77olds,

What is an HHR?

I didn't say Jeep dealerships are always bad.

Read some of the other posts on this subject to see why taking an XJ to a dealer for mechanical work is a crap shoot. Not necessarily the fault of the dealer or the mechanics, just the real world of owning an ancient vehicle.

I just got back from the doctor. Today's Lesson learned: Life is way too short... I'm genuinely glad you have a job, like your job and are good at it

And just to be realistic, I'm sure that in a few days, when appropriate, I'll be back to bad-mouthing dealer's shops as respects XJ repairs.

 

I admit I was a bit too defensive, I'm just tired of all dealerships getting a bad rap when someone has a bad experience at one. like I said, there are hack mechanics all over the place, some work at dealerships, some work at private shops. You take your vehicle to a place expecting the experts to know what they're doing, and you get it back all cobbled together - I can understand being mad, but it's unfair to write off an entire business because of the incompetence of one person.

An HHR is a Chevy mini wagon sort of thing. Stupid little vehicle.

Anyway, yeah, taking an older vehicle to a shop can be problematic - but 1996 is not that old, and the systems he's had work done on aren't one-off, complicated systems. Any competent mechanic should have no trouble figuring out his problems and repairing them correctly.

I would be documenting the hack job he got, and talking to the managers about it. If the managers won't do anything, you call the regional manager of the Chrysler dealerships in the area and call into question the skill of the particular mechanic who worked on the car.

The corporation will not want a hack mechanic performing their warranty work or recalls. That mechanic will be under scrutiny.

 

My plate is too full to tighten down on company mistakes determining which "mechanic" sabotaged my XJ. Summer school around the time of the "repairs". I have family matters, immediate and extended to deal with and 10 hour schooling continuing for the next month. Found a trustworthy shop (fingers crossed) and scheduled. They have 400+ reviews on website all pretty good and 5 stars on g+. Angry and Ecstatic at the same time.

Left a google review, not complete detail but to the point. Sabotaged spark plugs and said the service manager offered to fix but why would I come back with such disrespectful work done over such a long period of time. Then stated I took my dash apart and back together in 6 hours at a snails pace and so on.

Ethics and morals are apparently the reverse of what should be done by the modern civil human being. I have yet to see another person like me who refuses to be one of the "crowd" and hold themselves to higher standards. Then again I in the lower socioeconomic class and, blah blah blah and so on.

 

Maybe you fixed it by now...but wonder if rough start/die issue could be caused by crank position sensor? Just a thought..

 

I cleaned the butterfly, body and CPS then seafoamed intake and tank, still had the problem. It turned out to be the alternator failing. Read nothing at advance, pulled it and retested on their alternator tester, and it failed. Couldn't find a 117amp in town like the one listed on my build sheet so I grabbed a New ToughOne 90amp from Advance Auto.

 

noticed today when I washed it that they replaced my flathead license plate bolts. One is a bolt and the other is a torx.

 

I'm a current 13 year Chrysler tech and feel the same way. Management is what allows the hacks to stay around in the dealer.

OP , I suggest finding a good tech at the dealer and either ask for only him to work on your truck.

If things do go wrong no one can stand behind their work and make it right like a dealer can. Just had a tech at our shop misdiagnosis a sprinter van. He did a $3300 repair and it turned out it needed a $2000 PCM. We gave the customer back $1300 and he left with both repairs being done to his truck.

I don't think most repair shops would be able to eat that kind of mistake. Maybe I'm wrong?

 

I'll give them that. The service manager said bring it back and we will get it right. I said politely "I won't ever bring anything back here" with a smile. Prior to getting any work done I told him that I would need a good shop as I leave town for at least 3 years and will not have my Jeep or be able to work on it or modify it. Why he would not set me up in a good way I do not know since I would be spending more than what I was lined up for already, which was also previously expressed.

 

Work done around the 1st of June. 11 days pass and I get the Jeep back. The Jeep is almost in as bad a condition as the day I bought it (at least the tires still matched). I start this thread the 18th of June. I talked to the service manager at the dealership around the end of June. He says bring it back and I politely tell him I will never return as I turn and walk away with a grin.

So I took some advice and filed a complaint with Chrysler Group LLC 11 days ago. Automated response only. 8 days pass with no real response. I proceed to find every review about the service department I took my XJ to and tell just the facts. Ok ok I might have included a link to an article about Jeep building a manufacturing plant in China and that possibly one day Jeeps will be importing parts. Ok ok and the fact that poor workmanship is the reason we outsource, but that is all.

I get an email 2 days ago from Chrysler Group LLC "...I hope we will have another chance, sometime soon, to restore your faith in the Jeep brand. ...". I find cars.com has them with a 4.8* rating. I post 1 paragraph referencing my google review.

My dad gets a call around 5:30, (long story short, I am giving him the XJ and only wanted the ac fixed for him, so he is the contact). "...Write down every problem you have, and I will get it fixed..." says the service manager.

The XJ in it's current state has 2 problems.
Oil leak from h311 forcing me to park it in the street. The oil filter adapter is leaking so bad that I can't tell if the pan in leaking or not. they did the pan not the filter adapter.
The a/c still doesn't work, which has been found to be an electrical problem causing the compressor not to engage (possibly what the dealership meant by "we bridged it").

So the question is should I return to have the problems fixed? or is this going to be the final dagger in the XJ?

I'm the neighbor that nobody likes right now. First two pics were taken at the car wash. I ran it through the tunnel wash, wiped the underside with a clean rag, let it sit for 12 minutes and pulled it on a lift for pics. Pics came out better than looking under it after driving around town. Last pic, I pulled back about 2 foot from my regular spot.

 

combined into the post above ^^^ BTW I did the oil filter adapter gaskets 3 months before going to the dealership and it did not leak (had to jack the engine up, buy a big torx bit and all). I'm going outside to put an oilpan under the leak, Hope the EPA accepts my apology. I'll get some oil absorbent stuff tomorrow.

 

When you did the adapter O rings, where they black, or some other color?
I get it it, that was not leaking before. I've seen posts that the colored ones leak is all. (it might be less stress on you to just get that part straight). No comment on the AC. Mine was dead for years until I found I could just put propane in it.

(I did add oil with the propane, special oil )

 

Black o-rings. if I recall correctly there were 3

 

It's been so long all I remember is having a booger of a time getting the thing threaded back in. I remember being very angry. Just suggesting, maybe go back to the leak at the O rings for some piece! When you pass 280K it will be a distant memory.....

 

Upon further review of my own situation, I will not take down the truthful reviews and I will not return. The problems that existed on my XJ were only magnified and new problems were added. I refuse to have my XJ experimented on any further by these mad scientists.

 

Also I am sure that they overfilled my transfer case, they were behind my failed alternator, and they are the reason my ac now has the electrical problem preventing the compressor clutch from engaging. They Must have thought I was a completely naive "rysler".

Ok maybe a bit naive, but I ain't no (@&4 rysler