I have a rant about my local dealership and techs.

[Whitey Bulger]

Deleted

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[D Fresh]

Familiarize yourself with ForScan.

Bambi mode can be enabled with it.

And your thumb drive may need reformatted.

 

[Trigganometry]

Leo,
Forscan is your friend and with a short study it allows you to take control of your destiny, well to a point.

Get another USB key. Format it as a exFat drive. Copy music and all should work fine.
Center cap may be snagged through another dealer. It’s all in approach. Hostility usually gets you zip these days. Try the, what’s up with that with some customers near by.

If AC is in auto mode it’s a dice shoot what it does. Manual adjustment usually gets the return of settings on startup.

Doesn’t matter much anymore what industry you deal with these days. Showing up is all some employers hope for.

Life can serve you lemons or lemonade. It’s up to you what’s acceptable.

BTW I’m a Boston boy. Whitey was no one to screw around with. In fact that whole gang was pretty nasty. Was well aware of his operations

 

[Grumpaw]

Ford or their dealers are never going to alter a safety item, like your fogs not turning on when high beams are on. They just won't. They couldn't care less what a HD dealer will or won't do. And you would likely get the same response from any dealer.
A hubcap fell off, and without proof it was defective, you expect them to cover it ? Yeah, maybe in 1921, but not now.
Fog light busted and you complain about the labor cost, aside from the light itself ?
Get the light and fix it yourself. Labor costs are over $100.00 an hour, and Ford, and every other dealers repair costs are based on how long their itemized labor schedule tells them how long to allot for a repair, and your charged that amount. If it takes less time, than a fair dealer will charge you for just that...if the repair takes longer than what is allotted, you still pay the quoted price.
As far as the ac, before I turn my vehicles off I always shut down everything, especially the ac, so I don't know if yours is doing what it's supposed to do.

 

[Fomocodt]

I have a rant about my local dealership and techs. Get ready, sorry it's long but this has built up for a few weeks.

I have a 2020 Ranger.

I have had a number of Harleys and every one the dealer flashed the computer and made the spotlights be able to be on when the low and high beams are on. I asked the Ford dealer if they could do that with the fog lights. Their answer is NO. I guess the Harley techs are smarter than the Ford techs. There is no law prohibiting the fog lights to be on while the low or high beams are on. It is common sense that it's nice to have more lighting at night.

I use a USB thumb drive for my music. I never listen to the radio. I have used this same thumb drive in the last 5 vehicles (not Fords) and last 3 Harleys. I put the thumb drive in the Ranger and half the time it doesn't recognize it and reverts back to the radio. When this happens, the radio is locked up. No volume control, can't change stations. Can't even turn the radio off. I have to turn the truck off, take the key out and open the door. Then sometimes it will recognize the thumb drive. Sometimes it takes a few times doing all this before it will play my music. The dealer says it's normal. I say it is not normal and the techs don't know what the problem is and are making excuses. So I have to live with this.

I lost a hub cap on a trip to California. I didn't hit anything. There is no damage to the tire or rim. The dealer says this is not covered under warrantee. Parts "FALLING OFF" are not covered under the warrantee. The replacement is $66. Ebay here I come. So if anything falls off your Ford vehicle while you are driving it's not covered. I think it was a defective hub cap but I have to buy the replacement.

A fog light lens was broken on the way back to Florida on I-10. I understand I have to pay for this repair. But they want $330 to replace one fog light. I had a 2019 Challenger and had two fog lights installed for less than $300. That is less than $300 to purchase the OEM fog light kit and install the two lights by the dealer. One of the OEM Ford Ranger lights costs about $75, the rest is labor.

When I start my truck the A/C turns on the A/C recirculation. I have to turn it off the use the regular A/C. The dealer said that is normal. They say the A/C does that when there is moisture in the air. Well, in California there was 1% humidity and the A/C did the same thing. More excuses for not knowing why.

Why is it the Ford techs make excuses for not knowing why something is performing improperly and don't know or don't want to find out how to fix it?

At this point I am starting to regret buying a Ford. I like the truck but my dealership experience has not been a pleasure.

Maybe it's time to drive farther to another dealer.

I am a ford tech, let me chime in a bit.

On the fog lamp programming issue, be aware that this is not a technician problem. Ford limits us through their scan tool programming options a ton. We are not allowed to program a lot of things that ford has not approved, this being one of them. Of course there are ways around them and I'm sure there are technicians there aware and adept at using forscan however in their role their at the dealer, it is not an option they are allowed to present. In addition, this is a DIY thing that you can download Forscan and do yourself, so blaming the technicians for being less smart than a Harley tech, it is kind of out of our control.

On the USB issue, this sound like an actual concern that needs to be diagnosed. The sync system uses a singular module that routes anything doing with USB ports, bluetooth operation, steering wheel controls, and all the processing power behind the interface usage. This module has been shitty for years and while some replacements fix it, some don't. I agree they need to at least attempt to fix this concern and try to investigate it, however I would put more of the blame on Ford for these.

The hub cap is a weird one, let me explain why. Ford watches warranty claims like a hawk, and a hub cap is one of those weird items that would be manually reviewed as the part # rarely gets warrantied and they would want to know why. Unfortunately unless you have some sort of video showing it falling off of the vehicle, its hard for the dealership to want to put themselves at risk of a chargeback in the event that you messed with the tires outside of their last service on it. Dealership is not trying to scam you out of this, however if it doesn't pay, they are responsible for eating the cost of that part, and it is not their responsibility to do so. Nobody at the dealership has any control over manufacturing, design, engineering and build quality, so while you may have gotten a bad hub cap that wasn't seated right or the clips holding it were shitty, none of that is the dealerships fault and most likely they would end up eating it if they passed it through as a warranty claim.

The fog lamp issue is a labor rate, this Is your choice to make. The dealership charges fair market value for repairs, and people in that area are willing to pay their labor rate, so that is what they charge. This is a very simple repair you can do yourself, however if you are unwilling or unable you are going to have to pay up for their services. If you do not like their price you are entitled to go elsewhere and find other shops to perform the work. Your unhappiness with the price of labor is not the dealerships fault nor the technicians fault, it is how capitalism works.

I honestly would need more info about the a/c concern to look into it more. I live in total opposite of you, Houston area where its humid all the time and I leave my a/c on max a/c setting year round and just adjust the blower motor speed depending on how I feel.

Technicians are harder and harder to find, so your particular dealership may have less skilled guys than other places. The nice thing about that warranty you receive when you buy the truck is that it allows you to go to any ford dealership in the nation. If you are unhappy with service, go elsewhere. If a second dealership fails to meet your expectations or needs, call the Customer relation number and start a case with them. There are a lot of ways to get some of your needs handled, however some of these concerns are more a "customer" issue than that of the dealership.

Sorry if this is an unpopular opinion, just my $.02 on the matter.

 

[Frenchy]

I have a rant about my local dealership and techs. Get ready, sorry it's long but this has built up for a few weeks.

I have a 2020 Ranger.

I have had a number of Harleys and every one the dealer flashed the computer and made the spotlights be able to be on when the low and high beams are on. I asked the Ford dealer if they could do that with the fog lights. Their answer is NO. I guess the Harley techs are smarter than the Ford techs. There is no law prohibiting the fog lights to be on while the low or high beams are on. It is common sense that it's nice to have more lighting at night.

I use a USB thumb drive for my music. I never listen to the radio. I have used this same thumb drive in the last 5 vehicles (not Fords) and last 3 Harleys. I put the thumb drive in the Ranger and half the time it doesn't recognize it and reverts back to the radio. When this happens, the radio is locked up. No volume control, can't change stations. Can't even turn the radio off. I have to turn the truck off, take the key out and open the door. Then sometimes it will recognize the thumb drive. Sometimes it takes a few times doing all this before it will play my music. The dealer says it's normal. I say it is not normal and the techs don't know what the problem is and are making excuses. So I have to live with this.

I lost a hub cap on a trip to California. I didn't hit anything. There is no damage to the tire or rim. The dealer says this is not covered under warrantee. Parts "FALLING OFF" are not covered under the warrantee. The replacement is $66. Ebay here I come. So if anything falls off your Ford vehicle while you are driving it's not covered. I think it was a defective hub cap but I have to buy the replacement.

A fog light lens was broken on the way back to Florida on I-10. I understand I have to pay for this repair. But they want $330 to replace one fog light. I had a 2019 Challenger and had two fog lights installed for less than $300. That is less than $300 to purchase the OEM fog light kit and install the two lights by the dealer. One of the OEM Ford Ranger lights costs about $75, the rest is labor.

When I start my truck the A/C turns on the A/C recirculation. I have to turn it off the use the regular A/C. The dealer said that is normal. They say the A/C does that when there is moisture in the air. Well, in California there was 1% humidity and the A/C did the same thing. More excuses for not knowing why.

Why is it the Ford techs make excuses for not knowing why something is performing improperly and don't know or don't want to find out how to fix it?

At this point I am starting to regret buying a Ford. I like the truck but my dealership experience has not been a pleasure.

Maybe it's time to drive farther to another dealer.

Obviously others have mentioned Forscan which is a very important tool for us Ranger owners. Something you should also be aware of especially since I am a former for technician Ford doesn't exactly have the ability to change the fog light settings with IDs or fdrs because Ford will not let that happen. That's not necessary the dealership or technicians fault. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[NWRanger]

My father has a 2020 Silverado 1500 he picked up new directly from the dealership as a work vehicle (he's a Ford guy his personal truck is a F150). Anyway his first long trip out (about 600 miles round trip) the hub cab fell off. They're just steelies and the dealership wouldn't replace it. About a year later and he's still just driven around with no hub cap. ?‍

 

[WOADKIL]

I have a rant about my local dealership and techs.

I lost a hub cap on a trip to California. I didn't hit anything. There is no damage to the tire or rim. The dealer says this is not covered under warrantee. Parts "FALLING OFF" are not covered under the warrantee. The replacement is $66. Ebay here I come. So if anything falls off your Ford vehicle while you are driving it's not covered. I think it was a defective hub cap but I have to buy the replacement.

I wanna trade my Black Appearance rims for a set of Ranger hubcaps!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

As others have stated FORSCAN will be your best friend. Go here for all the details about the software, the types of cables you can use along with multiple tested and verified working changes that you can make in a matter of minutes.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/forscan-crowdsourced-wiki.2008/

The fog lamp housing is only $59.00, and not too terribly difficult to replace with basic hand tools.

 

[navsnipe]

Maybe you should have told the dealership your username. Raymond Patriarca says hi.

 

[Bomlodr]

....There is no law prohibiting the fog lights to be on while the low or high beams are on. It is common sense that it's nice to have more lighting at night.

Actually, you may want to check your state laws regarding how many lights (ones that actually throw light down the road) a vehicle can have illuminated at once. The reason Ford does this is because some states have laws stating no more than 4 lights illuminated at once. When you flip the high beams on, the lows don't go out. If you have the fog/driving lights on, flip on the high beams, and the fog light override defeated, 6 lights are now on. You could get a ticket.

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

[...]
When I start my truck the A/C turns on the A/C recirculation. I have to turn it off the use the regular A/C. The dealer said that is normal. They say the A/C does that when there is moisture in the air. Well, in California there was 1% humidity and the A/C did the same thing. More excuses for not knowing why.
[...]

When I first got my '20 Ranger, the computer controlled recirculate really bothered me. Mostly because it was fire season, I was getting migraines from the smoke & wanted to keep it on recirculate, always. Opposite problem compared to yours, but the reason may be the same.

Fire season started this year, I complained and my wife reminded me that my '98 Ranger as well as other 90's & '00's vehicles tended to have nasty problems with mold & associated odors in the A/C system. Seeing as how it's nearly universal in vehicles today, having the computer balance recirc & fresh may well be an attempt to mitigate mold.

 

[Whitey Bulger]

Leo,
Forscan is your friend and with a short study it allows you to take control of your destiny, well to a point.

Get another USB key. Format it as a exFat drive. Copy music and all should work fine.
Center cap may be snagged through another dealer. It’s all in approach. Hostility usually gets you zip these days. Try the, what’s up with that with some customers near by.

If AC is in auto mode it’s a dice shoot what it does. Manual adjustment usually gets the return of settings on startup.

Doesn’t matter much anymore what industry you deal with these days. Showing up is all some employers hope for.

Life can serve you lemons or lemonade. It’s up to you what’s acceptable.

BTW I’m a Boston boy. Whitey was no one to screw around with. In fact that whole gang was pretty nasty. Was well aware of his operations

My Son-in-Law and his family are from the Boston area. His cousin used to run with the Whitey Bulger gang. He ran numbers in Boston. My Son-in-Law had Carlo Gambino's grandson working for him. He had dinner with Carlo Gambino at his mansion. My grandfather sold Al Capone a dog for his girlfriend. My family has had a few experiences with the mob.

 

[Whitey Bulger]

I worked at a local Dodge dealership years ago. I know how the techs and warrantee work.

I am 72 years old and was a machinist and mechanic years ago. Not just a parts changer like today. I don't mind working on my Harley and perform some adjustments and repairs on the truck but crawling under a truck to replace a light isn't gonna happen. In the past I wouldn't have a problem crawling under and working on it. I'll get the light and have someone else replace it. I'm sure I'll save a lot of money that way.

The dealership stepped up and will replace the hub cap.

I'm thinking of getting better headlight bulbs for more lighting on the front.

As far as the A/C is concerned. I have gotten two different excuses as to why the A/C acts like it does. If you don't know the real reason something works the way it does, make up something and BS the customer. I wasn't born yesterday and know when someone is making up a story. I will have to live with the A/C acting the way it does. It's not a big deal. Just annoying.

Thanks for all the replies and opinions.

 

[Apples]

I suspect I'll regret getting into the middle of this, but....

I have always held the belief, that if you can't fix something yourself, then don't complain about paying the price to have it fixed by someone who can. This rule applies to almost everything, including divorces!

I wish owners would sit down and read the Owner's Manual for their new vehicle, especially so for the WARRANTY section! If they did, they'd know why the HVAC works like it does. I for one, run the AC year-round. Not only does it remove excess moisture, it also helps trap some of the pollutants we are all forced to breath. And I don't give a hoot what it does to the MPG. Or the cost of gasoline. If you can't afford the tariff, ride the bus!

I've installed several after-market, performance parts on my Ranger. The Ford Performance tune, thankfully, maintains the warranty. Some parts are covered under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. But others aren't, and if any of them break, or causes the drivetrain to fail, violating the warranty in the process, I'll have to pay the bill! That is just the way it is!

If you own an XLT, equipped with halogen lighting, and you want to upgrade to LED, there is only one real way to do it. And that is to replace the headlight housings, at the tune of about $3,000! Just sticking LED modules into existing XLT housings, will look neat, provide more light, but at the same time violate the law in about half the states! And more than one Ranger owner has ruined the stock headlight housings, by doing so. Be warned!

As for driving with the "fog lamps" on when you don't need them, you'd best read your city's, county's, or state's laws and ordinances about their use. Whatever you do, don't assume you're safe doing so!

Lastly, we're human. We fail. We fail a lot! But blaming others for our own shortsightedness, is stupid!

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