Please help....do I have a lemon???

[onefastgt]

Guys and gals,

Take a look at my mods, rather conservative being it is still N/A. @ years ago, the # 4 spark plug decided to get loose and destroy the threads, cost 2,400, my cost 50. Just had the 4.6 in for what sounded like a bottom end sound/problem. The # 7 connecting rod bearing shattered and left large particles of steel in the oil pan. Ford wants to rebuild rather than replace. Oh,
& I also got the 'were not sure it'll be covered due to your bolt-ons, etc.' My bolt-ons are fairly mild & is this acceptable performance from an '01 4.6, or should I get rid of it??????

Jeff

 

[mijo_latino]

Well, the only thing that i see remotely related to the damage is the U/D pullies. I know some here preach on the 'correct' way to install as get a new nut because of torque to yield on the hramonic balancer or something. Depends on the dealer if they reject you or not.

Someone who knows their stuff will chime in, gl.

 

[onefastgt]

I dunno if this makes any difference but the last mod put on, the O/R X-pipe, was about 2 years ago, with around 7,500 between then and now.

JMW

 

[hognutz]

nothing you added caused this failure but that does not mean they will not try to deny you. If they deny you, should do the work yourself then it is not such huge expence.

how many miles are on it? I mean I am at 65k drive my car like I stole it and have had no problems. I have seen poeple with more than double that with no large mechanical failures.

as far as getting rid of it that is up to you. boils down to whether you like the car or not. Mine is paid for and I just mod it hear and there and I will keep it. If I still had a loan on it and it was giving me all kinds fo mechanical issues I might not think the same way.

If my motor blew up tomorrow I would just put a forged motor and 2.2L kb on it. Some people might just be sick of the car and get out from under it. I just don't like car payments. I have a monster payment on my dodge truck and anything I would get to replace my mustang would not be that much more fun to drive and would carry a monster payment.

 

[ACSPONY]

Just an FYI- this month's MM&FF has an article on warranty work and dealership responsibility replacing parts on cars with modifcations. IF they give you BS about your mods causing trouble, it might be worth taking a look at the article. If anything, food for thought. I wouldn't be ready to ditch the stang just yet, let's see what happens with the rebuild

 

[Mike97gt]

they can turn down the claim if they want to with your bolt on's.. your intake mods according to them can lean out the mixture leading to a failure like you have.

I hope they cover it for you, but they have a very strong case for declining the repair.

 

[goshia]

You might have a lemon, but the law is that you have to claim your car as a lemon during the first 12 months of service. It has to have been in for warranty work for the same issue atleast four times and or been out of service at least i think 20 day. I claimed a 2000 Mercedes as a lemon and got all my money back @ 11 months and 12 days into its time of going into service for the first time.

 

[stroked4.6]

I don't think you have a lemon, a lemon usually consists of many problems within a short amount. What goshia is basically true but every state has variations of the lemon law. I had a 99 suburban which was a lemon since day one (way too many things to list) and GM wouldn’t buy the car back for anything. The truck was in the shop for weeks at a time and months when it went in every other week. Even though it’s a big problem it doesn’t fit under the lemon law. How many miles does the car have on it now and did you change the oil every 2500 / 3000 miles?

If I were you I would have removed all of my bolt ons before I went to the dealership they usually deny claims just so they don’t have to be bothered. Especially the U/D pulleys. Last time I went to the dealership I removed all bolt ons and got the warranty work done (blown motor). When I brought my car in another time they wouldn’t work on my window motor because I had tint. Now my car has every mod and I will never go back to a dealership.

Just to let you know its common for oil to leak out of the U/D pulleys. If not seated correctly oil will leak from the crank.

Good Luck with Ford!!! If you do have to pay out of pocket I would just buy another motor or have it built at a performance shop since the dealership will charge for the cost of two motors.

 

[RandyStinchcomb]

they can turn down the claim if they want to with your bolt on's.. your intake mods according to them can lean out the mixture leading to a failure like you have.

I hope they cover it for you, but they have a very strong case for declining the repair.

yup, I agree 100% esp wth that POS c&l MAF

 

[tomustang]

yup, I agree 100% esp wth that POS c&l MAF

sounds like owners fault

 

[four six]

I use to work at a Ford dealershp for a while and they turned people down because of their mods all the time. Their advice NO aftermarket stuff till the warrenty is up

 

[Mike97gt]

I use to work at a Ford dealershp for a while and they turned people down because of their mods all the time. Their advice NO aftermarket stuff till the warrenty is up

always keep the original parts to reinstall incase of a problem like this.

We had a tech at my work blow up his harley F150 5.4 S/C motor and have to pay over 6,500 out of his pocket because ford declined the repair becuase of his smaller blower pulley. My serivce manager tried to help, but the ford rep would not overlook the pulley..

So in a lot of cases now ford is sending out reps to look over big warrenty repairs on high performance cars and trucks.

 

[onefastgt]

I'm pretty fortuante that the repairs will be covered by Ford, minus the labor to remove any aftermarket items, U'D pullies, strut tower brace, etc. They are taking their time w/ the car but I really cannot complain....
Thanks for all the responses!!

Jeff