Dealership drove my car into a pond. FMYLIFE....Dealer Response
03-27-2010, 12:32 AM
#84
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: S.burbs Chicago
Posts: 4,793
03-27-2010, 02:32 AM
#87
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 2,211
alrighty...lets start with the easy stuff.
1. starter propelling a vehicle
2. e-brake holding the vehicle
3. Please read the darn thread before jumping into something like this and not having a clue. There are at least 2 pages of this thread alone where people read Post #1-5 and then decided to say something. Cool and all, but darn near all of their posts reflected they didn't even have the Cliff's Notes version of the story.
there is more, but I'm tired. We'll see what other B.S. pops up overnight and while I'm at work tomorrow. Y'all have a good night
1. starter propelling a vehicle
contrary to popular opinion, a starter motor can and will propel a vehicle with amazing force. and we aren't talking about 1-2 feet. try more like 5-6 feet per cycle of the starter. the vehicle will litterally surge forward. damn scary
It's all about torque and torque multipliers. a V-8 starter motor is indecently strong.
also, another factor is the timing circuit of the remote start. they have a built in protective circuit that is designed to prevent wearing out the starter motor...however, it will allow the starter to run for anywhere from 5-10 seconds before "realizing" that the car isn't running.
That is why all manufacturers have been using Neutral Kill Start Switches since at least the 60-70's. It truly is that dangerous.
It's all about torque and torque multipliers. a V-8 starter motor is indecently strong.
also, another factor is the timing circuit of the remote start. they have a built in protective circuit that is designed to prevent wearing out the starter motor...however, it will allow the starter to run for anywhere from 5-10 seconds before "realizing" that the car isn't running.
That is why all manufacturers have been using Neutral Kill Start Switches since at least the 60-70's. It truly is that dangerous.
2. e-brake holding the vehicle
a properly operating e-brake SHOULD hold a vehicle from moving. Maybe. However, the emergency brake is one of those things where IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT.
alot of people don't use their e-brakes...or they barely engage them. It's a nasty habit I've noticed. Which is funny considering that you are supposed to use the e-brake at all times in a stick or auto
anyhoo...if you don't regularly utilize your e-brake, the mechanism gets loose and renders the e-brake pretty much inneffective. There is a ratcheting pawl (similar to old style drum brake tensioners) that maintains the tension. Without regular full deployment of the e-brake it cannot do it's job.
alot of people don't use their e-brakes...or they barely engage them. It's a nasty habit I've noticed. Which is funny considering that you are supposed to use the e-brake at all times in a stick or auto
anyhoo...if you don't regularly utilize your e-brake, the mechanism gets loose and renders the e-brake pretty much inneffective. There is a ratcheting pawl (similar to old style drum brake tensioners) that maintains the tension. Without regular full deployment of the e-brake it cannot do it's job.
if yours gets loose, you can fully engage the handle to your hearts content...and it won't accomplish anything.
to test, get your car rolling about 10 mph and engage the e-brake. the car should pretty much stop immediately when operating properly.
to test, get your car rolling about 10 mph and engage the e-brake. the car should pretty much stop immediately when operating properly.
3. Please read the darn thread before jumping into something like this and not having a clue. There are at least 2 pages of this thread alone where people read Post #1-5 and then decided to say something. Cool and all, but darn near all of their posts reflected they didn't even have the Cliff's Notes version of the story.
there is more, but I'm tired. We'll see what other B.S. pops up overnight and while I'm at work tomorrow. Y'all have a good night
03-27-2010, 08:47 AM
#89
Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Michigan again!
Posts: 8,579
Despite all the "internet lawyers" giving advice here, (and I try to stay out of giving any legal advice when I don't have enough information and can't ask for more and yes I am an attorney) - I can defend the dealership very easily in this one if I were licensed in that state and the lawsuit started. Owner over rides the safety settings that Ford builds into the car. We know he did because - HE POSTED IT ON THE INTERNET and did the over ride despite members of the Forum telling him not to, so I can prove it easily and if the dealer is smart he has already captured that post and everything else you have posted.
I'm sorry that you lost your car but you set things in motion to cause the problem. If you hadn't done what you were told not to do already then this would not have happened. If you would have done what the company that made your remote start told you to do - leave the safety standards in place, disable the remote start when dropping it off for service -- then none of this would have happened.
Could be why the original poster in the other thread said that he is going to have to eat it, and why he hasn't found an attorney. I wouldn't take his case either because I don't think it will stay in court long enough to get anywhere. Seems to me that you came here looking to strong arm the dealer into doing something for you that they aren't obligated to do, in other words trying to set up a negotiating tactic for handling this.
I'm sorry that you lost your car but you set things in motion to cause the problem. If you hadn't done what you were told not to do already then this would not have happened. If you would have done what the company that made your remote start told you to do - leave the safety standards in place, disable the remote start when dropping it off for service -- then none of this would have happened.
Could be why the original poster in the other thread said that he is going to have to eat it, and why he hasn't found an attorney. I wouldn't take his case either because I don't think it will stay in court long enough to get anywhere. Seems to me that you came here looking to strong arm the dealer into doing something for you that they aren't obligated to do, in other words trying to set up a negotiating tactic for handling this.
Last edited by JimC; 03-27-2010 at 08:53 AM.
03-27-2010, 09:08 AM
#90
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: NY
Posts: 6