PITA mechanics
 

I think you'll all get a kick out of this one...

About 5 weeks ago my turbo went out (give or take a week). They had the truck finished the following day. The mechanic that replaced it is the lead mechanic in our shop.

For 2 weeks everything was fine, then I started getting a squeal everytime the turbo kicked in. I took it into the shop and they looked at it. He said everything was fine. His basic explanation was that it was an EGR engine and the noise was supposed to be there. When I told him that I'd never heard that noise before he said it was because I'd never drove an EGR engine before. Hmmm - this truck is an '05 with a Cummins ISX. I drove an '06 International with the same engine (without that sound). Anyway, he sends me down the road.

During the week, the noise was getting worse. So, while passing through the shop, I explained it to them again. Same response - it's fine - keep driving.

When I came in for the weekend I turned my write-up into the shop with the only complaint being turbo squeal. I turned it in before noon on Friday and didn't have to leave until Monday afternoon. Before I pulled out of the shop I asked them what they found for the problem. They didn't even bother pulling the truck into the garage.

So, I run for the week, with the noise getting worse. I call in and they tell me to keep running it and write it up on Friday. Ok - I did. They tightened the turbo clamps.

So, I leave out Sunday night for a short run (about 140 miles). The noise was still there, but not quite as loud. I unload and run 180 miles to my next pickup. I finished and started down the road through some backroads in WV hauling 45k# of charcoal. About 20 miles into the run all hell breaks loose.

The turbo squeal has now changed into something that can only be described as sounding like the engine was coming apart. It wasn't smoking and still had good power, but the sound was unreal, not to mention how loud it was. So, I stop and call in. They wanted me to keep running the load and bring it to the shop. Hmmm - I've got 45k of charcoal that I have to finish running from Romney, WV to Richmond, VA, then pickup 45k of paper and bring it back to Fairmont, WV (about 600 miles total).

I go about 5 miles down the road and pull into a Volvo shop. They had a couple mechanics look at it and they found the problem within 5 minutes. Out of the 4 bolts holding the turbo to the exhaust manifold, there were 2 in it, with one of them being finger tight. So, I call in and they have them fix it.

When they pulled the turbo to replace the gaskets, the entire side of the engine is solid black from the exhaust blowing through. It took a total of 7 hours, a delivery that now has to be hauled to our yard in Fairmont, rescheduled and delivered to Richmond, a missed pickup tomorrow and (the best part) $378 for the repair - the parts were 4 bolts and 2 gaskets.

You'd think with as many complaints as I had on it, someone would've noticed that half the bolts were missing... I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the shop manager/co-owners office tomorrow when he finds out.

This is the same company that around the same time wanted you to drag a trailer back to the yard that had something gone wrong in the hub, right?

I had something similar to this happen with my shop. My truck was in for repairs and they gave me a loaner truck for an overnight run from Vegas, nv to safford,az. on the way down I called in about a squeel coming from the turbo...."run it an we'll look at it when you get back". It kept getting louder and louder and by the time I was coming up the hill into kingman on the way back BOOM. I rolled into the petro and called em and told them the exhaust had blown out of the turbo and that I was sitting right next to the repair shop at petro. Figured they would authorize a repair and I would be rolling in about an hour. Oh H3LL no.....gotta send a tow truck out of vegas and drag you back. 260 mile tow for what could have been fixed right there. They made $0.00 on that load after fuel, my pay and the tow. :roll: The guy that runs he shop is the owners son....so I know SOMEONES azz was on the line.[/b]

Yup - same company.

When I came in today, I took the blown gaskets that had to be replaced (burnt through) and went to show the shop foreman (same one who had replaced the turbo to begin with). Right after I approached him and was still holding the gaskets, the shop manager/co-owner started across the shop toward us. The foreman grabbed the gaskets out of my hand and threw them into the trash before the manager could see them. I guess he didn't want the manager to know exactly what happened. Heheh

Re: PITA mechanics
 

Sorry Mal, but you know me, and you know I'm gonna ask it:

Why didn't you notice the missing and loose bolts when you did your PTI every day?

I had one at my place, forget what it was that happened but was told to drive it on back in or as far back in as I could. Ok, whatever, I'm paid by the hour........few weeks later the AC belt jumped off, so I didn't even bother calling in on it, rolled my windows down and drove back in. Was told that I should have stopped and called in so they could send someone out to put it back on :? :roll: Didn't even bother responding, just shrugged my shoulders and walked away. Learned I will just call them on everything from now on and bug the living heck outta them.

Re: PITA mechanics
 

You could see the missing bolts, but you had to REALLY look for them. You have an ISX, correct? Go see if you can locate yours. It was the 2 on the back of the turbo. They're also on the bottom side of the mounting flange.

It wasn't so much that you couldn't see the missing bolts, but you could hear the exhaust blowing through when at high rpm while parked. A high-idle wouldn't produce it. The engine had to be at about 1500rpm before there was enough pressure to blow past.

Re: PITA mechanics
 

I'm sorry, but that would require me opening the hood. Homey don't play that.

Re: PITA mechanics
 

LOL

The mechanic was telling me a funny story about a driver for a company (I won't mention their name). He pulled in and said that his exhaust was loud and needed to be checked. When the mechanic opened the hood, the turbo was completely off of the engine - not attached whatsoever. Well, they do the turbo replacement and checked the oil. He said that they had to put 5 gallons in to fill it up. When he asked the driver when the last time he checked the oil, his response basically was "This thing has oil in it?"

That is when you know your in the presence of a bonafide steering wheel holder right there........ :lol: No dummy, it doesn't have oil, it runs on a wing and a prayer and right now, your wing is falling off, better start praying harder.