BullyDog downloader broke my ECM, 250 miles from home, and $1700 - options?
01-07-2006, 11:56 AM
#92
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Originally Posted by 04ctd
Ok, got the truck home. it HAULS with the BD installed, have to see if i have big smoke tomorrow.
found out WHY the dealer could NOT fix it, with me calling them, Faxing them the TSB's from SuperDuty, and with Bullydog calling them.
They threw my faxes in the trash. I faxed them to my daughter, the receptionist (it's at my old Navy base - daughter stayed when I retired out) and when she gave them to the Service Manager, he just glanced at them, and threw them at the trash.
When I called him on the phone, he said "I saw GENERIC on the TSB and stopped right there" and I did not know what he meant....now I do, he quit reading, and put it in the trash!
if the Dealer DID order the $1500 new ECM, they would NOT be able to program it, because they had not read the TSB.
I think that is why Bullydog came up with the idea of sending a new ECM and taking the idiot factor out, and just giving them a part to R&R, which is what most dealerships are, just parts replacers.
here's the kicker - i got charged for 10 hours labor, and being a customer, from out of state, how could i tell, just by riding in my truck, how LONG the tech sat in my truck & worked on it?
big bonus points to the first person to figure that one out.
so here's the damage so far:
--paid $750 to dealer tonite.
--Owe Bullydog for services rendered, and shipping.
BD reacted so fast, they have no idea what to charge me, they are gonna figure that out after looking at the original ECM.
I am going to ship my original ECM back to them, with the original Downloader, they are going to eyeball that, and then send it back for me to install, and send them back thier test unit.
then, this will be over.
opinions?
found out WHY the dealer could NOT fix it, with me calling them, Faxing them the TSB's from SuperDuty, and with Bullydog calling them.
They threw my faxes in the trash. I faxed them to my daughter, the receptionist (it's at my old Navy base - daughter stayed when I retired out) and when she gave them to the Service Manager, he just glanced at them, and threw them at the trash.
When I called him on the phone, he said "I saw GENERIC on the TSB and stopped right there" and I did not know what he meant....now I do, he quit reading, and put it in the trash!
if the Dealer DID order the $1500 new ECM, they would NOT be able to program it, because they had not read the TSB.
I think that is why Bullydog came up with the idea of sending a new ECM and taking the idiot factor out, and just giving them a part to R&R, which is what most dealerships are, just parts replacers.
here's the kicker - i got charged for 10 hours labor, and being a customer, from out of state, how could i tell, just by riding in my truck, how LONG the tech sat in my truck & worked on it?
big bonus points to the first person to figure that one out.
so here's the damage so far:
--paid $750 to dealer tonite.
--Owe Bullydog for services rendered, and shipping.
BD reacted so fast, they have no idea what to charge me, they are gonna figure that out after looking at the original ECM.
I am going to ship my original ECM back to them, with the original Downloader, they are going to eyeball that, and then send it back for me to install, and send them back thier test unit.
then, this will be over.
opinions?
IMO, you should have brought the allen wrench, socket, and a piece of carpet with you to the dealer, demanded your truck back, and changed it yourself in the parking lot.
I'd also help your daughter find another job and never go back to that dealer. Leaving the smokey patch is the best idea I've heard on this thread.
Overall though, I bet you learned alot and you it sounds like you are getting hooked up by BD.
01-07-2006, 11:59 AM
#93
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I agree. You might be happy you got your truck back and all, but I think that dealer was beyond terrible and I can't think of anything they did that should have taken 10 hours.
The scope test for the ECM should have taken 30 minutes and another 30 minutes to reflash the ECM. The rest of all this and the expense associated with it was due to sheer incompetence on the part of the dealer. It was a sad example of really bad dealer service.
The scope test for the ECM should have taken 30 minutes and another 30 minutes to reflash the ECM. The rest of all this and the expense associated with it was due to sheer incompetence on the part of the dealer. It was a sad example of really bad dealer service.
01-07-2006, 12:09 PM
#94
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At the same time they were trying to diagnose a problem that was caused by an aftermarket product and that they had probably never encountered before. It's hard enough to get a normal problem handled in a timely fashion no less something outside of the norm such as this. How many stock trucks do you think come in with a blank/locked up ECM?
I would however find a competent, mod friendly dealer for future reference.
Super glad you got it handled and welcome to the slippery slope of bombing. It's one h e l l of a fun ride...
Richard
I would however find a competent, mod friendly dealer for future reference.
Super glad you got it handled and welcome to the slippery slope of bombing. It's one h e l l of a fun ride...
Richard
01-07-2006, 07:32 PM
#95
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Originally Posted by Gypsyman
trying to diagnose a problem that was caused by an aftermarket product and that they had probably never encountered before.
With BD calling the Service Manager, there’s no reason they could not reflash that ECM. Go back and read Marco’s posts.
If you read between the lines, can you imagine the conversation that the SM had with BD; that made BD realize it would be easier to send them a Plug&Play unit, than to try and talk them thru the re-flash?
that the SM threw the TSB in the trash pretty much sums up it.
FWIW, my wife worked there 3 years in the Office, working on Reynolds&Reynolds, both my daugthers worked there as receptionist for awhile. Daughter there now due to it being such a small town.
my kid pays her bills by working there, so I try not to rock the boat too hard, as we have rocked it before, and it just makes for a tense work environment.
And if we are keeping score by $$$, my daughter just took them for about 10K, she had a truck lemon lawed, and they gave her full trade value for it, and they finally had to dump it at auction for half what they gave them
01-07-2006, 07:40 PM
#96
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I was just saying that the way service departments go about things I could see them trying to justify 10 hours. Between the screwing around before Bully got involved and whatever it took them after that to make the actual repair, 10 hours sounds about right from thier side. I would definitely argue the 10 hours down as far as I could, that's for sure.
Just glad to see your problem solved. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be. That's why I do all of my own wrenching (plus, I love doing it).
Just glad to see your problem solved. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be. That's why I do all of my own wrenching (plus, I love doing it).
01-07-2006, 07:51 PM
#97
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Yes, he probably did have a lot of time in it, and since no one guessed, I could tell he spent alot of time in my truck because it smelled like cat pea. Tech has a lot of cats.
they only had one battery charger, i looked around the shop (for boxes to ship back the ECM's to BD in) and saw a new battery charger box in the trash
they only had one battery charger, i looked around the shop (for boxes to ship back the ECM's to BD in) and saw a new battery charger box in the trash
01-08-2006, 12:53 PM
#98
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glad your truck is running now and all is well. however the sm not even acknowledging the tsb is inexecuseable. customer service is not about knowing it all, but knowing how to listen. i understand the family relationship, but i would find another dealer. my dealer is ok, i may have paid alittle more when i bought locally but i let him do service for me and he is willing to listen when i say i heard something here that might help you out. he knows my mods but understands this just might not have broken that.
tim
tim
01-08-2006, 01:01 PM
#99
I take it this is not a 5 star dealership? Their service department sounds like it might just be worse that the one I had work on my truck? 
That was quite an ordeal, I bet your glad it's over.
That was quite an ordeal, I bet your glad it's over.
01-08-2006, 09:36 PM
#100
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by P.J
I take it this is not a 5 star dealership?
video of the cloud of smoke in performance setting, and in cab shot.
http://04ctd.zippyvideos.com/
the Tow mode (when I did the free download) just did a short puff.
01-28-2006, 08:24 AM
#101
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to wrap this all up, and give credit where it's due,
and since a few folks have PM'ed me about inability to get thier other brands of boxes repaired.
Bully Dog really took care of me on this.
BD called me every other day (if not every day) and answered EVERY e-mail I sent
They acted like it was thier truck in there, and they were ******** a payment on a dead truck.
when the dealership was too stupid, they FedEx'ed out one of their R&D ECM's to get the truck home.
i went, got truck and "box-o-ECM's" and sent them my 04 ECM, they took the DRB, reflashed it in 20 minutes, and shipped it back to me, and they reflashed a new downloader to go with it.
so I finally got my stock ECM back on, with BD's latest software (cold idle, yeah!).
only payment BD would accept was the 04.5 ECM
(Marco said taxes & shipping made it not good to ship back to him)
so the score: dealership: ZILCH Bullydog: Big Props!
me: may lose truck to wife, she loves the Perf Setting!
and since a few folks have PM'ed me about inability to get thier other brands of boxes repaired.
Bully Dog really took care of me on this.
BD called me every other day (if not every day) and answered EVERY e-mail I sent
They acted like it was thier truck in there, and they were ******** a payment on a dead truck.
when the dealership was too stupid, they FedEx'ed out one of their R&D ECM's to get the truck home.
i went, got truck and "box-o-ECM's" and sent them my 04 ECM, they took the DRB, reflashed it in 20 minutes, and shipped it back to me, and they reflashed a new downloader to go with it.
so I finally got my stock ECM back on, with BD's latest software (cold idle, yeah!).
only payment BD would accept was the 04.5 ECM
(Marco said taxes & shipping made it not good to ship back to him)
so the score: dealership: ZILCH Bullydog: Big Props!
me: may lose truck to wife, she loves the Perf Setting!
01-29-2006, 09:40 AM
#103
A little off topic here, but buddy of mine and I just both bought new 06's. He took his to a local bullydog dealer and got the temporary performance program installed. He loved it, though it has faded away now. Is he going to maybe lose some mileage because of this? I have done nothing to my truck, and will not anytime soon (except for the rokktech cam sensor). I wanna give him a heads up if he's likely to get a mileage reduction.
01-29-2006, 08:11 PM
#104
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v8440,
The demo program he got for free will not effect the trucks MPG after it goes away, he'll just be back where he was prior to the freebie download. If he can stand it after having the extra HP that is. Most of the folks that we download here with the free program are back in a day or two after it goes away looking to buy a Triple Dog as they had a taste of the HP and can't live without it!!!
Mark @ DPPI
The demo program he got for free will not effect the trucks MPG after it goes away, he'll just be back where he was prior to the freebie download. If he can stand it after having the extra HP that is. Most of the folks that we download here with the free program are back in a day or two after it goes away looking to buy a Triple Dog as they had a taste of the HP and can't live without it!!!
Mark @ DPPI
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