03 down - Dealer $8K,??? Help!

[The Inventor]

Drove my 03 from San Diego to Tempe AZ on the way there it ran rough. Stopped checked things out temp, water, oil, everything normal. A few days after I got back from AZ it would not run and was puffing white smoke. The local dealer has had the vehicle for 4 WEEKS! They have replaced the fuel filter, injector pump and cam sensor. A Diamler Chrysler (DC) rep looked over the vehicle and the dealer has told me DC is claiming fuel contamination. A $45K vehicle with only 33K mi on it and DC is avoiding honoring the warranty by claiming fuel contamination! This is my 3rd diesel vehicle, 2nd Dodge Cummins, I only fill with diesel. Fuel sample looks normal, but it is possible previous tank was contaminated at the station. DC rep is stating that components from the tank to the engine need replacement including all injectors, pickup tubes, and injector lines. Components look normal, except the pickup tubes have a black color. Talked to another service facility and was told if one injector is bad it would not run. What is my recourse?

What good is a warranty? The local Cummins dealer charges $93/hr. I think the stock fuel filter is 30 microns, after it is running will put in a 5 micron filter.



03 3500 Dually, SLT Laramie, Lthr, Quad cab, 6 spd, HO, 5" exhaust and Volant air cleaner,

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Hi JHrin, welcome to TDR. Sadly D/C has voided a lot of warranties on "Contaminated fuel" that I've read about here on TDR.



Typical scenario is Customer drives truck and buys fuel from reputable stations for thousands of miles, and suddenly there is an injector failure or pump failure requiring new expensive parts, or worse yet a blown engine from an injector stuck wide open. Customer takes truck in, it's diagnosed, and D/C says "Bad fuel, warranty VOID!" and sometimes sticks the unwitting customer with a bill as high as 5 figures



The best thing you can do to maintain your fuel system is use a quality fuel additive with lubricity, because there have been articles on today's diesel fuel and it is in poor shape. . . very inconsistent lubricity. Get some Howes, Stanadyne or Lucas fuel additive and use it religiously.

 

[AKAMAC]

I'd call the dealer and demand to look at injectors! What you describe is classic injector failure. If more than one or two are bad they may have a fight. If only one or two failed you have a fight. The fuel test came back good! DC is going to loose this one in a court. I'm curious as to piston/cylinder damage done. Good luck with this, there are documented cases of injector failure on this and other forums. Mike

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Look into the fuel tank vent issue that they are having with the third gens. Seems there is a nice little pocket and an open vent that lets water in the tank. Quite a few guys have been raked over the coals when really it was DC's fault. There are a few threads out there.

 

[Matt400]

Look into the fuel tank vent issue that they are having with the third gens. Seems there is a nice little pocket and an open vent that lets water in the tank. Quite a few guys have been raked over the coals when really it was DC's fault.

Thanks for reminding me to fix that on my 03 before my son takes it back east, I also gotta do that fix on my 05 as I see they still have not fixed it.

 

[sag2]

Black color sounds like alge? I could see why that would not be warranty.

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

And algae grows in stagnant water like on the top of the fuel tank. I would have a big issue with them claiming contamination and a hole allowing direct access into the tank of water and salts and small children :-laf

 

[surfbeetle]

what dealer?

I am assuming that you are in san diego, what dealer has your truck?

 

[The Inventor]

Carl Burger. Usually take truck to John Hine but the towing bill would have been more. It is my opinion that Burger is not setup for indepth service of Diesels, they are not able to test the injectors. I aml leaning toward having the truck towed to Cummins in ElCajon.

 

[surfbeetle]

Carl Burger is a joke, when my batteries went bad under warranty, they wanted the truck towed in $$$, then they wanted $75 to look at it, more $$$, then they wanted labor to install the batteries. I called John Hine, they let me bring batteries only, no truck, and it was free to test the batteries and then the batteries were prorated under warranty. Also, when looking at new cars from Carl Burger, they always seem to have a "dealer markup" added so that you can haggle down to the MSRP. I would not take my truck to them. Also as for taking it down to Cummins Cal Pacific on Johnson, yes they will fix it, but you would not be able to get it covered under warranty it at all possible. You may be able to get it covered under warranty at a different dealer. If you are stuck with the bill, I would take it to Cummins. Good Luck!

 

[The Inventor]

Surfbeetle,

Thanks for the advice! I always had a bad feeling about Carl Burger Dodge, should have listened to my inner voice. Will keep ya posted.