Diesel gone bad!

[B's 87mcss]

Thought this might be of interest to any of you guys with diesel trucks or diesel powered equipment. Company I work for just purchased a 2006 Ford 550 diesel with a sandblasting unit on the deck. Fellow that owned it said it hadn't been used for quite a while but it was in good condition. Overall, looked and ran good so they bought it. Company takes it to the local Ford dealer for the once over, replaced a few gaskets and seals etc. and did their "check mark" safety and general inspection, all good to go. Boys get 3/4 of the way to a job and she starts running bad, won't pull itself, sputtering etc. Finish job and limp back to nearest Ford dealer because they won't get home with it. Ford service shop says "must do a computer diagnosis" and they got it figured. It's a leaking fuel rail, 4 new injectors, etc. etc. and they road test when done. Hmmm... same problem, change some more things, and TA DA, now its fixed. Our guys pick it up and get 3/4 way back to base and it starts doing same thing again. I get involved and take truck to a real diesel repair shop. Tell him our story and leave it with him. Few hours later get these pictures. Old diesel, and probably some water, in the tanks has turned to mush and goop, so bad it has sucked the plug right out of the side of the fuel sender in the one tank. Filters are crushed, poor truck just about sucked its tailpipe through the injectors! Long story short, total bills for Ford garages $13,000 and neither shop changed the friggin' fuel filters. Diesel shop "mechanics" first thing they checked and TA DA, found the problem. I guess fancy Ford computers can't tell "technicians" to check the fuel filters first. filters are first thing

 

[spidereyes455]

Some of these so called "technicians" of today are no better than the clueless punks at the parts stores. They only know what they see on the computer screen. You gotta know your basics.

 

[DRIVEN]

Algae. It happens.

 

[DSPbuilt]

I'm not surprised. I've been a diesel tech for about 9 years now(I'm 28).
I didn't touch a one those fancy computers till started for Cummins 3 years. Till this day I find it hard to believe the even the "fully cert'd tech" don't check filters...
We have techs that have replaced fuel pumps and injectors just for the customer to come back for filters...
I was taught very old school and most of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)!

 

[pagrunt]

Even our mechanics with the state check the fuel system first cause those gems we call trucks have to last longer than they should.

 

[Tuffregal83]

Diesel guy here first thing I do check all fluid levels then filters
I have never seen a filter that bad and I've worked on junk in the past I had a fleet that our shop had to take over from a sister company and the Foreman didn't like to change the oil filter just told his guys to add oil they leak and burn oil fast so the filters were 3 years old when we got there fleet.

 

[B's 87mcss]

The VERY experienced owner at the diesel shop shared a story with me that still holds true at his shop today.
Customer comes in and says diesel truck not running right.
Owner says did you get some bad fuel?
Customer says no, all good.
Owner says changed your fuel filters recently
Customer says oh yea, just a couple weeks ago
Owner says no problem, put it in bay 1 and I'll call you when its done
Customer leaves, owner goes and checks/changes diesel filters
Owner checks a few more things over and test drives, all good now
Owner says " more than half the time, changing the filters is all it takes to fix the problem"

 

[pontiacgp]

even BMW "technicians" are no better, my son brings is BMW in cause the electrical sockets are not working. It's under warranty but when he went in to pick up his car they had a bill for him. He asked why and they said it becuase he (my son) told the guy at the service desk that the fuses are ok so it must be something else. The dumbasses don't bother checking the fuses to make sure and spend an hour on the car lookign for the problem until they finally checked the fuses. What my son didn't realise was there was another fuse box with a second fuse for the system and it turned at that fuse was burnt. They were pissed at my son for misdiagnosing the car and tried to bill him, he gave them a buck to pay for the fuse and and asked them if he came in with a right rear flat tire and he told them the left rear was flat would they go ahead and changed the left rear tire?

 

[DRIVEN]

BMWs suck.

 

[Ribbedroof]

BMWs suck.

And Audi, VW, Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar...pretty much anything european is a PITA from a body guy's standpoint