Had A 2009 Ford Explorer In The Shop Today

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Originally Posted By: 08_SHELBY
Heck there are quick oil change places on every corner.


Yeah what are those there for anyway?
wink.gif


I understand why toyota gives away the first 25k of maintenance, even though it's just a couple oil changes.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
The first OC of Mobil conventional 5W20 with 1 quart MMO for 30 minutes drive then another OC is good idea, but PU 5W20 on second OC for few days is very much a waste. I would use conventional with another quart MMO on second OC for few days, then another conventional with 1 quart MMO for few weeks on third OC, and gradually increase OCI until all the sludge is gone.


I agree about skipping the PU change. I think I'd have him run a 500 mile interval with PYB and a qt of MMO, and then a 1000 mile run with the same combo and see what happens. Or give Kreen a shot for 500 miles.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
I feel sorry for whoever ends up as second owner of this car.


That is why you can not buy any vehicle without service records..Yet I see people right here buying vehicles without service records.
 
Originally Posted By: OldCowboy
"Never underestimate the resourcefulness of idiots."
- Anonymous



If I only had a penny for the countless hours of sleep this saying has caused automotive engineers!
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
we had a 2009 ford explorer with 34,000 miles in the shop today with a ticking in the engine ford refused the warranty on the motor because the customer never ever changed the oil! this car had the original filter on it and the oil was like tar and black paint it smelled so bad that we had to put it in containers and take it to the collection center instead of dumping it into our collection tanks..The customer added oil when needed (he would have gas stations check it every so many fill ups) but never changed it. We pulled a valve cover and it was sludge city. We changed the oil and filter 5w20 mobil conventional with 1 quart of marvel and let it run for about 10 minutes oil was black already.but the tick was still there. I drove this car for about 30 miles or so and it seemed to quiet it down a little. We changed the oil again and used pu 5w20 and a new filter and told the customer to drive it for a couple of days and bring it back either way at no charge.. I should have pictures of the engine w/the valve cover off and i will take more after a few months (had to use my phone).. I agreed to do the oil changes for free so he will come back so maybe we will be able to see the cleaning progress. This was a really dirty engine but it was a tick and not a knock so maybe it can be saved. I should have kept some oil to send out but i did not. This is a beautiful explorer with all the options and the 4.6 the body shined and everything else was like new. Customer said there was no indication that it needed to be changed and said it is what it is!



This kind of mentality disgusts me! This idiot (more than likely) has money to burn. Sound`s like the Ford commercial with Mike Rowe, where the motor is apart, and the sludge is terrible. Personally, I think this motor will always have dirty oil after 500-1,000 miles for the rest of its service.
 
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Originally Posted By: Mau
who wants to bet the guy is not going to bring it back to the shop till starts ticking again...


Yep! thought of that.
 
Originally Posted By: mongo161
Thanks for the post Crazyoildude. I know that I will be interested to read the steps you have taken to clean up this engine and the pictures will give us all great view of your progress.

You've got a great heart to help this customer out. I'm sure that word will get around and you'll have more business. Not every shop would have the dedication to cleaning up a mess.

Cheers to you!





A BIG +1
 
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The reason they put PU in it was because it may be another 10,000 miles before he comes in for another oil change.

I used to have room mates that did not own a single tool. Not a wrench, nor a screwdriver. It totally blew my mind.

I've also seen cars go 30,000 miles before their first OCI. The customers said "My car sounds strange". We pointed them towards the nearest Dealership.
Part of this is a lack of understanding, part of it is a lack of proper education and parenting.
Standardized tests don't teach you much that is practical.
(Like how to assemble furniture or change oil.)
 
Just think, maybe you can, maybe you cant go 20,000 miles from a factory fill now a day`s. But what about 30 years ago? These people definitely would have been SOL!
grin.gif
 
It amazes me what people will do, out of ignorance or just trying to save a buck. We had an impala about a year ago where the guy went 3x,xxx miles on the factory fill and swore up and down it was Chevys fault. We voided his warranty, priced him an engine and he went on his way to a lube shop for an engine flush. Just yesterday we had another impala where a gentlemen went to 0% on his OLM and it only had +/- 1/2 a quart in it and he wondered why his car was knocking. I changed the oil and the knocking went away, he still has the warranty for another 40k.
 
It is what it is.I would go buy a 2009 Explorer now from the good review you gave it.

Seriously, 34,000 miles on oil.. so it was using some? Still though, id buy it in a heartbeat. Nice optione-out 4.6 (V8.) InTech V8, correct?

Quote:


Registered: 12/04/04
Posts: 1745
Loc: Lexington, KY I just do not understand how someone can assume that a vehicle did not need an oil change unless they nave no knowledge of things mechanical.



I disagree a little bit.. If the dipstick is checked (as it should be) and something doesnt look right (Oil feels different? Gritty dipstick? Too black, too sludgy? Smell bad? Perhaps gasoline?) and all that checks out and the oil was changes ~1000 miles ago up to about ~3000 mile ago... then i can see how a conclusion that it did not need one was ok.

Still, 34,000 miles is a biit much. and it should have been changed.. somewhere around 10,000 miles perhaps?

Maybe it had the break-in oil if it was the FF?

I also think this engine will clean up with some 3000 mile OCIs, given how much sludge it has or id be ok with 5k OCIs for it. To clean it up. Without additives...
 
My Toyota dealer has a person go over the whole vehicle with you and they have a checklist that you sign off on with one of the lines that you initial specifying that you understand the vehicle requires an oil change every year or 5000 miles.

If I owned a dealership I would take a digital video of the customer acknowledging that they understand the 5000 oil change interval then store that video indefinitely.
 
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These Explorers, I own one, have a message center in between the tac and speedo that tells you when to change the oil. The message will not go away until it is reset. Resetting it is a pain. You have to go through menus and hold the button for so many seconds to reset. You can't help but see it every time you drive the vehicle.
So this person drove around with the 'oil change needed' message glowing for 28,000+ miles?
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
These Explorers, I own one, have a message center in between the tac and speedo that tells you when to change the oil. The message will not go away until it is reset. Resetting it is a pain. You have to go through menus and hold the button for so many seconds to reset. You can't help but see it every time you drive the vehicle.
So this person drove around with the 'oil change needed' message glowing for 28,000+ miles?




Somehow....I just cant say I`m surprised by this persons actions. Its a shame, because I`m sure he took lots of miles off that motor. And all for just being an idiot.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125

So this person drove around with the 'oil change needed' message glowing for 28,000+ miles?


This!

If I was the Ford dealer I would have laughed them out of the shop requesting that the ticking be warrantied.

The fact is these people must be able to read or else they could have not received their drivers license. If you can read the owner's manual is supplied and instructs the owner on EXACTLY what needs to be done for maintenance, the nice thing is that it is written in grammer school english so ANYONE can comprehend it.

The car itself was spelling out that they needed an oil change for the last 28k miles. You couldn't miss it unless you were blind, which obviously they are not either.

I would not have done anything free for these irresponsible people as it just encourages them to continue their behavior.

Some people are just too nice.
 
I dated a girl back in 2000 for two years. I asked her once who changed her oil. She replied "doesn't it come with oil from the factory?" She had put 41,XXX miles on a 5 spd 1998 Civic couple EX and not only never changed it but never put a drop in it.

Many of the miles were highway up and down I95.

I go to change it soon after and about 20 oz of black, black oil trickles out. That is it. I believe I used Castrol GTX every 2000 miles for the next 10,000 miles to clean it up. Then she went every 5000 between changes. She sold the car with 106,000 miles right after getting the TB/H20 done. Not one problem with the car. Good old Japanese engine.
 
Hi Vikas,
What is in it for me? Actually a few things first of all i want to see how clean we can get this motor if in fact it is not to late second if that engine finally goes we get the rebuild third he is related to someone i do a lot of business with. And fourth the most important if i can help someone i do it, money is not everything as i found out a three years ago!
Why did the customer bring it to me? because he was told we do nice work and are honest.
age/gender/ethnicity of the owner? If that matter to you i guess He is in his fifties regular nice person. He also volunteers a lot of time to help the handicapped and people that are helpless and homeless.. Do something nice for people because it feels good to be able to help it really does!
 
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