Tell me I got hosed...(long, but worth it)

[mikeny59]

I'm lucky, my local Jeep parts manager is a saint, he 'll do any favor I need. Coincidentally, the local Dodge dealer this criminal got my 8.25 yoke last summer from is about 100 yard away from his shop. My Jeep guy called them for me last week and said that no one ordered my pump that day from this Dodge dealer.

Now I have to decide if I should again pull the tank, replace the sender, or order the entire pump/filter/sender from my guy (at a very good price). I'm getting mixed messages whether cranking the motor dry for between five and ten minutes damaged the pump and shortened it's life. I get my fuel now via the trip odometer . At least I got dropping the tank and reinstalling it (next time with a lot less gas in it) down to a science.

Thanks everyone for all the interest in this thread, I finally realized it should have been in the OEM forum all along :shhh:

Mike/NY #300

 

[Spudboy]

Not defending the mechanic but here is another point of view. For the 15 years I owned a shop, we bought most of our parts from 3 different warehouses. We would pick up the parts and sign for them on a ledger sheet. Got an itemized bill at the end of the month. So most of the time I did not have an invoice for parts (could have come up with a paper trail if I really needed to, but not on site). Point is, at least in Idaho, he could have been telling it straight about no receipt if he got the part from a parts jobber. I did save the old parts but rarely got asked to see them.

In my early career, I worked at an auto tranny shop. A customer wanted to see the parts from his tranny before he agreed to a rebuild. The salesman (not a mechanic) showed him some busted up gears from my lunched '55 Ford 3-speed. He really did need the rebuild so I didn't feel too bad, but it illustrates that just because you see some parts doesn't mean they came from your vehicle.

If you get to keep your money you did well, and if the mechanic really did replace the fuel pump, he got a $600 lesson on customer service. I guarantee that I could have found that fuel pump in a dumpster after one day if I needed to.

 

[RichP]

Sounds like things are pretty much solved. But I did want to say that I get all my "Jeep" parts from my "Dodge" dealer. The Jeep dealer around here is awful. The way I understand it is any D. Chrysler part is available at any D. Chrysler dealer, brand not withstanding.

.02

Same with mine BUT I do need the vin number to order it with, good news is that I mentioned this ability to other jeepers in the area and they are now going to the dodge dealer and ordering parts. Starting to see the parts instock lately where I had to wait for them before. He also asked for recommended parts list so I said 'cps, tps, map, fuel pumps, relays, filters, AX-15 lube, rubber plugs for the 8.25, plug wires, caps, rotors and plugs, ldlers, belts, tstats, pressure caps, water pumps' now he stocks them which saves me an hour and half drive down and back [45 eachway] from the nearest well stocked jeep dealer. The first time I went in there to order stuff for the first TJ he didn't take me serious till I walked back out and came back with the FSM to point out the part I needed, guess that $100 investment was good for validation in his eyes and he went the extra distance to pull down the jeep stuff. He even let me put a stack of my business cards and brochures there

One thing I have noticed is that we get strange looks from people, customers mostly, when they pull in and see 4 jeeps in the driveway [we got that 89YJ back we sold last year so thats number 4]....

 

[mikeny59]

Guess what? American Express sent my complaint to an "automotive specialist" and transformed my temporary credit for $598.12 into a PERMANENT credit. The lowlife never turned a wrench on my xj.

The local NYS DMV guy, really nice on the phone, coincidentally called me to tell me what's he's going to do, and made me aware that my complaint will become a matter of public record, meaning ANYONE, not just the mechanical thief can use the Freedom of Information Act to view it - along with my new unlisted phone number, cell phone number, etc... and po box number (changed them for unrelated reasons, you know, women problems) and ANYTHING else in the documments, including the goshdarn envelope. Be aware of this fact, I was not. I called the DMV right back and after he talked to a supervisor, the investigator said to fax him the information I want blacked out with black magic marker, because Albany will still have my original complaint on file probably till after I'm long dead and gone. I did change my AMEX account number immediately, duh...

I did feel guilty not pursuing the complaint through DMV, because that means that other people are going to get screwed by him. Maybe NYS DMV will pop in on him unexpectedly and check his business practices? I wish there was an ethical way I could spread the word of his crappy business practices, but I'm not that type. But if you live in western Suffolk County, NY, e-mail me and I can definitely tell you where not to go, especially since he says his speciality is setting up rear ends (on oval track race cars).

BTW, the DMV guy said even if I got the entire repair done by him as resolution, or received money back instead, I still would have had to pay for the tow!!! AMEX gave me back 100% of my money, including the tow!

Man, it is definitely worth paying AMEX's yearly fee for that insurance, and they assured me that it will not harm my fico score because they just took their money back from the miscreant's account. And I still see the guy's kid in school everyday where I work, ha-ha-ha!!!

Thanks for all the views and responses, I hope I save other people heartache in the future.

One question though; Could the fuel pump really have been damaged from cranking it dry for about five minutes straight in 90 degree heat, seriously? I'd like to get away with changing just the sender and filter, but my parts guy will do me right on the entire unit. And the jeep is probably going to end up in a summer home in FL. next year, sitting in a garage most of the time.

Thanks all!!!

MikeNY #300
[email protected] (can't get the automatic email thing to work)

 

[Avanteone]

Glad to see you got everything worked out. As a repair shop owner as well, I hate seeing this kind of thing go on. Cranking on it while empty could have caused some damage to the pump. How much? Who knows. Every time it sucks a little air it does a small amount of damage and shortens it's life. The question you need to ask, is would you rather replace the pump NOW while it's fresh on your mind and your parts guy is gonna give you a deal on it? Or would you rather wait until it dies on you somewhere and you've got to tow is again? Pretty simple to me, I would replace it for the piece-of-mind.

John

 

[goodburbon]

its such a PITA to drop the tank, I'd do it once and be done with it, change it. and I am glad to hear you got things right. you don't need the whole 340 dollar thing, carter makes a lifetime warrantied replacement with both filters and a gasket for a hundred bucks. I just changed mine this afternoon as a matter of fact.

 

[redyouch]

if it isnt broken, dont fix it. you could change it and the replacement could be faulty and break. so now you have changed it twice when you could have possible never had to change it. i would just leave it till it dies.

 

[Mike@Accurate]

My '97 TJ got recalled for the guage thing (not the '00 XJ though). My tech buddy said they replaced 100's of senders. Yours probably was recalled at one point. Doesn't help, but interesting. MIKE

 

[DenLip]

In my early career, I worked at an auto tranny shop. A customer wanted to see the parts from his tranny before he agreed to a rebuild. The salesman (not a mechanic) showed him some busted up gears from my lunched '55 Ford 3-speed. He really did need the rebuild so I didn't feel too bad, but it illustrates that just because you see some parts doesn't mean they came from your vehicle.

MY oh my... THAT makes me feel MUCH better...

When my XJ was a mere pup (12k mi), JiffyLube showed me how filthy my air cleaner was... (it *was* horrible). I told 'em "just put it back in, I'll take care of it". I bought a new air cleaner and replaced it. Funny, 40k later, it STILL isn't 1/4 as dirty as that original one was. (Gettin' a K&N Real Soon Now).

It reminds me of a motto I once had, when I was a poor college student:
--- Never pay anyone to do anything that you can do yourself ---

JiffyLube has never gotten another cent of my money ... and I've done ALL of my own oil changes, before and since.

And, last week, when I did my "pre-inspection" on the XJ, I was concerned about the rotors... and, lo-and-behold, the inspection guy made me get new rotors because the old ones were rusted/pitted. Crap. Paid more for that than I needed to!

Den

 

[Beezil]

hey, good story, Mike.

I know you were desperate at the time, but baja is right, this is the REASON why we work on our own junk.

"trustworthy" is a rare trait nowdays.

good you got your money back, but the time and energy you spent on this crap is gone forever.

chalk it up to experience.

 

[mikeny59]

Yeah Beez, I was in a bind. Labor day weekend, no second vehicle, I knew something was up in the fuel system when there was no pressure in the schrader valve on the fi rail.

Four years earlier I dropped the tank to replace the filter, then eventually added the skid plate and a hitch. I got it down to a science now, I at least want an accurate reading from the sender, gotta make a decision soon.

Remember when I called you on the phone when I had the t-case split while it was still in the jeep? Damn needle bearings were falling all over the place, I think you said use grease to hold them in, it worked like a charm. Messing with that whole planetary gear thing, the tc chain, boy did I thought I got in way over my head. You definitely decranked me and helped me get it back together, though I still was worrying if the tc pump was still connected to the tube. 90k later, nothing grenaded.

But I still have 4.10's, a trutrac and an auburn sitting in my garage, three years now, with definitely NO motivation to farm it out, and not enough confidence to try it myself. I'm saving for a down payment on a house, so a second vehicle is just a dream.

Take care Beezil.

Mike #300

 

[Roxtar]

I've had a lousy morning and figured I'd bring this BTT just to piss everyone else off.
Have a great day.

 

[Lawn Cher']

Thanks, Dude! Now we've got this story in stereo. And now for something completely different.

 

[RichP]

Geeze, who lit off the 'wayback' daemons on the forums....

 

[bgcntry72]

Wow.
You, my friend, got hosed.
HTH.

 

[JnJ]

Keeping it going for good burbon