BlackStang06

i plan on taking it tomorrow an letting a friend look at it then maybe a different shop i just don't want to have to pay him for letting me park there for 3 weeks considering he didn't do anything

Frank_Ford

The best way to handle situations like this, in fact all situations involving money transactions between people, is start by being 100% honest. When you took your car in to the guy things were said and done that resulted in an agreement between you and him. Otherwise, you would not have left your car with him. Just because you didn't talk about a specific amount of money doesn't mean that he shouldn't get paid for what he did for you. It also doesn't mean that he can charge you anything he wants to. Under the law, he can hold your truck and not return it to you until you pay him for what he did, even if he takes advantage of the situation and overcharges you. When this happens, being 100% honest really helps you as follows.

Take somebody with you who will be a responsible witness. Your dad, an uncle, family friend would be a good choice. Have him explain what he is charging you for. If you think it is too high, explain to him what you believed that you had told him to do in which he agreed and you think he should be only charging you for what was agreed. If he insist on charging you for things that were not agreed to and he won't return your car until you pay, tell him to give you a bill and on the bill he should list the things he is charging you for. If he doesn't want to give you a bill or he doesn't want to list what he is charging you for, you and your witness should take notes and write it all down when you get home. You should pay him what it takes to get your truck back. Keeping it there makes your position weaker and his stronger. If you don't try to get your truck back and money is the only thing that prevents you from getting it back, he can eventually sell it to get paid causing more damage to you.

When you are 100% honest, it means that the other guy also needs to be 100% honest. While you have to pay the guy to get your truck back, if he charges you for work that wasn't done, he has committed fraud. By writing down what he is charging you for or refusing to write down what he is charging you for, he is giving you evidence that he is committing fraud. When you tell this to a judge and you are being 100% honest, the judge will award you money for his misdeeds. Also, being sued and loosing in court is really bad for business if you are in the auto repair business. Getting a reputation for overcharging people is also really bad for business. That's why you should remind him of what you agreed to when you brought your truck in for repair and make him explain why he is charging you for something you didn't agree to. When approached by being 100% honest, a smart repair shop will see it your way and give you your truck back.

It's real easy and makes you feel a lot better if you call the guy an armpit, threaten to take him out back and teach him a lesson, or threaten to steal your truck back without paying but it doesn't help you get your truck back. This not only hurts you case but it could get you arrested and you still won't have your truck back.


t

BlackStang06

Thanks for the help i took the truck back he didn't ask for money he just said to give him an hour to take his coil back that he put in it. I took it somewhere else and the mechanic there drove it and told me its a misfire and he will let me know tomorrow for sure.

13Harleyfan

I'm not going to beat you up but anytime you buy a used vehicle, plan on things breaking, do as much inspecting and maint before you go out and thrash it. It got sold for a reason.

BlackStang06

i know and i had planned on it having problems but i wanted something that i could work on and learn a few things, i just hadn't planned on a major repair so soon.

skizriz

Water hole + F150 + misfire = soggy COPs.

The codes will tell you which COP is bad. They run about $30 each. Even cheaper on Ebay, but buy them at your own risk. You can change them with basic hand tools.

Snowflake

2001 may still have coil pack. I would be looking at wiring harness at the back of the engine by the tranny. O2 sensors codes could be chafed wiring annoyed be off roading.

BlackStang06

it was the oxygen sensor it broke and the wire was making contact to metal and creating shorts which is probably why i had all those codes come up. it runs fine now

Frank_Ford

Glad you got it fixed. These trucks have a lot of life in them and if they are taken care of yo can drive them for a long time with few problems. I have seen very few that cannot be fixed up when previous owners let the maintenance get behind. Unless the engine is really trashed up, you can repair them for not a lot of money if you can do most of the work yourself. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of your truck for many years in the future.