help, don't want to get ripped off by local ford service

[paulkuo]

Hi, I am new to this forum and found it through google.

My engine light came on and brought my 2002 explorer XLT to the local ford dealer service department and agreed to a $84 diagnostic.

they called back and said the problem is a leak in the fuel pump seal, and they have to do a lot of work to get to it. The seal itself is only $9, but the labor is $650.

Am I getting ripped off? I'm not very handy around cars, so have to take mechanics' word most of the time.

Should I call local auto body shops to compare labor costs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Paul

 

[LBarr2002]

Take it by an autozone, advance auto, type place when the check engine light is on. They'll hook it up and run diagnostics for free and give you a printout of what the problem should be.

 

[chriswells78]

Take it by an autozone, advance auto, type place when the check engine light is on. They'll hook it up and run diagnostics for free and give you a printout of what the problem should be.

Absolutely correct.

As for the work, it depends on how mechanically inclined you are.

If you wait until you are almost out of fuel, it will make your life a whole lot easier. When you are nearly out of fuel (i'm talking the gas light has been on for about 15-20 miles) you should begin.

Disconnect the positive battery cable.

There should be 2 bolts (sometimes 3) that hold the tank to the body. remove these, and the tank will come down. Put a jack under it while it comes down to make life easier. Disconnect the wires via the connector.

slide the tank out from under the truck. Use a hammer and a screwdriver to release the ring holding the mechanical assemblies from the tank. pull them out, pull off the seal, replace it. Put the mechanicals back into the tank, replace the lock ring with a hammer and screwdriver again.

Slide the tank back under the truck, reconnect the wires, then jack it back up into position under the straps. With the straps back in position, replace the bolts that hold the straps to the truck. Tighten them until the tank is secure.

Refill the tank with gas, reconnect the battery and start the truck. The check engine light should clear withing 3 cycles of starting and turning off the truck. If it doesn't, take it to Autozone, they can reset computer and/or tell you if there is something else wrong.

I hope this helps.

 

[daprez1963]

wow....

are you serious? those auto stores now can hookup to their machines and read the codes? alot of ppl like myself were not aware of this and have paid shops these fees to do that. i know on my old 92, you could flip the key 3 times and it would flash the codes but my '02 wont do that. thanks for the info. you also were very through on explaining how to replace seal. i know how to read my repair manual and do alot of repairs myself if i have the right tools, but i often get scare thinking it might be beyond my reach as far as understanding. i appreciate it when someone is willing to explain it. btw, do you know where the codes are to reset my keyless entry on my 2002 explorer XLT 2wd 4 dr? thx if you can shed any light on these. i can not see paying them to tell me the codes on my truck. it should be courtesy by the dealer to provide it and not keep charging on it. i heard there is a code somewhere on the truck and they could just tell me where to find it....thanks

 

[chriswells78]

I am not positive on the location on an 02. On a 96-01 it is located on a sticker in the drivers side cargo box over top of the wheel well, 5 digits.

I think this question has been answered here before though, try searching for

keyless+entry+code

I am glad I could help.

 

[grumpy]

When my check engine light came on, I called Autozone. They said they would check it but I would have to wait until they weren't busy. They wouldn't go outside if customers were waiting in the store.

I took it there and got it checked for free (10 minute wait). The guy gave me the code number and said I would have to contact a Ford dealership to find out what it meant. I did a Google search and found what the problem was and also discovered this forum.

 

[rocco123]

I just bought an 02 Limited and didn't get the keyless code from the dealer. Found it was located on the C pillar. This is on the passenger side, when you open the rear door, and looking to the rear(aft). Pull back the weatherstripping & you will see 2 boxes between the trim and body. On the forward box you will see a 5 digit number on a white label. This is the factory number and can be used with the owners manual to set the code. You will need a mirror to see the number.

I have also read the number may be around where the jack is. There are several posts on this site about the location. Just telling you where I found my computer location.

 

[paulkuo]

thank you

thanks for everybody's reply. I wish I knew about the free diagnostic at autozone before I paid $84 for the dealer to check the engine light.

I called some local auto shops and they said that they estimate the job to replace the seal on the fuel pump around 2 hours, and got ranges from $150 to $210. Much better than the $650 the dealer was going to charge.

they gave me a sheet/receipt that had a description of the problem and said I need to bring that to whatever repair shop I go to. they hooked it up to a smoke machine to find the problem.

what is the "code" that people are referring to? is there a different code for different problems?

once, again, thanks.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the section with car computer codes. It has a section on EECV/OBDII. If you get a manual on your vehicle, it will tell you what the codes are. They start with a "P". The older computers just started with the number. Look at the printout, and let us know what it said. Maybe we could help you better.

 

[BrooklynBay]

By the way, I'm not saying that all of the dealers are crooks, but I just wanted to share something that once happened to me at a Ford dealer's parts department. I once needed a rubber distributor cap. The dealer's parts guy said that it was about $10, or $12, I don't remember exactly. I said that I'll take it. He said that he didn't have any in stock, and I would have to order it. He then had an idea. He asked me if I needed one right away. I said that if it wouldn't cost extra as a rush order, I would prefer getting it as soon as I could. He told me to wait a few minutes. He left the counter, and went into the service department. I couldn't see exactly what was happening, but he was talking to one of the mechanics that was working on the same type of vehicle (Taurus/Sable). The hood was open, so I didn't really see what was going on. He came back in a few minutes later with one that was little dirty. I asked him where he got one so fast if he didn't have it in stock. He just asked me if I had the $10 for it, but was reluctant to give me a receipt. I was a little puzzled about the situation that was going on, but bought it. I thought about it, and realized that he was a crook. I wouldn't want to be that guy who just had a part stolen from his car by some dishonest salesman who would jeopardize his job just to make a dishonest $10. This was about 17 years ago.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Another thing that once happened to friend of mine was that he brought his car into the dealer for some repair. I think it was a leaking transmission line, or cooler. Instead of the dealer using the quick disconnect tool, he cut both lines, and repaired them with compression unions. He's not a mechanic, but was familiar enough with cars to know that the dealer didn't do the job properly. He made a big fuss when he went back to them. I think they replaced both of the lines that they damaged. He told them that he does minor repairs occasionally. They also told him that if he would ever have to disconnect his battery for a repair, he would need the codes for the radio to work. They told him that he would need to schedule another appointment with them so they could retrieve the codes. He purposely disconnected his battey just to see if they were telling him the truth, because he lost trust in them, and didn't want to give them his car anymore. It turned out that the radio still worked! I'm not sure if he called them to tell them that they were wrong. Maybe these dealers should get undercover people to investigate them from time to time. Sears was once caught unplugging sensors, and giving customers papers with false printouts of bad parts. It was somebody from one of the news channels with a hidden camera under the hood. Fortunate for them, he didn't unplug the camera at the same time!

 

[daprez1963]

reminds me of....

the story I heard a few years back. A lady went in to a shop and complained of a noise in her air vents. The shop had her drop off her car to look into it and later called and said it would need $300 worth of work and parts. She picked up her car and everything was great...no more rattling....that was during the summer. well, winter came along and all of a sudden, she started to smell an ordor from her vents shortly after she started using her heater. she took it into a different shop to find out what was wrong. quess what they found? it appears the $300 she paid before was for 2 boxes of tissues they used to stuff the vents. i dont know about yall, but i think that was way too much for them tissues at $150 a box.....lol

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's amazing that these places get away with all of this nowadays with all of the people sueing, and lemon laws. The small shops aren't any better. I once went into a garage for an inspection. I saw the guy pulling out my remote oil filter, and some other stuff. He asked the boss what all of that aftermarket stuff was. I got a little upset, and told him that it was a few things that I added, and he shouldn't touch it. He gave me an inspection sticker with the wrong mileage printed. I told him that I can't leave, and pay him unless he gives me an accurate sticker. He said that he has to do everything over again, and I might not pass the second time! He also told me that customers are not allowed in the work area because of insurance regulations. I saw him playing around a lot under the hood. I drove out of his place, and a few blocks away the car suddenly went completely dead like he planted some sort of time bomb! I pushed it into a nearby garage with some help, and it turned out that the first guy who performed the inspection skinned a bunch of wires on the front relay control module (89 Sable). I guess when I hit a pot hole, some wires that had skinned insulation touched together, and shorted everything out. I found out that shortly after this, that crooked garage sold to another person. Other people in the neighborhood said that he had a bad reputation.

 

[chriswells78]

My buddy has an 02 sporttrack. It is inchin up on 60k so I told him that he needed to think about doing his 60k service. I told him that I did my wife's car for about 75 bucks.

He took his ST to the local Ford dealer the other day because he had a coupon for a "free" inspection. They told him;

Fuel filter is rusty, you need a new one. $40
Transmission fluid needs replaced. $90
Transfer case fluid needs replaced. $70
Front and Rear axel fluid needs replaced. $60 per axel.
Coolant needs to be flushed and filled. $100

Needless to say, he is bringing his truck to my house this weekend, and I am going to teach him how to do all of these things.

Catch a man a fish, he will eat for a meal...Teach a man to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life!

 

[Diddy74]

Hi, I am new to this forum and found it through google.

My engine light came on and brought my 2002 explorer XLT to the local ford dealer service department and agreed to a $84 diagnostic.

they called back and said the problem is a leak in the fuel pump seal, and they have to do a lot of work to get to it. The seal itself is only $9, but the labor is $650.

Am I getting ripped off? I'm not very handy around cars, so have to take mechanics' word most of the time.

Should I call local auto body shops to compare labor costs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Paul

My friend...always shop around for a reasonable prices and quality service. The dealer service isnt always the best place to go just because they only maintain your make. When you find a good one thats honest and wont take advantage of your lack of knowledge stick with him! A great place to start is right here...lots of useful information. Cool folks that will share info and experience that will save you from spending all your $$$ and getting :fire: in the long run.