P*ssed At Dealer....what To Do?

Trav_13 · September 3, 2008

I posted yesterday about my truck popping an SES Code, Service Stabilitrak, and Traction Control Off...truck was running rough and wasn't shifting right. I called OnStar and they had it towed to the dealership for me. Tech calls me asks me if I recently filled it up with E85 which I had and we had confirmed that I didn't drive it at least 7 miles after fillup, which I have never done since the truck was new and I have never had any problems, and have been switching fuels back and forth regularly depending upon price difference. I wasn't aware that you had to drive it like this when switching fuels.....

Anyway ok no biggie we will drain the tank, you can come get your E85 with a Gas Can if you'd like, we will have to put 87 Octane back in it, approx 5 gallons and you will be responsible for fuel cost....talk to the Tech Again this morning and everything is all good and done.

Call to pay my bill this afternoon and I am told I am being charged $180 for Labor since they had to pump the tank, and add fuel in it. I explain that it is under warranty and talk to the service manager......he is pretty quick to accuse me of putting in E85 in a Truck that isn't made for it....I am quick and civil to explain to him that the truck is E85 Compatible, has a Flex Fuel Badge on the Tailgate, and I am even the one that personally ordered it! (I used to work at this Dealership)....anyhow gets really pissy when I begin to ask for some reasons to justify the $180...(hey, if I responsible, I'm responsible)......anyway he then goes off about how he is busy and doesn't have the time to help me and says the $180 bucks isn't a big in his book and I explain to him that I want to at least pay for the gas, and he slams to phone down on me.....

Anyway, I'm pissed.....these guys are all guys that I know and have worked with....It wasn't like I was terminated from the dealership so I don't think there is any hostility there.....I just don't understand......and all they want is me to check that "Completely Satisfied" box on the CSI Survey.....at this point I am ready to call GMC Customer Care and File a Complaint. What should I do!

Again I'd like to point out that my tech has been nothing but excellent, but the people who are above him have seem to lost all their morals in these tough times!

D&SYukonDenali · September 3, 2008

I'd talk with the owner of the dealership about your experience.

geektoad · September 3, 2008

Use the E85 pumped out of the tank to firebomb the place!

Seriously though, as said above, talk to the owner and file a complaint with GMC Customer Care.

Darkanion · September 3, 2008

Ok, I'm curious about something...

Am I reading this right? If you fill up with a fuel other than what was IN the tank (regular was in it, but you put in E85 or E85 was in it and you put in regular), you "have" to drive the truck "at least" 7 miles before you turn the key off -- each and every time??

pj5454302 · September 3, 2008

file a complaint

pennzoil29 · September 3, 2008

+1 on filing a complaint. No one deserves that kind of hostility from an ****.

MarkPMB · September 3, 2008

I would call the general manager, and if that goes nowhere, file a complaint.

Trav_13 · September 3, 2008

Ok, I'm curious about something...

Am I reading this right? If you fill up with a fuel other than what was IN the tank (regular was in it, but you put in E85 or E85 was in it and you put in regular), you "have" to drive the truck "at least" 7 miles before you turn the key off -- each and every time??

You are correct!

Darkanion · September 3, 2008

Ok, I'm curious about something...

Am I reading this right? If you fill up with a fuel other than what was IN the tank (regular was in it, but you put in E85 or E85 was in it and you put in regular), you "have" to drive the truck "at least" 7 miles before you turn the key off -- each and every time??

You are correct!

That's stupid! Sorry, but if they're going to put this in vehicles, it should react faster than that. A lot of my day to day driving is less than 7 miles, round trip... and I usually fill up about a mile from the house... That's just ... stupid.

Sorry about your problem! I agree with what others have said... Go up the food chain. GM, owner, Customer Care, etc... Go UP until you can't go anymore OR until you get a satisfactory answer.

Thanks for the info on Flex-Fuel. I'll pass that along to a friend of mine who has been experimenting with E85, just in case he doesn't already know that.

Trav_13 · September 3, 2008

Ok, I'm curious about something...

Am I reading this right? If you fill up with a fuel other than what was IN the tank (regular was in it, but you put in E85 or E85 was in it and you put in regular), you "have" to drive the truck "at least" 7 miles before you turn the key off -- each and every time??

You are correct!

That's stupid! Sorry, but if they're going to put this in vehicles, it should react faster than that. A lot of my day to day driving is less than 7 miles, round trip... and I usually fill up about a mile from the house... That's just ... stupid.

Sorry about your problem! I agree with what others have said... Go up the food chain. GM, owner, Customer Care, etc... Go UP until you can't go anymore OR until you get a satisfactory answer.

Thanks for the info on Flex-Fuel. I'll pass that along to a friend of mine who has been experimenting with E85, just in case he doesn't already know that.

yeah are driving characteristics sound similar....hardly any miles a day, and live close to the fueling station.....

funny thing is my 99 Suburban will drink that E85 all day long without any consequences or mis behaving.......probably not the best idea to be putting it in there, but it also is a 150K mile truck too....

Anyone have a Number to Contact for GMC Customer Care....or I could just simply press the OnStar Button and ask to speak to them I guess....

Zembonez · September 4, 2008

I would call the general manager, and if that goes nowhere, file a complaint.

+1

Give the GM a chance and if you don't get a solution, file a complaint. At the very least this was poorly handled. Dealer labor at 90 bucks an hour would still mean they want to charge you 2 hours labor to remove some fuel from your tank and add gas? Seems like a pretty crappy deal to me... especially if they didn't tell you up front.

tobias · September 4, 2008

Ok, I'm curious about something...

Am I reading this right? If you fill up with a fuel other than what was IN the tank (regular was in it, but you put in E85 or E85 was in it and you put in regular), you "have" to drive the truck "at least" 7 miles before you turn the key off -- each and every time??

You are correct!

This is really odd. My chosen fueling stations for both gas and E85 are within 2 miles of my home and I can guarantee that 85% of the time I fill up, I DO NOT drive anywhere close to 7 miles before parking the truck. I have never had a single issue with performance and I often fill up only 1/4 - 1/2 tank at a time.

Darkanion · September 4, 2008

This is really odd. My chosen fueling stations for both gas and E85 are within 2 miles of my home and I can guarantee that 85% of the time I fill up, I DO NOT drive anywhere close to 7 miles before parking the truck. I have never had a single issue with performance and I often fill up only 1/4 - 1/2 tank at a time.

Do you swap back & forth a lot?

fbachman · September 4, 2008

really DUMB question here....

Just 'cause it says E-85 on the back, doesn't mean ya NECESSARILY got a flex fuel engine. Cross check your VIN engine code?

I know this is a LONG SHOT, but I'm sure stranger things have happened.

OR... could be the O2 sensor is wacked, and it can't figure out you've changed fuels....

Trav_13 · September 4, 2008

really DUMB question here....

Just 'cause it says E-85 on the back, doesn't mean ya NECESSARILY got a flex fuel engine. Cross check your VIN engine code?

I know this is a LONG SHOT, but I'm sure stranger things have happened.

OR... could be the O2 sensor is wacked, and it can't figure out you've changed fuels....

well I'm certainly not saying that something like that isn't possible or hasn't happened to someone before, but seriously.....I ordered the Truck with the RPO LMG Flex Fuel 5.3, the VIN Checks Out, Has the Yellow Fuel Cap, and I have over $2,500 in E-85 Receipts in the Console from this year and have never had a lick of trouble....

I went down to the dealer tonight and fired it up, it runs horrible, the tech said I need to take and run and put some gas in it so thats fine....also pg. 492 in the manual it mentions about driving 7 miles before shutting off, however it doesn't stay that your truck is going to die, not shift right, and almost leave you stranded.....