I'm trying to understand the roles and organization of the service people I'm dealing with at my dealership. What is a regional rep?

Tomorrow one is supposed to inspect my (bone stock) truck to approve warranty work (or not). According to the service writer this is needed because someone suspects tampering.

What is a regional rep? What is he looking for? Is he a DC employee or a Cummins employee or an independent contractor? The service writer said that Dodge is arguing with Cummins about this (so he's not to blame...) What's that all about?

Anyone in the know care to shed some light? I'm not trying to beat anyone out of repairs I'm not due - the truck is bone stock.

 

Once the engine is sold to D.C. Cummins is OUT of the picture.Engines are sold to D.C.with NO WARRANTY through Cummins.Thats been their agrrement since 1989.They have a regional D.C. SERVICE REP.coming to inspect.He has a certain amount of dealers he visits monthly or bi montly to go over issues,warranty claims,make a call on questionable warranty repairs on certain vehicles etc.

 

The regional rep like HD said is DC's representative to inspect, approve, challenge, warranty issues, lemon law problems, dealer / customer problems. Ect.

I got a feeling you are not telling us all of what is going on and that is cool, this is a public forum, but they are suspiciuos with all the guages, ect. They will be looking for stuff added to the truck to possible void the warranty. Simply taking off a box does not hide the fact that the ECM knows it was there.

What did you take the truck in for? PM me if you do not want to post a public answer.

 

hes the middle man between DC and your dealership

 

...actually I have no problem sharing the details of my situation... I only made the question more generic to keep it of general interest. I've got a seeping CP3 and I learned (the hard way from a locked thread) that fuel system are a touchy topic. I'm not trying to beat anyone out of work I don't deserve.

My truck has gauges -that's it no boxes just and X-montor 'cause I tow heavy. Last time I had a cp3 problem the mechanic told STARS about the gauges and they had to get the rep to see the truck and OK the work - he did. This time I dropped the truck off (a week ago) JUST so they could get the CP3 OK'd and they said they did. I actually went back in person last Saturday just to be SURE they had the part and could proceed. The work was supposed to happen yesterday and the Service Advisor called in the afternoon to say that they pump came with a note NOT to install until the truck was inspected. Should happen tomorrow.

I'd be more patient, but tomorrow I needed to pack the truck, hitch up the FW and get ready to drive 1000 miles leaving Saturday at 4am... If they can't get this done I'll just take the truck back with the cp3 leak.

THANKS all for the info! So far I'm guessing the Service Advisor was just making smoke when he said that Dodge is fighting Cummins on this. It's a Dodge thing. I'm still not sure why LAST time they solved the regional rep issue with ONE trip and this time it took me TWO. The SA also said that they sent "stacks of printouts" on my pump somewhere... and he was a little fuzzy about the "evidence of tampering" being on those printouts or from an analysis of my first failed pump. Or maybe I'm just looking suspicous because of two pumps in 12 months.

No matter, I've got nothing to hide. I'm only searching for data so I can discuss this intelligently if I need to. Yesterday I lost my temper about it... which gets me no where I know.

well, gotta go and pack the FW.

 

Good Luck with it Dave. Hope they get it done so you can make your trip as planned and with a repaired truck. That really blows when you are trying to take a trip and have to deal with that kind of stuff and the extra stress it causes.

My truck has gauges, air intake, exhaust, Mag hytec products etc.....so im sure if I needed some major warranty work they would be looking at mine the same way they are yours. But, for now,...im not running any boxes either.


Let us know what happens.

 

Just got off the phone with the regional rep.

The first call from the SA was "your warranty has been denied because you have one of those bullydog things" But "if you can get all the documentation on it and get down here before the rep leaves in 45 minutes you can talk to him". Well, I'm at work and can't just leave.

I downloaded the X-monitor docs, faxed them to the dealer, and insisted on speaking to the rep on the phone. Ten minutes later the rep calls. He agreed the gauges could not cause the problem but he wanted to know "why would someone spend all that money on gauges if they didn't do something else to the truck". I told him I knew several HUNDRED people on line who do exactly that and I told him to look in the bed of the truck at the FW hitch.

Then he tried to tell me he could void me for the X-monitor anyway, so I asked him how any of those gauges could impact the fuel system and offered to conference on a tech from Diesel Performance who would confirm my opinion. He backed off and told me that I could have removed something, why do I measure boost if I'm not changing it from stock -- so I asked him if we were having a technical discussion, or if this was about my honesty. He said it was just unusual for two pumps to fail. I told him I agreed and explained everything I've learned on this forum about the possible design flaws with the LP and CP3 pairing. Then I asked him what he would do if it was HIS vehicle and HE had to get the CP3 replaced twice and be called a liar because he used gauges to AVOID damaging his truck.

He said he'd honor the warranty and that he wasn't calling me a liar.

In the course of the conversation he said that a fuel pressure gauge would not void me but a FASS system would for sure.

THANKS TO ALL HERE!!! Without the information you have all provided I would not have been so prepared to have a conversation like this. Knowledge is power.

 

Good to see the small guy come out on top once in a while.

 

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one DC has tried this with. Dealer tried to blame my fuel pressure gauge for killing my lift pump. When I told him that I knew about the several hundred other people who have had theirs fail for no reason, that I knew my rights as stated by the Magnunson Moss Act, and that if he didn't replace it under warranty that my lawyer was going to be contacting him, he seemed to agree that it should be replaced under warranty. I guess he got tired of being yelled at by a 16 year old that actually knew what they were talking about.

 

I have gauges, and I'm stock, and I don't tow. I just like to know what is going on with my engine. (And they're cool.) IMO, any turbo vehicle should have a boost gauge stock. My mother's 1988 RX-7 turbo did.

When my CP3 went, my dealer looked at my gauges, asked me if I had any mods, I said "no" he said "OK", called STAR, and that was that.

Sounds like your dealer is being a jerk, and I would find another one.

 

Someone is being less than completely helpful. I can't figure out if it's the dealer (really the specific service advisor) not going to bat for me or if it's the regional rep. There is one other dealer close enough for me to consider if I need additional work. I might still end up talking to the same rep though.

My guess on all of this...
They really have not seen a lot of CP3 leaks yet, not because they don't happen, but because most people would not notice the minor leak I found and asked to have it repaired twice. In fact one person on the other thread suggested I just let it leak... So to the rep, I do look suspicous because I've had two failures in a 12 month period. This could get really tough if this pump goes too -- and I'm guessing it might! Will cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

Dave,

Since he says the FASS will definately void fuel system warranty, what about them upgrading your stock lift pump to the in tank version? There seems to be less problems with that (05 and up trucks) than the engine mounted pumps like ours.

Do you have a fuel pressure gauge yet?

Glad to see the REP finally agreed to do the right thing!

 

Just picked up the truck.

I'll add a fp gauge before we do the cp3 and see what we see.

...to make an aggravating situation annoying. Yep they "inspected" my X-monitor... I pulled out of the drive and see zero boost and hear a hiss under the dash. The tube got pulled off. I clipped it back on and it's reading boost but still hissing. aaarrggh.

 

The second pump that failed was in the tank right?
Mike

 

He's not talking about the LIFT PUMP(low pressure)He's talking about the HIGH PRESSURE CP3 leaking. Lift pump gets fuel from tank to the the HIGH PRESSURE PUMP that gets it in the engine.