restoring's 2013 STX 4x4 build
05-24-2014, 04:30 PM
#41
Member
Thread Starter
Free Oil Change
I took my truck back to Country Ford one more time, but this time it was because I had received a free oil change from Ford Owner Advantage rewards and it was only good at Country Ford. Here's how it went...
The coupon stated it was good for up to 5 qts of oil, and that disposal fees would apply, as well as charges for any oil required above the 5 qts that were included.
Curious about how bad these "fees" would be, and to determine if I wanted to deal with them again or just move on to another dealer, I called and got someone who identified themselves as the service department manager.
I asked this guy about the coupon and he said he had never heard of anything like that before.
I asked how much the disposal fee would be. He said "I don't know". Yes, I know fluid capacities are in the owners manual and I looked it up.
I asked how many qts of oil a 2013 F-150 4x4 with the 5.0 liter engine and the towing package would take. He said "I don't know".
I asked how much a regular oil change would be for my truck if I just ignored the coupon. He said "I don't know man, just bring it in and find out".
I thanked him and hung up.
Here's the part that surprised me-
A few days later I took my truck in, presented the coupon and went out on the lot to look at some of the 2014 models. About 20 mins later I was paged. Truck was ready, no charge at all, smiling and polite attitudes.
Homer Skelton Ford says I can sign up at their dealer for Advantage rewards so future coupons will be accepted there instead of at Country Ford.
The coupon stated it was good for up to 5 qts of oil, and that disposal fees would apply, as well as charges for any oil required above the 5 qts that were included.
Curious about how bad these "fees" would be, and to determine if I wanted to deal with them again or just move on to another dealer, I called and got someone who identified themselves as the service department manager.
I asked this guy about the coupon and he said he had never heard of anything like that before.
I asked how much the disposal fee would be. He said "I don't know". Yes, I know fluid capacities are in the owners manual and I looked it up.
I asked how many qts of oil a 2013 F-150 4x4 with the 5.0 liter engine and the towing package would take. He said "I don't know".
I asked how much a regular oil change would be for my truck if I just ignored the coupon. He said "I don't know man, just bring it in and find out".
I thanked him and hung up.
Here's the part that surprised me-
A few days later I took my truck in, presented the coupon and went out on the lot to look at some of the 2014 models. About 20 mins later I was paged. Truck was ready, no charge at all, smiling and polite attitudes.
Homer Skelton Ford says I can sign up at their dealer for Advantage rewards so future coupons will be accepted there instead of at Country Ford.
06-18-2014, 02:19 PM
#42
Member
Thread Starter
First Mods...
I'm starting a small business and need a way to secure my tools and supplies, protect them from weather, etc. Plus, I love to go camping so...
They threw the bug shield in for free because I noticed a small bit of damage to the red vinyl molding strip that goes around the bottom of the topper. The owner told me he would touch it up and throw in a free bug shield, or I could refuse the top and then they would send that one back and have to order a new one (which I figured would be the same one with the molding replaced anyway).
They threw the bug shield in for free because I noticed a small bit of damage to the red vinyl molding strip that goes around the bottom of the topper. The owner told me he would touch it up and throw in a free bug shield, or I could refuse the top and then they would send that one back and have to order a new one (which I figured would be the same one with the molding replaced anyway).
09-04-2014, 05:37 PM
#44
Member
Thread Starter
Homer Skelton Ford Olive Branch MS Service Department and Country Ford Southaven MS Service Department-
Another example of the difference between the service departments at those two FORD Dealerships.
Yesterday, 09-03-2014, I had an issue with our F-150. I was going to run some errands and when I hit the button on my key to unlock the door, there was no response. So, like most of us, I hit the button a few more times... nothing. I figured that somehow the battery in the key must have died. So I manually unlocked the door, got in, and tried to start the truck... nothing. No chime, no dash response, no odometer, no horn, no attempt to start AT ALL.
Our Jeep was in the carport and the truck was backed up to it so I couldn't try to jump start it. My wife (and her car) were at work.
Our truck is a 2013 F-150 STX 4x4 with only 6,750 miles on it, and like most new vehicles, it has a system or systems in place designed to protect the battery from becoming too drained to start the vehicle. It was in the middle 90's and humid as hell, which was NOT helping my temper. I called the Country Ford Service Department and described the problem. I added that the battery has one of those clear round windows in the top, and that the green dot had sunk to the bottom and appeared to be turning red. Once the person I was speaking to heard the year model and the mileage, he assured me that our truck was under warranty and whatever was wrong would be covered. THEN... he asked "What modifications have you made to the truck and what aftermarket parts have you added?"
Yeah, I could see where this was headed. I told him that as far as modifications to the truck go, I have washed and waxed it. That's it. As far as aftermarket parts go, I bought a camper top at Camper City and they installed it. The Country Ford Service rep then asked how long ago that was and if the camper top had a brake light. When I advised it was several months ago and that it does have a brake light, he asked if they connected it. Before I could advise that they obviously connected it, he interrupted me and exclaimed that "could be" the reason for the truck being dead and that if Country Ford determined such, I would be responsible for the cost of diagnosis and repair. I understand that Ford's warranty is not going to cover damaged caused by another company installing something, but this guy really latched on to the idea that somehow Camper City did something to ruin the truck and thus void our warranty. He returned to that idea a few times and reiterated that we would be responsible for payment. He then advised I call Ford Roadside Assistance and have our truck towed into the dealer so they could look at it the next day. I again described the battery window dot thing and asked if I could pull the battery and bring it in for testing. He said no, Ford required that I bring the entire truck for diagnosis. It makes sense, but they're going to run a battery test first anyway and I figured I could get the battery up there as soon as my wife got home (which was going to be soon).
So... I called roadside assistance. They were polite and immediately arranged the tow.
About 40 mins later the tow truck arrived. Then we encountered a new problem. We could not get the truck out of park. The stalk wouldn't even pull back towards the driver so we could try. So I called Country Ford Service again. I described the new problem and he was puzzled. He said he had no idea what would cause that and told me to tell the tow truck driver to take the linkage apart so he could pull our F-150 up onto the tow truck.
The tow truck driver was surprised at the suggestion and started calling his boss. I in turn called Homer Skelton Ford's Service Department. I described to their service rep Duke what had happened so far and he immediately asked if I had tried jumpstarting our truck. When I told him I was not able to try that he immediately advised that since there was no power in the truck, it would NOT shift out of park. He advised that we connect jumper cables from the tow truck to the F-150 to see if it would start, and added even if it won't start that should provide enough power to shift out of park. The tow truck driver's boss had suggested the same thing. After connecting the cables, our F-150 grudgingly started. Obviously we could now shift it.
Shocked that Country Ford's Service Rep didn't know the truck requires electrical power to be shifted out of park coupled with their apparent eagerness to find a reason for the warranty to be voided. I decided I did not want our truck going to Country Ford. I called roadside assistance back and changed the destination to Homer Skelton Ford. They had nailed the shifting issue right off the bat. I had allot more confidence sending our truck to them.
Once our truck was on its way, I called Homer Skelton Ford back to advise our truck was enroute, and spoke to Ben in the Service Department. Ben thanked me for the heads-up, and advised he would call me when our truck arrived. Shortly afterwards, he called me to advise our truck was being off loaded and he would look at it immediately. This was an hour AFTER Country Ford said their service department would be closed! Ben also advised he would call as soon as he had any news. Shortly after that, at 1940hrs, Ben called back saying our truck was ready, the battery was bad and had been replaced, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE! Country Ford had said they wouldn't even look at the truck until the next day, Ben at Homer Skelton fixed it that same evening. Homer Skelton's Service Department was scheduled to close at 2000hrs. We weren't sure we could make it before then but told him we were leaving the house and heading that way so Ben offered to make arrangements for us to pick it up after the Service Department closed, not requiring us to wait until the next day!
When we arrived at Homer Skelton, it was about 2015hrs, and there was our truck parked right by the front door, WITH BEN WAITING FOR US. This guy's long day had ended 15 minutes before and he waited for us to make sure we were able to pick up our truck. He was extremely polite, and apologized again for the inconvenience of our truck breaking down. Ben ROCKs. If you have a Ford, consider talking to Ben or Duke at Homer Skelton Ford in Olive Branch Mississippi.
Another example of the difference between the service departments at those two FORD Dealerships.
Yesterday, 09-03-2014, I had an issue with our F-150. I was going to run some errands and when I hit the button on my key to unlock the door, there was no response. So, like most of us, I hit the button a few more times... nothing. I figured that somehow the battery in the key must have died. So I manually unlocked the door, got in, and tried to start the truck... nothing. No chime, no dash response, no odometer, no horn, no attempt to start AT ALL.
Our Jeep was in the carport and the truck was backed up to it so I couldn't try to jump start it. My wife (and her car) were at work.
Our truck is a 2013 F-150 STX 4x4 with only 6,750 miles on it, and like most new vehicles, it has a system or systems in place designed to protect the battery from becoming too drained to start the vehicle. It was in the middle 90's and humid as hell, which was NOT helping my temper. I called the Country Ford Service Department and described the problem. I added that the battery has one of those clear round windows in the top, and that the green dot had sunk to the bottom and appeared to be turning red. Once the person I was speaking to heard the year model and the mileage, he assured me that our truck was under warranty and whatever was wrong would be covered. THEN... he asked "What modifications have you made to the truck and what aftermarket parts have you added?"
Yeah, I could see where this was headed. I told him that as far as modifications to the truck go, I have washed and waxed it. That's it. As far as aftermarket parts go, I bought a camper top at Camper City and they installed it. The Country Ford Service rep then asked how long ago that was and if the camper top had a brake light. When I advised it was several months ago and that it does have a brake light, he asked if they connected it. Before I could advise that they obviously connected it, he interrupted me and exclaimed that "could be" the reason for the truck being dead and that if Country Ford determined such, I would be responsible for the cost of diagnosis and repair. I understand that Ford's warranty is not going to cover damaged caused by another company installing something, but this guy really latched on to the idea that somehow Camper City did something to ruin the truck and thus void our warranty. He returned to that idea a few times and reiterated that we would be responsible for payment. He then advised I call Ford Roadside Assistance and have our truck towed into the dealer so they could look at it the next day. I again described the battery window dot thing and asked if I could pull the battery and bring it in for testing. He said no, Ford required that I bring the entire truck for diagnosis. It makes sense, but they're going to run a battery test first anyway and I figured I could get the battery up there as soon as my wife got home (which was going to be soon).
So... I called roadside assistance. They were polite and immediately arranged the tow.
About 40 mins later the tow truck arrived. Then we encountered a new problem. We could not get the truck out of park. The stalk wouldn't even pull back towards the driver so we could try. So I called Country Ford Service again. I described the new problem and he was puzzled. He said he had no idea what would cause that and told me to tell the tow truck driver to take the linkage apart so he could pull our F-150 up onto the tow truck.
The tow truck driver was surprised at the suggestion and started calling his boss. I in turn called Homer Skelton Ford's Service Department. I described to their service rep Duke what had happened so far and he immediately asked if I had tried jumpstarting our truck. When I told him I was not able to try that he immediately advised that since there was no power in the truck, it would NOT shift out of park. He advised that we connect jumper cables from the tow truck to the F-150 to see if it would start, and added even if it won't start that should provide enough power to shift out of park. The tow truck driver's boss had suggested the same thing. After connecting the cables, our F-150 grudgingly started. Obviously we could now shift it.
Shocked that Country Ford's Service Rep didn't know the truck requires electrical power to be shifted out of park coupled with their apparent eagerness to find a reason for the warranty to be voided. I decided I did not want our truck going to Country Ford. I called roadside assistance back and changed the destination to Homer Skelton Ford. They had nailed the shifting issue right off the bat. I had allot more confidence sending our truck to them.
Once our truck was on its way, I called Homer Skelton Ford back to advise our truck was enroute, and spoke to Ben in the Service Department. Ben thanked me for the heads-up, and advised he would call me when our truck arrived. Shortly afterwards, he called me to advise our truck was being off loaded and he would look at it immediately. This was an hour AFTER Country Ford said their service department would be closed! Ben also advised he would call as soon as he had any news. Shortly after that, at 1940hrs, Ben called back saying our truck was ready, the battery was bad and had been replaced, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE! Country Ford had said they wouldn't even look at the truck until the next day, Ben at Homer Skelton fixed it that same evening. Homer Skelton's Service Department was scheduled to close at 2000hrs. We weren't sure we could make it before then but told him we were leaving the house and heading that way so Ben offered to make arrangements for us to pick it up after the Service Department closed, not requiring us to wait until the next day!
When we arrived at Homer Skelton, it was about 2015hrs, and there was our truck parked right by the front door, WITH BEN WAITING FOR US. This guy's long day had ended 15 minutes before and he waited for us to make sure we were able to pick up our truck. He was extremely polite, and apologized again for the inconvenience of our truck breaking down. Ben ROCKs. If you have a Ford, consider talking to Ben or Duke at Homer Skelton Ford in Olive Branch Mississippi.
09-04-2014, 05:47 PM
#45
Senior Member
Homer Skelton Ford Olive Branch MS Service Department and Country Ford Southaven MS Service Department-
Another example of the difference between the service departments at those two FORD Dealerships.
Yesterday, 09-03-2014, I had an issue with our F-150. I was going to run some errands and when I hit the button on my key to unlock the door, there was no response. So, like most of us, I hit the button a few more times... nothing. I figured that somehow the battery in the key must have died. So I manually unlocked the door, got in, and tried to start the truck... nothing. No chime, no dash response, no odometer, no horn, no attempt to start AT ALL.
Our Jeep was in the carport and the truck was backed up to it so I couldn't try to jump start it. My wife (and her car) were at work.
Our truck is a 2013 F-150 STX 4x4 with only 6,750 miles on it, and like most new vehicles, it has a system or systems in place designed to protect the battery from becoming too drained to start the vehicle. It was in the middle 90's and humid as hell, which was NOT helping my temper. I called the Country Ford Service Department and described the problem. I added that the battery has one of those clear round windows in the top, and that the green dot had sunk to the bottom and appeared to be turning red. Once the person I was speaking to heard the year model and the mileage, he assured me that our truck was under warranty and whatever was wrong would be covered. THEN... he asked "What modifications have you made to the truck and what aftermarket parts have you added?"
Yeah, I could see where this was headed. I told him that as far as modifications to the truck go, I have washed and waxed it. That's it. As far as aftermarket parts go, I bought a camper top at Camper City and they installed it. The Country Ford Service rep then asked how long ago that was and if the camper top had a brake light. When I advised it was several months ago and that it does have a brake light, he asked if they connected it. Before I could advise that they obviously connected it, he interrupted me and exclaimed that "could be" the reason for the truck being dead and that if Country Ford determined such, I would be responsible for the cost of diagnosis and repair. I understand that Ford's warranty is not going to cover damaged caused by another company installing something, but this guy really latched on to the idea that somehow Camper City did something to ruin the truck and thus void our warranty. He returned to that idea a few times and reiterated that we would be responsible for payment. He then advised I call Ford Roadside Assistance and have our truck towed into the dealer so they could look at it the next day. I again described the battery window dot thing and asked if I could pull the battery and bring it in for testing. He said no, Ford required that I bring the entire truck for diagnosis. It makes sense, but they're going to run a battery test first anyway and I figured I could get the battery up there as soon as my wife got home (which was going to be soon).
So... I called roadside assistance. They were polite and immediately arranged the tow.
About 40 mins later the tow truck arrived. Then we encountered a new problem. We could not get the truck out of park. The stalk wouldn't even pull back towards the driver so we could try. So I called Country Ford Service again. I described the new problem and he was puzzled. He said he had no idea what would cause that and told me to tell the tow truck driver to take the linkage apart so he could pull our F-150 up onto the tow truck.
The tow truck driver was surprised at the suggestion and started calling his boss. I in turn called Homer Skelton Ford's Service Department. I described to their service rep Duke what had happened so far and he immediately asked if I had tried jumpstarting our truck. When I told him I was not able to try that he immediately advised that since there was no power in the truck, it would NOT shift out of park. He advised that we connect jumper cables from the tow truck to the F-150 to see if it would start, and added even if it won't start that should provide enough power to shift out of park. The tow truck driver's boss had suggested the same thing. After connecting the cables, our F-150 grudgingly started. Obviously we could now shift it.
Shocked that Country Ford's Service Rep didn't know the truck requires electrical power to be shifted out of park coupled with their apparent eagerness to find a reason for the warranty to be voided. I decided I did not want our truck going to Country Ford. I called roadside assistance back and changed the destination to Homer Skelton Ford. They had nailed the shifting issue right off the bat. I had allot more confidence sending our truck to them.
Once our truck was on its way, I called Homer Skelton Ford back to advise our truck was enroute, and spoke to Ben in the Service Department. Ben thanked me for the heads-up, and advised he would call me when our truck arrived. Shortly afterwards, he called me to advise our truck was being off loaded and he would look at it immediately. This was an hour AFTER Country Ford said their service department would be closed! Ben also advised he would call as soon as he had any news. Shortly after that, at 1940hrs, Ben called back saying our truck was ready, the battery was bad and had been replaced, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE! Country Ford had said they wouldn't even look at the truck until the next day, Ben at Homer Skelton fixed it that same evening. Homer Skelton's Service Department was scheduled to close at 2000hrs. We weren't sure we could make it before then but told him we were leaving the house and heading that way so Ben offered to make arrangements for us to pick it up after the Service Department closed, not requiring us to wait until the next day!
When we arrived at Homer Skelton, it was about 2015hrs, and there was our truck parked right by the front door, WITH BEN WAITING FOR US. This guy's long day had ended 15 minutes before and he waited for us to make sure we were able to pick up our truck. He was extremely polite, and apologized again for the inconvenience of our truck breaking down. Ben ROCKs. If you have a Ford, consider talking to Ben or Duke at Homer Skelton Ford in Olive Branch Mississippi.
Another example of the difference between the service departments at those two FORD Dealerships.
Yesterday, 09-03-2014, I had an issue with our F-150. I was going to run some errands and when I hit the button on my key to unlock the door, there was no response. So, like most of us, I hit the button a few more times... nothing. I figured that somehow the battery in the key must have died. So I manually unlocked the door, got in, and tried to start the truck... nothing. No chime, no dash response, no odometer, no horn, no attempt to start AT ALL.
Our Jeep was in the carport and the truck was backed up to it so I couldn't try to jump start it. My wife (and her car) were at work.
Our truck is a 2013 F-150 STX 4x4 with only 6,750 miles on it, and like most new vehicles, it has a system or systems in place designed to protect the battery from becoming too drained to start the vehicle. It was in the middle 90's and humid as hell, which was NOT helping my temper. I called the Country Ford Service Department and described the problem. I added that the battery has one of those clear round windows in the top, and that the green dot had sunk to the bottom and appeared to be turning red. Once the person I was speaking to heard the year model and the mileage, he assured me that our truck was under warranty and whatever was wrong would be covered. THEN... he asked "What modifications have you made to the truck and what aftermarket parts have you added?"
Yeah, I could see where this was headed. I told him that as far as modifications to the truck go, I have washed and waxed it. That's it. As far as aftermarket parts go, I bought a camper top at Camper City and they installed it. The Country Ford Service rep then asked how long ago that was and if the camper top had a brake light. When I advised it was several months ago and that it does have a brake light, he asked if they connected it. Before I could advise that they obviously connected it, he interrupted me and exclaimed that "could be" the reason for the truck being dead and that if Country Ford determined such, I would be responsible for the cost of diagnosis and repair. I understand that Ford's warranty is not going to cover damaged caused by another company installing something, but this guy really latched on to the idea that somehow Camper City did something to ruin the truck and thus void our warranty. He returned to that idea a few times and reiterated that we would be responsible for payment. He then advised I call Ford Roadside Assistance and have our truck towed into the dealer so they could look at it the next day. I again described the battery window dot thing and asked if I could pull the battery and bring it in for testing. He said no, Ford required that I bring the entire truck for diagnosis. It makes sense, but they're going to run a battery test first anyway and I figured I could get the battery up there as soon as my wife got home (which was going to be soon).
So... I called roadside assistance. They were polite and immediately arranged the tow.
About 40 mins later the tow truck arrived. Then we encountered a new problem. We could not get the truck out of park. The stalk wouldn't even pull back towards the driver so we could try. So I called Country Ford Service again. I described the new problem and he was puzzled. He said he had no idea what would cause that and told me to tell the tow truck driver to take the linkage apart so he could pull our F-150 up onto the tow truck.
The tow truck driver was surprised at the suggestion and started calling his boss. I in turn called Homer Skelton Ford's Service Department. I described to their service rep Duke what had happened so far and he immediately asked if I had tried jumpstarting our truck. When I told him I was not able to try that he immediately advised that since there was no power in the truck, it would NOT shift out of park. He advised that we connect jumper cables from the tow truck to the F-150 to see if it would start, and added even if it won't start that should provide enough power to shift out of park. The tow truck driver's boss had suggested the same thing. After connecting the cables, our F-150 grudgingly started. Obviously we could now shift it.
Shocked that Country Ford's Service Rep didn't know the truck requires electrical power to be shifted out of park coupled with their apparent eagerness to find a reason for the warranty to be voided. I decided I did not want our truck going to Country Ford. I called roadside assistance back and changed the destination to Homer Skelton Ford. They had nailed the shifting issue right off the bat. I had allot more confidence sending our truck to them.
Once our truck was on its way, I called Homer Skelton Ford back to advise our truck was enroute, and spoke to Ben in the Service Department. Ben thanked me for the heads-up, and advised he would call me when our truck arrived. Shortly afterwards, he called me to advise our truck was being off loaded and he would look at it immediately. This was an hour AFTER Country Ford said their service department would be closed! Ben also advised he would call as soon as he had any news. Shortly after that, at 1940hrs, Ben called back saying our truck was ready, the battery was bad and had been replaced, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE! Country Ford had said they wouldn't even look at the truck until the next day, Ben at Homer Skelton fixed it that same evening. Homer Skelton's Service Department was scheduled to close at 2000hrs. We weren't sure we could make it before then but told him we were leaving the house and heading that way so Ben offered to make arrangements for us to pick it up after the Service Department closed, not requiring us to wait until the next day!
When we arrived at Homer Skelton, it was about 2015hrs, and there was our truck parked right by the front door, WITH BEN WAITING FOR US. This guy's long day had ended 15 minutes before and he waited for us to make sure we were able to pick up our truck. He was extremely polite, and apologized again for the inconvenience of our truck breaking down. Ben ROCKs. If you have a Ford, consider talking to Ben or Duke at Homer Skelton Ford in Olive Branch Mississippi.
Awesome that you had a great experience with the latter company. Seems like they have somebody answering the phone that knows about these trucks instead of the first dealership you mentioned. Most everything on our trucks is fly by wire now. No power equals no operation. In the older trucks all you would have to do is unlock the steering wheel to shift it into another gear position. I wonder if it's part of the PATS system with an electronic park lock.
01-26-2015, 09:31 AM
#48
Member
Thread Starter
Sorry it took so long. I've been job hunting like mad, had to start my own business to create my own job and that is going SLOOOOOOOW. Lost the HDD in my pc and had to rebuild.
The transmission issue seems to have settled down for the most part. I still get the rare hiccup out of it.
Still job hunting, wish me good luck.
The transmission issue seems to have settled down for the most part. I still get the rare hiccup out of it.
Still job hunting, wish me good luck.
01-28-2015, 09:14 AM
#50
Member
Thread Starter
Another round of dealer vs. dealer
Another round of Country Ford (Southaven) vs. Homer Skelton Ford (Olive Branch)
Country Ford Service department warns that I "will probably" void the warranty on our F-150 if I add a CB. Homer Skelton Ford Service department laughs and asks me to stop by, they will be happy to point out the numerous places to safely tie in the power and ground so that my warranty will be totally safe.
Yet another round goes to Homer Skelton Ford Service Department in Olive Branch, MS.
Country Ford Service department warns that I "will probably" void the warranty on our F-150 if I add a CB. Homer Skelton Ford Service department laughs and asks me to stop by, they will be happy to point out the numerous places to safely tie in the power and ground so that my warranty will be totally safe.
Yet another round goes to Homer Skelton Ford Service Department in Olive Branch, MS.