hot idle). At that point they said they fixed cyl 1 problem and they can't figure out why cyl 5 is now misfiring and recommended I take it to a different mechanic.

The new mechanic (mechanic 2) said they suspect the other mechanic screwed up the install, probably scoring the cam bearings causing the low oil pressure. Mechanic 1 says the bearing are probably out of tolerance causing the original cam to go out. Mechanic 1 also said it probably had low oil pressure to begin with (I never noticed low oil pressure and I have the temp/pressure screen on my panel on at all times)

More code problems to come but if mechanic 1 thinks the bearing were shot to begin with, why would he put in all the new parts? If it had low oil pressure, shouldn't that have been a sign (I do not buy this). I personally think they screwed up the electrical system when the alternator was shorted and also screwed something up inside during the install.

Well, now I am getting these additional codes and misfire on cyl 5 is infrequent now but does happen as seen on scanner.
P0344
B1A09
C121C
P1CF3

I simply do not know what to do. I am out $5000 so far and have a truck in worse condition than when it was brought in. If I bring it back to mechanic 1, he could easily put the blame on something other than their work but he does seem honest. I personally do not trust their work though. If I take it back to mechanic 2, I will have to pay for the tear down just to prove it was mechanic 1's fault and cross fingers they can prove it.

Any suggestions? Hire an attorney and get my money back to put towards a new engine (I still think they fried the wiring). I would trade it in but I bought a new car since mechanic 1 had my truck for 4 months and I needed something to drive.

I am so lost as to what to do.

Age old finger pointing with no real solution?

 

[KrisTheRvGuy]

Agree with above. Take it to a 3 shop tell them nothing that was done and see what they find. I own a RV shop and i see this daily. I get a customer coming in hot and ready to tell me a story before I have a chance to look and its already the blame of the shop. Most folks dont understand that New problems can pop up when im repairing problem A. Thats not my fault.

 

[mtnman1000]

Thanks for all of the replies, I just realized the notifications were going to junk mail.

In the end my son who is ASC certified is tearing it down and the original mechanic said he'd look at it once torn down and fix anything he deems was on them. Going in the right direction.

 

[Dave Haddon]

I am shaking my head at how tolerant you have been...and how easily you parted with your 5K ..good luck with the end result and hope you are padded enuf that the 5 K is not a huge factor.

 

[mtnman1000]

I am shaking my head at how tolerant you have been...and how easily you parted with your 5K ..good luck with the end result and hope you are padded enuf that the 5 K is not a huge factor.

Not really tolerant and it has caused me a lot of stress and depression, but I have to contain that, or I will get in trouble. I did speak with an attorney, and he felt this was the best way to go. I do have 100% faith the original mechanic will make things right if we find it was something they did. My son already found a leaking head gasket, so we are heading to the original mechanic Monday to begin discussions.

I do appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Dave Haddon]

Good luck and good for you and your son..wow what a story!

 

[Sherman Bird]

I have a 2013 RAM 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and started getting a P0301 code. I suspected cam and lifters but a new mechanic (mechanic 1) I used said it was the PCM because it was not sending signal to the injector on Cyl 1. After having it replaced which didn't fix the problem, he admitted to mis diagnosing saying the PCM is supposed to stop sending signal when it sees the misfire. He said he would repair the truck and subtract the $1200 I paid the dealership for the PCM.

When torn he found a cam lobe at cyl 1 worn to nothing. He replaced the heads, lifters and cam but in doing so, it was not timed correctly which after running for 30 seconds it shut down and they found all intake valves bent. They replaced the valves, put it back together but when doing so, shorted a fuse between the alternator and fuse box. Once that happened, they got tons of new codes from transmission to ABS to all over the place. They blamed the dealerships new PCM so brought it back, the dealership put in a new PCM. According to the mechanic, this cleared up the codes.

I was then given back my truck, paid the mechanic and drove off only to find a new CEL with a misfire on cyl 5 along with extremely low oil pressure (11 psi at hot idle). At that point they said they fixed cyl 1 problem and they can't figure out why cyl 5 is now misfiring and recommended I take it to a different mechanic.

The new mechanic (mechanic 2) said they suspect the other mechanic screwed up the install, probably scoring the cam bearings causing the low oil pressure. Mechanic 1 says the bearing are probably out of tolerance causing the original cam to go out. Mechanic 1 also said it probably had low oil pressure to begin with (I never noticed low oil pressure and I have the temp/pressure screen on my panel on at all times)

More code problems to come but if mechanic 1 thinks the bearing were shot to begin with, why would he put in all the new parts? If it had low oil pressure, shouldn't that have been a sign (I do not buy this). I personally think they screwed up the electrical system when the alternator was shorted and also screwed something up inside during the install.

Well, now I am getting these additional codes and misfire on cyl 5 is infrequent now but does happen as seen on scanner.
P0344
B1A09
C121C
P1CF3

I simply do not know what to do. I am out $5000 so far and have a truck in worse condition than when it was brought in. If I bring it back to mechanic 1, he could easily put the blame on something other than their work but he does seem honest. I personally do not trust their work though. If I take it back to mechanic 2, I will have to pay for the tear down just to prove it was mechanic 1's fault and cross fingers they can prove it.

Any suggestions? Hire an attorney and get my money back to put towards a new engine (I still think they fried the wiring). I would trade it in but I bought a new car since mechanic 1 had my truck for 4 months and I needed something to drive.

I am so lost as to what to do.

I have a 2013 RAM 1500 with 5.7 Hemi and started getting a P0301 code. I suspected cam and lifters but a new mechanic (mechanic 1) I used said it was the PCM because it was not sending signal to the injector on Cyl 1. After having it replaced which didn't fix the problem, he admitted to mis diagnosing saying the PCM is supposed to stop sending signal when it sees the misfire. He said he would repair the truck and subtract the $1200 I paid the dealership for the PCM.

When torn he found a cam lobe at cyl 1 worn to nothing. He replaced the heads, lifters and cam but in doing so, it was not timed correctly which after running for 30 seconds it shut down and they found all intake valves bent. They replaced the valves, put it back together but when doing so, shorted a fuse between the alternator and fuse box. Once that happened, they got tons of new codes from transmission to ABS to all over the place. They blamed the dealerships new PCM so brought it back, the dealership put in a new PCM. According to the mechanic, this cleared up the codes.

I was then given back my truck, paid the mechanic and drove off only to find a new CEL with a misfire on cyl 5 along with extremely low oil pressure (11 psi at hot idle). At that point they said they fixed cyl 1 problem and they can't figure out why cyl 5 is now misfiring and recommended I take it to a different mechanic.

The new mechanic (mechanic 2) said they suspect the other mechanic screwed up the install, probably scoring the cam bearings causing the low oil pressure. Mechanic 1 says the bearing are probably out of tolerance causing the original cam to go out. Mechanic 1 also said it probably had low oil pressure to begin with (I never noticed low oil pressure and I have the temp/pressure screen on my panel on at all times)

More code problems to come but if mechanic 1 thinks the bearing were shot to begin with, why would he put in all the new parts? If it had low oil pressure, shouldn't that have been a sign (I do not buy this). I personally think they screwed up the electrical system when the alternator was shorted and also screwed something up inside during the install.

Well, now I am getting these additional codes and misfire on cyl 5 is infrequent now but does happen as seen on scanner.
P0344
B1A09
C121C
P1CF3

I simply do not know what to do. I am out $5000 so far and have a truck in worse condition than when it was brought in. If I bring it back to mechanic 1, he could easily put the blame on something other than their work but he does seem honest. I personally do not trust their work though. If I take it back to mechanic 2, I will have to pay for the tear down just to prove it was mechanic 1's fault and cross fingers they can prove it.

Any suggestions? Hire an attorney and get my money back to put towards a new engine (I still think they fried the wiring). I would trade it in but I bought a new car since mechanic 1 had my truck for 4 months and I needed something to drive.

I am so lost as to what to do.

Check your Oregon State Laws regarding mechanic's liens. The well intended advice for you to dishonor your credit card if done in Texas, gives the repair facility Carte Blanche to repossess the vehicle. That is not a path to a solution.

You returning the vehicle to the original repair facility to give them an "on notice" last chance to get it correct is the solution per law here in the Lone Star State, as is likely many other locales.
Even if it does not get fixed correctly, NOW you have given them the opportunity to honor the warranty.

Once this crucial step has been taken, you have legal teeth to pursue other avenues of relief. A competent barrister will advise you within your state's laws. It's a pain in the buttocks, but these steps must be exhausted first.

 

[mtnman1000]

Check your Oregon State Laws regarding mechanic's liens. The well intended advice for you to dishonor your credit card if done in Texas, gives the repair facility Carte Blanche to repossess the vehicle. That is not a path to a solution.

You returning the vehicle to the original repair facility to give them an "on notice" last chance to get it correct is the solution per law here in the Lone Star State, as is likely many other locales.
Even if it does not get fixed correctly, NOW you have given them the opportunity to honor the warranty.

Once this crucial step has been taken, you have legal teeth to pursue other avenues of relief. A competent barrister will advise you within your state's laws. It's a pain in the buttocks, but these steps must be exhausted first.

Thanks Sherman. This is the path I am on right now. I have spoken to an attorney and he recommended I use a 3rd party to inspect and determine if the original mechanic caused all the new issues. At that point speak with the mechanic about making it right.

So far my son has found coolant leaking into cylinder 5 and plans to do an oil pressure test to check the PCM vs actual then pull the head(s) and inspect the valves, push rods and MDS lifters/solenoids. We are schedule to have an initial conversation with the original mechanic on Monday. I do have 100% faith the original mechanic will make things right but I couldn't see paying him to check his work if it turned out not to be his fault for whatever reason. My son won't cost me near as much and the original mechanic agreed to this approach.

I appreciate your replies!

 

[Sherman Bird]

Thanks Sherman. This is the path I am on right now. I have spoken to an attorney and he recommended I use a 3rd party to inspect and determine if the original mechanic caused all the new issues. At that point speak with the mechanic about making it right.

So far my son has found coolant leaking into cylinder 5 and plans to do an oil pressure test to check the PCM vs actual then pull the head(s) and inspect the valves, push rods and MDS lifters/solenoids. We are schedule to have an initial conversation with the original mechanic on Monday. I do have 100% faith the original mechanic will make things right but I couldn't see paying him to check his work if it turned out not to be his fault for whatever reason. My son won't cost me near as much and the original mechanic agreed to this approach.

I appreciate your replies!

The only risk I perceive is the finger pointing and inherent doubt which may originate from someone else disassembling the engine. Creating another witness by using another mechanic for evaluation is good advice, but I'd have a mighty difficult time with someone else messing with my work, done correctly or not, but, then, I've NEVER shirked from standing behind my work. 95% of the time, in my shop, problems are due to parts failures, thus, the warranty falls to the parts manufacturer.
In that scenario, I provide repairs to my customer at no charge within my warranty parameters, and file a warranty labor and parts claim against the parts manufacturer. The customer's convenience and satisfaction are pinnacle in my shop, and I handle my claims on parts on my own. If my workmanship is the issue, then it all falls no me.

Either way, the customer receives an effusive apology and heel-clicking warranty repairs. Good luck!