Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Shady Dealership Rant

Problems: Hesitation under 3k rpms, speedometer often cuts out- low fuel light comes on (common problem on the forum). Speedometer is also off by about 10 mph. Also asked them to do the fuel filler recall (pump hits auto shutoff)

Monday, last week:
Take car in. After a couple of days, they call me telling me that there is a misfire, but they can't tell which cylinder. Also say that the wiring is odd/screwed up. I have a 3L swap, but I'm almost positive that the wiring is completely fine in the car.

Days pass, they cannot determine the problem of the hesitation still. Guy says he will drive it home that night to try to determine the problem.

Today, Monday (a week later), they say I can pick up the car, but will have to return it on Weds. to put the a new Speedometer head in the car. (will this fix the problem?)

I take it for a drive, the car smells like smoke. Like cigarette smoke. Ask the guy I've been dealing with if he had smoked in car. He denys, saying that they smoke only outside the car in the shop. Also says that he put an additive in tank to try to fix hesitation. He suggests that I try to use 87 or 89 fuel, perhaps that will help. Hesitation is still there after 30 miles of driving. A/C works for a bit, then cuts out and is slightly cooler than the outside air. I get home, and find a cigarette on the floor of my car. GRR. Very unprofessional.






ANYWAYS....HERE's the juicy part: guy asks me to pay in cash, under the table ($300). Says something about the mechanics taking lots of time on the car (they went through the wiring, many hours) and he needs to pay them cash...(why? I have no [censored] idea). At first wont give us a receipt, but then prints one out, with the receptionist's name on it.



Thanks for listening...

Need it done don't take it to a mech. This at a Ford dealer?!!! Time to call a rep right now. Who takes a car home?! Hell mine have never ever left a shop in the days I took it in.

That could be a low voltage problem in one of the circuits. The problem could be caused by a loose or corroded connection. Sometimes a wire can go bad on the inside where the problem can't be seen but it can be measured with a multimeter.

Most auto technicians have a hard time finding electrical problems.

Two other things that can cause the speedometer problem are the speed sensor or the speed sensor gear. Sometimes the shaft and bushing are offset so that the parts can be rotated without having to replace the worn bushing.

Well- should I go to the head service manager tomorrow and tell them everything, including how one of the lower shop managers asked us to pay in cash, under the table?

That's a difficult decision. Dealerships charge a minimum of 1 hour for diagnostics. $300 isn't much money for a dealership.

Yup I agree. $300 sounded REALLY low to me. Not like they did much anyways...haha

if your having concerns now, better to voice them before you get further into this project. go talk to the manager and explain to him why this is making you uncomfortable. if he handles it properly he will explain the situation more clearly to you, and maybe even offer you some sort of deal/discount for the unprofessional way it has been handled. definitely bring up the smoking issue. that is disrespectful and they are risking damaging your car and its value. if the manager does not put you at ease, its time to take it somewhere else, and i for one would refuse to pay even that full $300 if you walk out of there without any sort of fix.

Nate how bad is your hesitation? Is your speedo problem fixed now? I have noticed that a bad DPFE sensor can cause a slight bucking under constant throttle. Does it go away if you floor it? If it does unplug your DPFE and try to replicate it again. If it is gone then pick up a new DPFE. I don't have any extra DPFE's right now but someone on the board might.

it goes away above 3k rpms. at regular throttle there is no hesitation usually, but if i get on the pedal (half way down)/floor it, it hesitates noticeably. they havent fixed the speedo problem, since they didnt have the part. I think i'm just going to take it to another dealership...
Im going to get a new DPFE sensor tomorrow

could the throttle body have anything to do with this?
the car has a very sensitive throttle...i can barely touch the pedal and sometimes it will buck forward