Well, my car is at the Dealer for warranty repairs, so all the fingers you all can cross for me are much appreciated.

It is in for:

1. Long Cranking Starts - car randomly cranks for 5-10 seconds before firing.
2. Creaking at rear passenger window - Upon accelerating, and decelerating the rear window emits a low "creeeeek"
3. Sluggish shifting - Car hits the rev limiter before the shift into second gear on hard acceleration
4. Headlights to be adjusted - pointing down 3 feet in front of the car


I was greeted this morning by the rudest jerk I've ever dealt with, and considered taking my keys back and leaving, but i really want my car fixed, so I sucked it up and acted like I didn't notice his attitude. When I first walked in, he asked if he could help me with a scowl, to which I answered, "I have an appointment at 7 for some warranty work." He then mumbled something that I didn't catch, so I replied, "I'm sorry?" to which he yelled at me, "WHICH ONE IS YOUR CAR?"

I knew at that point it was going to be a long stressful day. After going and tagging my car, he came back and asked what the problem was, and as I was telling him, he kept interrupting me and cutting me short like he didn't really want to hear my whining about car issues. Then, regarding the hard starting problem, I told him I had a video of what it's doing, and lifted my phone to play it for him. He said, "yea, that's fine." and walked away, leaving me holding the phone with the video playing.

I really pray that this place gets my car fixed completely, without adding damage so that I dont ever have to return to this place, but in all reality, are any other dealers around me any different? Not that I've seen, which is why I opted to leave my car there and hope for the best.

If any of the issues are resolved, I will post what the solution was. Wish me luck!

 

I'd find a different dealer. If he treated you like that, imagine how he is going to treat your car.

 

+1 even though he prolly won't be the one treating the car, but if the manager is accepting of people like that in his work environment, I am sure the mechanics are not that great eaither.. I hope that they if not resolve the issues than do no more damage

I love my dealer even though he thinks I am mentally sick haha

 

Had the headlight issue, when i bought it, seems the fogs did a better job...finally got it correct...my fingers are crossed for you.

 

Ok, got a phone call (from a very nice, and polite lady)...The hard start issue is in fact due to a faulty fuel pump. Why the previous dealership told me the fuel pump was fine and within spec, I have no idea, but at least the embarrassing long crank issue will be gone. They will get the pump today at 4pm, and need to keep the car overnight so they can install the pump tomorrow. They told me I had rental car coverage with my warranty, and enterprise would come pick me up at the dealer tonight.

They have been unable to reproduce the rev limiter problem, but I explained to them that it is only at Wide Open Throttle that it happens, so they are currently out doing wide open throttle runs in my car. *cringe* I sure hope this doesn't end in tears.

No word about the headlight adjustment or the interior creaking. I am glad that at least one issue will be resolved, and I get a rental car for the night.

 

Please no offense, but might you be of the female persuation? There are a lot of morons who treat ladies this way.

No matter what, I would not stand for that type of treatment. Immediately you should ask to speak to the manager. If their attitude is the same then walk, no run out of there as quickly as you can.

I suspect there was something else going on with this individual (IRS just levied his wages, wife ran off with a circus clown, wife WOULDN"T run off with a circus clown...whatever) if not he needs to be pulled onto the carpet and beaten about the head and shoulders until he learns respect.

Having been a business owner I really appreciated when a customer informed me of rude employee behavior. Too often we just beat a retreat never to return telling everyone we know they should do the same. It is best to inform manager/owner. Rude employees can, and often do, ruin a business.

 

Well the used one i bought Had a tick (lifters I think) so the dealer Volvo i bought it from gave me a new volvo to drive for the 9 yes 9 days the dealer will have it...lifter job...I love Ocala Volvo as the will alway give me a car to drive while mine is dealer, they also pick your car up and take it to Chrysler and leave you a new volvo...amazing people.

 

Nope, male here. Mean German skin-head looking type, no less. Guess he wasn't concerned with getting his butt kicked. Anyway, regardless of my gender, he has no excuse. I'm sure you are right about him having a miserable personal life, and letting it leak into his professional life. At any rate, I think you have a good point about bringing the situation to the attention of the service manager (sure hope its not HIM). After I get my car back in acceptable condition, I will have a polite conversation with the manager, and let him or her know that I don't feel "customer interaction" is this particular employees strong suit, and suggest he might be better employed somewhere in the back, drinking used oil or something.

 

Atom,

Glad to hear you found the culprit for your hard start.

Can you get any tech notes or talk to the tech to see how he diagnosed it so I can relay it to my dealer?

Hope it all turns out OK.

SQ

 

Absolutely. If my invoice doesn't have test numbers, etc., I will ask for that info from the tech for everyone here's benefit.

 

Atom,

Please keep us updated. I'm tried of having the embarrassing hard start also!

SQ

 

i would have to have went with them, or driven it for them ...
let us know on the shifting questions,

i have had my car shut down due to just too much power taking off...
i do think the Car hits the rev limiter
before the car shift into second gear on hard acceleration.

 

I'm lucky, the service manager at the local Chrysler dealership is part owner of the dealership. He is almost too professional, he knows my name, but always calls me sir. I didn't even buy my SRT-6 there, but I did get my 04 xfire coupe from them. He even knows my car has been modded and has no problem with working on it.

 

Ok, here's what appears to be the BAD news. They didn't believe anything was wrong with my car, and were about to return it to me, when the tech started it up and got the long crank. Based on that occurance, they decided to replace the fuel pump. Again, I will check my invoice for test info, and part numbers when I go to pick up the car, but it sounds like unless your stealership can reproduce the event, they won't do a thing to repair it. I even had a VIDEO of my car doing it, and they refused to watch it, so I'm not sure what else can be done other than telling the dealer they have to keep the car until it does the long crank for them.

 

Atom,

Bummer...but at least they witnessed the hard start.

Have you pinned down a constant scenario when the car does this? Mine is still unpredictable...but almost NEVER when it is cold. It will 'stumble' and run rough a bit sometimes when I first start it (cold)...but it fires quickly.



SQ

 

I haven't figured out how to reproduce it...but mine had gotten so bad, it was BOUND to happen if they had it over the course of a day, and started it repeatedly.

I picked up the car today, and found that the interior creak was slightly worse, instead of fixed, so I went back. Took the actual technician with me for a ride, and got him honed in on the actual creak this time. He never found the source, but broke several interior panels looking for it, so replacements have been ordered. My rattled nerves need a rest from watching that. He said when the new interior panels arrive, he will pack foam behind them to get them nice and tight, and that may fix the creaking problem. Unfortunately, I suspect some welds have come lose and the whole body is flexing back and forth from the tiniest press of the gas, and release of the gas. This is in turn causing interior panels to rub together and creak. I'm not sure foam behind them is going to alleviate this, and it is ruining my experience of the car.

I guess now they'll call me when the interior panels that were broken arrive in, and have me come back down. For now, I have the creaking car, but it makes me sick to drive it.

 

Trust me, I know how frustrating it is to deal with the stealerships. As for the creaks, mine creaks too. The door panels in our cars are very creaky and will do so at the slightest touch. The body does have a little bit of flex, so the panels do react to this once in a while especially in the hatch area. Probably not a weld.

 

Well, with mine, driving at 40mph on a smooth quiet surface, I can press the gas pedal slightly, and get a creak, and release the gas pedal and get an equal and opposite creak. This is not even hard acceleration, so I would expect the body to have less flex than that. At any rate, I've installed a nicer stereo, that I can play louder, so when the dealership replaces my broken interior panels, if it still creaks, I'll try to ignore it by blaring tunes over the top. Maybe removing the resonator on the exhaust, and adding a needswings intake would help drown out the sound. Maybe even ASP pulleys.

 

Did the Tech check where the seatbelt meets the rear bulkhead? There have been a few posts regarding a "creaking" noise, and that is where the noise was found. The fix was just a simple adjustment, here are 2 threads on the subject. Not sure if this is the where your noise is coming from, but may help.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...creaking+noise

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...creaking+noise

 

From another post:

"The only bummer on my entire car so far has been the creaking and groaning plastic around the seatbelt connection, under the rear windows. Today I found out that it is not even those pieces that is making the noise! its the plastic that runs along the top of my rear firewall bulkhead. The spot where it runs under those seatbelt caps is where it is rubbing against them, and making the creak.

Solution: I took a credit card, and slid it under the cap, and gently pried it upward so there was a miniscule gap between the cap and the wall top plastic. VOILA! Silence. The back bulkhead wall can now gently flex under hard acceleration, and make no noise.

If anyone else is having this problem, I wanted to post this so you can regain your sanity."