Second best Christmas Present EVER!!!!
The first being the one I got from Ride Fast
Mom’s car has been leaking oil in ever increasing puddles, and against my better wishes, she took it to a dealer for an estimate.
The estimate invol;ved a new oil pan (it was totally destroyed, according to the written) and gasket, ($1400, parts and labor) and a new pair of upper and lower ball joints (desperately needed, please do not drive the vehicle under any circumstances)
Now, this is a Taurus.
FOr the uninitiated, the Taurus has McPherson struts. No upper ball joints. And the lowers are in perfect shape, I discover.
So I put it on blocks, and crawl under.
The “smile” shapeed part outlined at the lower end is the oil pan gasket, extruded out of it’s recess under the crankshaft front end. The gasket has just worked it’s way out. So I loosen the pan bolts, let it sag a bit, push the gasket back into place, and re-tighten the bolts.
A little bit better angle, showing the gasket pushed back in, and tightened up nicely.
Total time spent, 15 minutes. Including the oil change,m which I did on general principles. Total cost, $19.
I’m sending a copy of the estimate and the pictures to Ford Corporate to let them know how their shops are treating old women. One way or the nother, I am SO goddamned tickled to have this fixed and out of my garage, and have mom mobile again and not freaking about her car… What a great Christmas present. Damn.
14 comments Og | Uncategorized
Man thats a rotten dealer you have there. I did the very same fix on my old Aerostar a couple years ago, the front part of the gasket just pushed out. I guess they should have used adhesive or something. Put about 40k more miles on the thing before I let it go with 265k.
Merry Christmas to all.
It seems that Ferd doesn’t know how to design a block-to-pan match, OR they’re using the wrong gasketing material, OR they’ve failed to take adhesive technology into account.
In any case, they suck a BIG root.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for this on my Mazda (Ford Ranger) pickup, but at 96K, it leaks zero oil.
I’ll be real interested if you hear anything from Ford or the dealer.
F’in’ robbers. Did the service writer have a mask & gun?
Betcha Ford says something along the lines of, “Our dealers are independent businesses, we have no control over their practices, they are free to perform repairs and set prices as they see fit”…to which I say (channeling Sherman T. Potter):
HORSE HOCKEY!
The corporate name is on the storefront, they ought to exercise a little control over how those “independent businesses” besmirch the corporate name.
That is, if they actually gave a rat’s ass about corporate reputation, anyway…
Don’t even get me started on Chrysler’s “Five Star Dealer” nonsense.
Based on what I saw? this was assembled improperly, and it eventually got way worse.Once in place it seems to be held by a ridge. And a new gasket might help too- the FelPro ones have a kind of a lip that prevent this. Whatever the case, I’m sure I just fixed it for the next 57,000 miles, or at least long enough to do it outside, in the summer, in the warmness.
That “upper ball joint” bullshit is out and out fraud! Then they add the scare-tactic note! I think that I might consider a conversation with the District Atorney and (if you have one in your state) the Automotive Repair Bureau or whatever consumer protection agency is available.
I’m pretty sure that neither Fnord or the DA won’t do anything about it. I love to send my wife or daughter in and then follow up with a call myself later. The three dealers I use all know me and don’t pull this shit. They are just expensive. Good on you for being a dutiful son.
Russ
Either outright thieves or incompetent bastards. Either is totally unacceptable. Rat them out to Ford.
As for the tech advice, my pleasure to help out a friend or the needy. Your joy is mine, I hope she enjoys the gift.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thank you on behalf of us single-woman drivers everywhere! & Merry Christmas!!
I’m just happy I don’t have to put up with crap like this. Good on you for fixin’ up mom.
Please present Y chromosome for estimate…
I’ve already linked to this post of Tam’s, but this time, instead of purely tire-oriented material (such as this), I’m going to bring up what she calls the “Just a Girl” treatment. If you’re female and you drive, you already……
Huh. My car developed a tranny fluid leak a few months back, after 220K miles. Now I haven’t changed the fluid in far too long, so I know I need a fluid and filter change, but I’m wondering if it could be a similar problem (or maybe a hose leak or something.) What are the other likely explanations? I would assume “severe transmission damage” since I know the tranny shouldn’t lose fluid.
WHat car/year Rick? The trans gasket failure is a damnedcommon thing- and an easy fix.
[…] Og’s mom might have gotten some of this: [A]gainst my better wishes, she took it to a dealer for an estimate. […]