Trunk Problems

[Tmauer14]

My trunk has been driving me absolutely nuts lately.
It started out as not that big of a problem, maybe once or twice a day..
but now every time I go over a little bump or have my music to a certain volume, the trunk ajar message and chime goes off, thinks its closed again and then continues to go off. It is driving me crazy hearing that chime ever 30-40 seconds.
Does anybody have any clue what this could be?
The lincoln dealer wants $90 just to look at it, I am trying to avoid that!

Thanks,
Travis

 

[joegr]

You probably need to adjust the position of the trunk ajar switch, or the plastic trim that it pushes against.

 

[LS4me]

You probably need to adjust the position of the trunk ajar switch, or the plastic trim that it pushes against.

DITTO!!!!! Been there, done that!

 

[Tmauer14]

Above the bumper?

Is the plunger on the left or right on an 04?

 

[joegr]

Above the bumper?

Is the plunger on the left or right on an 04?

Left, on the trunk lid pointing down. You can't miss it. Push the switch in with your finger and the trunk light will go off.

 

[RigsLS]

Dealer wants $90 just to look at it !!!

what has this world come to, remember the days you'd go to your mechanic and he'd say "let have a look", only then afterward would they tell you how much you'd be in for.

Next time, tell the dealer, "Oh, ok, well I charge 90$ just to bless you with my presence today" and remind them you also have a "lucky mechanic fee", which is surcharge to actually be allowed work on your car, and while your at it, explain today is "dealer appreciation day", yup 10% off your bill today because you could have gone elsewhere.

Fn Stealerships, I can't stand them.




You know, I was actually in a store one day, and someone explained to me how much it was, I put my hands up high in the air and start yelling "This is a robbery, I'm getting held up here!!!" yeah .... it drew some looks and laughter. I backed away from the counter with my hand still up and turned around and ran out the store. I laughed!

 

[joegr]

Dealer wants $90 just to look at it !!!

...

Well, they are there to make money, not lose it. The $90 is probably the standard diagnostic charge. If the OP went to this dealer regularly and had his oil changes and such done there, almost certainly they would slip this in for free while they were doing other work.

 

[G-RELL]

tape down the switch and drive around... if the problem continues you have a faulty switch or bad connection... If it doesn't adjust the switch

 

[Tmauer14]

My local Lincoln dealer is a complete rip off, though.

I got some maintenance work quoted earlier this week, one quote through the ford dealer and the other was through them. The lincoln dealer was $175 more than the ford dealer! I suppose you get what you pay for.

Thanks for all the responses though, I will tape the switch down first to try that; Then adjust accordingly.

 

[RigsLS]

Well, they are there to make money, not lose it. The $90 is probably the standard diagnostic charge. If the OP went to this dealer regularly and had his oil changes and such done there, almost certainly they would slip this in for free while they were doing other work.

I don't agree with Stealerships anymore.

Telling someone they need money to tell them how much it's going to cost to have work done is robbery.

You know, they'd have him wait in the waiting lounge while they picked their noses after looking at it for 2 minutes and realize what it needed.

However, there are examples of where they then refund that fee by means of including it into the labour.

It's all about corporate greed these day joegr, just as simple someone could have walked out to the LS in the parking lot and had a quick look then go back inside and go by the book and quote a price. everything is in the books on labour rate.

I understand they can't guess at it but a trunk lid that won't close properly ?
90$ to look at it ? Hell, I'd let people look at my trunk lid locking mechanism for free !


Sorry, just Stealer venting. so disagree with those guys.

 

[Luk3]

Well, they are there to make money, not lose it. The $90 is probably the standard diagnostic charge. If the OP went to this dealer regularly and had his oil changes and such done there, almost certainly they would slip this in for free while they were doing other work.

Also to prevent people from using free expert diagnostics then fixing it themselves.
My normal shop charges $40 but they wave it if I let them fix it.

 

[LS4me]

I don't know........

I've been charged a diagnostic fee at every repair shop (indie and dealer) I've used for the last 35 years. ALL of them have deducted the fee from the repair. Diagnostic fees are charged to protect the shop from diagnosing a problem and then you leaving and either doing the repair yourself or taking it somewhere else.

 

[G-RELL]

although I agree its expensive... after working in a dealership for several years.. You wont believe the number of people that bring cars in, wants the Techs to spend 15min-2hrs figuring out exactly whats wrong (not all problems are as easy as reading a code), just to have the customer say no and walk away... Dealerships would be overrun with people bringing their POS's just to get a true expert opinion on whats wrong... If you are truly going to spend the money, the diagnosis is free anyways... The OP wants the dealers opinion, but doesn't want to pay for it... Every diagnosis takes away from these guys working an real ,payed for problems, which takes away from their pocket, not the dealer... just my .02.

True not all dealerships are same, and some are more shadier then others, but the ones I go to have nothing but professionals... that earn every penny i pay them..

 

[RigsLS]

... ALL of them have deducted the fee from the repair.

This is key ... having them deduct it from the work order if the work is performed at that location.

I agree with that and I agree with the fact that no one gets anything for free these days and Stealerships are not in the business of looking at problems for free.

I understand they need to make the dollars, I understand people could take it elsewhere after they spend time on it already, Agreed, happens all the time I'm sure.

It's just this mentality of we require $90 to even look at your car.

for that 90$ I would want them to figure it out within the first 5 minutes and use the remaining time of that first hour to finish the job. (trunk lid locking problem specific in this case)

the days when Mechanics would spend time on looking into what it may be and only then begin to talk dollars with the cust. is like you all said gone, due to the fact that people then either do it themselves or take it away.

I can agree with that, just this 90$ we need your money to only look at it, irritates me like no tomorrow.

Only in this case with the trunk, I'd be then one standing at the counter telling them I'm not interested in their BS fees of this and that, I'm not paying good money for you to look at it, I'm here for you to fix my car, so stop looking at it and start fixing. If I wanted to pay others to look at my car I'd take it to a car show.

sorry, just venting a little, I understand nothing is for free in this world.

 

[G-RELL]

This is key ... having them deduct it from the work order if the work is performed at that location.

I agree with that and I agree with the fact that no one gets anything for free these days and Stealerships are not in the business of looking at problems for free.

I understand they need to make the dollars, I understand people could take it elsewhere after they spend time on it already, Agreed, happens all the time I'm sure.

It's just this mentality of we require $90 to even look at your car.

for that 90$ I would want them to figure it out within the first 5 minutes and use the remaining time of that first hour to finish the job. (trunk lid locking problem specific in this case)

the days when Mechanics would spend time on looking into what it may be and only then begin to talk dollars with the cust. is like you all said gone, due to the fact that people then either do it themselves or take it away.

I can agree with that, just this 90$ we need your money to only look at it, irritates me like no tomorrow.

Only in this case with the trunk, I'd be then one standing at the counter telling them I'm not interested in their BS fees of this and that, I'm not paying good money for you to look at it, I'm here for you to fix my car, so stop looking at it and start fixing. If I wanted to pay others to look at my car I'd take it to a car show.

sorry, just venting a little, I understand nothing is for free in this world.

no problem... Two ish thing though..

It all comes down to how well the dealer knows you, like i said, I and other members, have built up a rapport, so sometimes easy things get waved.. But I understand thats not available to everyone..

But they have to start somewhere.. could be that the switch fried something down the line... for that $90 they'll track it down and let you know.. you dont know how frustrating it is to take an entire interior (exaggerating) to confirm a simple problem, Just to have a customer say "no, I can order that part and do it at home"...THEN DONT BRING IT IN THEN!!!

Its all about how you go in.. If you WERE to say (as you stated above) I want you to FIX my trunk.. then they'd dive in, knock it out and prob. be done in 30 min, if it was a simple adjustment, most might do it for free (mine would).. But its when people go in saying " my lights on, i dont know whats wrong with it, can you tell me and i think about it" ... most take that info and run to there buddies house to fix the problem, I dont understand how thats wrong of the dealer to charge you. Lets say the switch is bad, MOST DEALERS (i said most) would pop the new one in, charge you for the part, and MAYBE 30min of labor...

Things were different back in the day, your right. But people also didn't need mechanics with freaken astro physics degrees to figure out whats wrong, also back in the day, when you took a car to be fixed, you left it with him to get fixed... you didn't make him do all the work to figure out the problem just to run away with it when he did...

I think we both understand each other, just looking at it from dif. sides...

ALSO all repair shops charge this fee now, not just dealers

 

[RigsLS]

Sorry guys, too much time on my hands.
I'll log off for a few days after this one ....


- - - funny - - -


I had a passenger front wheel bearing go bad on my old 2001 GMC Jimmy.

Knowing that it was around a $400 dealership part, I sourced the part from my buddies and paid a fraction of that, (ok maybe not OEM but a part nontheless) so I call around to have it replaced that day as I had a day off from work. Ofcourse everyone busy and had to leave the car blah blah blah. I get this GM dealership on the phone, I ask what's your book rate on re&re front wheel bearing on 2001 GMC jimmy 4X4, labour only!!

I'm given a price, I ask can you do it right now while I wait, Yup sure can, OK what's your name .... OK, I'll be right over.

First thing I get there, they bitch cuz I was 10 minutes late, and this only happened
after I told them it will be a customer part install today folks. Yeah no 200% markup on your parts today Stealer !

up on the hoist it goes, I'm already talking to the service rep about the quoted price of labour that we spoke of over the phone.

'bout 30min into the work, they find me in the show room and try to explain to me that
it's going to cost more then quoted, No surprise there. So I say oh yeah, REALLY ???
now why would that be ???

I'm told there is a nut and bolt that's seized together and requires 30 minutes more labour cost. Oh yeah, how is that my problem, book says x amount of time for re&re !!!!

Let me see this "supposed" seized nut & bolt ... a bit of staling and fumbling over eachother and i'm brought into the shop under my Jimmy to have a look at the seized situation. (I'm thinking big problems here with the wheel bearing)


.... Seems after the Tech (we'll call him) got the wheel bearing hub off, the ABS wiring lead hanger (clip) which holds the Electrical sleeve in place, the nut is rusted stuck on.

.... require an extra 30 minutes of labour cost ???

Are you kidding me, I tell them, you want $40 some odd dollars to torch that little nut and bolt off ?

The time it took you to find me in the show room, explain your BS fees to me, stall me on actually showing me this "additional expense F' around" You could have zipped that little rusted nut of already.

F off, get to work, your staling and making excusses now.
Just get it done I said, as I laughed at it.

Little later my Jimmy is done and brought outside, i step up to the counter and expect to pay the quoted price on labour only.

so the break down of the bill turns in to a "let me speak with the manager" situation.

10$ shop material fees ? oh yeah, for what ? what was it the penetration fluid ? the dirty rag you used ? what ?
oh ... the new nut and bolt, well then list is as such jerk offs !

30 minutes of extra labour for the seized nut, are you Fn kidding me !
I tell this guy, I'm not paying for that, I was quoted x amount of dollars for re&re the wheel bearing, stuck or seized nut, bolts are part of that work Jack !

then I dispute that my Jimmy was in and out with 15 minutes to spare of the time that it says in the book that allows for that job. With the 30 minute labour charge extra, you guys are way over and I'm not paying this.

Well you have to Sir or we will hold your Jimmy until paid with interest.

oh yeah, Can i borrow your phone ? Sure who are you calling,
First I'm gonna call the cops cuz I'm being Fn robbed here, I tell them we'll call it in as a "robbery in progress"
Secondly, I'm calling GM headquarters filling a complaint of you inflating this bill.

Well, you can't do that Sir, watch me ... can I still use your phone, I'm not paying this bill as it stand right now.

I was quoted X amount of labour time for re&re of said part by the book "you" use to determine labour rates.

Another manager gets involved, I Fn loose it on this guy !

Listen dude, my ride is sitting outside 15 minutes prior to when it should have been done according to the book and the rate you are charging me, then you have the balls to try and ad another 30 minutes to zip that little nut off, then your $10 BS shop materials fee.

F off already, adjust this bill to the quoted price right now.
Truck went in at said time and came out at said time, that 15 minutes less, including the
30 minute upsell on the seized nut, you are ripping me for 45 minutes labour that you didn't even spend time on.

back and forth a little .... they run off to the back.
other manager comes back and says they will agree to remove the extra 30 minutes of labour and the $10 shop material fee. revised the bill down to the "by the book" charge for re&re on the wheel bearing.

No problems I say, sounds great and you're still 15 minutes ahead of charged time,
no problems, I don't care how fast you can do it as long as I'm only paying the quoted price for the labour on this part as is stated in the book (system)

then as I whip out the plastic, he goes on to inform me that the manager does not ever want me to return here because they are entering my name in the system for no longer to allow any work to be performed.

Really I say, well good for Fn you ... how ever you want to run this shaddy operation is not my concerns today as long as you understand it does not say "SUCKER" on my forhead.

I settle up the adjusted bill. I leave, go outside and about to drive away and I realize,
I still owe my buddy a core charge on the wheel bearing, F*CK !!!! back inside I go.

Where's my old part, I need it.
Oh Sir that's in the garbage already. OK, i'll wait here while you FETCH me MY part.
didn't buy the new bearing from you so you don't get to keep it.

10 minutes to find my part in a garbage can. Manager approached me asking me what the problem was now. Nothing i say, I just need my old wheel bearing back.

Oh Sir, that we keep !

HELLO, McFLY !!!! F that you keep,
I didn't buy the wheel bearing from you, that old wheel bearing is property of ME !
... if you're interested in buying it from me, it's $50 (core charge from my buddy)

So I get my old part back, happy now, I leave, I'm reminded to never come back
and as i leave near the door, I turn around with a smile on my face and I see the
younger lad (service rep that booked me in) flips me the BIRD from over near his co-workers.

Hahaha ... yeah, so I started doing my own wheel bearings since.


/VENT

 

[Tmauer14]

I guess it is kind of a trust thing.
Whenever I have me ATV's serviced, they always charge a $100 fee just to tear it apart, but like you said take it off the invoice or put that towards the labor.
Most shops and dealers, I know do this. But when I asked the dealer if that $90 was put towards the repair, he simply said that the $90 will be added on top of whatever labor and parts cost there was to repair the trunk. Seemed a little weird to me! Everyone needs to make their money though or else we wouldn't be able to have the service!

All in all, I am sure it varies from dealership to dealership and customer to customer.

 

[RigsLS]

GRELL, I get it, I understand it, it's become due to todays complexity of the modern car.
They'd be out man hours looking to find what needs fixing. can't help it.
~ just frustrating. on big complicated jobs I can see it and would hope they burry it in the work order. on small simple jobs, I don't agree.

 

[G-RELL]

WOW thats crazy... I would have done the exact same until the bird came out... Then we would have had a real problem there... Well that would def put a bitter taste in my mouth toward dealerships, But there are good ones out there, just gotta find them... If you want I'll tell you about my fuel pump problem they solved for me. ..

I guess just the price we pay for taking it in.. That could have happened anywhere though...

BUT, thats why we post here... to end shop needs!!!! (or we just need to convince Joe to open up a shop somewhere...members only of course)...

Your all good Big,

 

[RigsLS]

Not trying to start anything G'

reminds me of the first week I got my LS this past spring and went to the Stealers looking for the cowling clips, I was missing 2, buddy returns from out back and informs me it's a special order part, must buy in packages of 4 or 8, can't remember and it was a stupid price where each one was going to cost around 7 dollars or something like that, he wants 50% on my plastic for special ordered part.

If he took my advice, he to this day should still be trying to get those clips up his rectum !

We all need the Stealership once and a while, however I'd rather have a ROOT CANAL performed by my wife here at home with a dremel ! (seriously)

 

[G-RELL]

Not trying to start anything G'

reminds me of the first week I got my LS this past spring and went to the Stealers looking for the cowling clips, I was missing 2, buddy returns from out back and informs me it's a special order part, must buy in packages of 4 or 8, can't remember and it was a stupid price where each one was going to cost around 7 dollars or something like that, he wants 50% on my plastic for special ordered part.

If he took my advice, he to this day should still be trying to get those clips up his rectum !

We all need the Stealership once and a while, however I'd rather have a ROOT CANAL performed by my wife here at home with a dremel ! (seriously)

All good...

I wouldn't trust my wife with a tooth brush, let alone a power tool...

 

[1LoudLS]

go on the internet, get told what to check and how to fix = free

go to dealership, pay to get what ever test to find the problem = not free

god bless America, we have choices!






it keeps getting said that they are charging $90 and only spending two minutes on the car. i would hope you would be smart enough to figure out a two minutes problem. where they could actually have to spend some serious time tracking down the cause, especially when it is an intermittent problem.

every thing cant be free, some places charge less that other places, some places have more overhead than some places, these places usually have all the right tools for every job, and the best equipment for diagnosing problems, these places also SHOULD be the most expensive.

 

[RigsLS]

The OPS original dilemma as quoted:

"every time I go over a little bump or have my music to a certain volume, the trunk ajar message and chime goes off"


Yeah, I can see how that would require 90$ for one hours worth of labour to figure out what's wrong. By that time he's in for $90 already plus now comes the part where they stick it too him even further.

Trust me when I say, they'd sell him parts he didn't need, if they thought they could get away with it!

Now, hindsight, could have been a stubborn intermittent electrical short somewhere that would have required further extensive probing and prying to accurately locate the problem.

For a little problem like this, IMO, you better find that problem quickly for my 90$.

Don't want to turn this into an argument, they'll rip you if they think they can get away with it and that's the truth ! I don't like Stealerships and that's only my opinion based on several bad experiences with two new Stealership purchases.

~ was born at night but not last night.

 

[Tmauer14]

I would have been COMPLETELY fine with it if that $90 would have been put towards the total cost of the repair, like most places. But it wasn't.

Like you guys said.. you would think that the diagnosis would just be part of the repair.. doesn't make any sense. To each his own.

 

[G-RELL]

The OPS original dilemma as quoted:

"every time I go over a little bump or have my music to a certain volume, the trunk ajar message and chime goes off"


Yeah, I can see how that would require 90$ for one hours worth of labour to figure out what's wrong. By that time he's in for $90 already plus now comes the part where they stick it too him even further.

Trust me when I say, they'd sell him parts he didn't need, if they thought they could get away with it!

Now, hindsight, could have been a stubborn intermittent electrical short somewhere that would have required further extensive probing and prying to accurately locate the problem.

For a little problem like this, IMO, you better find that problem quickly for my 90$.

Don't want to turn this into an argument, they'll rip you if they think they can get away with it and that's the truth ! I don't like Stealerships and that's only my opinion based on several bad experiences with two new Stealership purchases.

~ was born at night but not last night.

...Super long story short.. A "stealership" had my LS for 3 days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday... Tech came in on his Sunday off to work on it) Trying to fix my faulty Fuel pump... after hours of testing and testing (LOL said he finely figured it out laying in bed). tracked it down to a bad pin connecting to the fuel pump. SR Called me that night, I asked him how much, He said nothing. Told me they didn't replace anything so they weren't going to charge me anything...

Easily could have upsold me, or charged for a ton of things, but they didn't. Honest and fair...

I've posted the longer version of this story before some where... (times might be a little off, it was a while ago)... but like i said, some good, some bad...

FYI (anyone in KC area looking for a dealer)

Metro Ford in Independence of Noland Road.