Blown Motor on Saleen - Update 2
04-12-2010, 05:14 PM
#1
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Blown Motor - Updated
I am creating this post to keep people updated on my blown motor situation. As we still are unsure of the cause, I wanted to create a new thread that wasn't speculative in the title.
Last Friday (April 9th), my motor gave out at approximately 2000-2400 RPM under zero boost. There was a loud metallic crunching sound, followed by zero oil pressure. I immediately shut off the engine and coasted to the side of the road. Fortunately, my friend had a car trailer and was free to pick me up.
On Sunday, I dropped the car off to Landmark Ford, the only Saleen authorized dealer close by. On monday they began tearing into it and informed me that they hadn't found the culprit yet, but it was a "catastrophic engine failure" and may result in needing a new long-block. I was told it would cost around $5000. At this point I brought up the fact that the car should have two years left on the power-train warranty. He informed me, as far as they could see, no warranty existed.
I immediately called Courtesy Ford, where I bought the car, and told them to start digging into it, because both their two sales people I worked with, AND their finance lady informed me that the car had two years and three months left on the power-train. I said I wouldn't have bought the car without the Ford warranty.
The car DID have its Saleen warranty voided by a tech from a non-saleen dealership when he saw an upgraded radiator (its the extreme radiator installed by Saleen). I brought this up to the salesman before purchasing, and he said that the Saleen warranty is separate from the Ford one, and that the Ford warranty was still intact.
As I write this, I am waiting to hear back from Courtesy. I will keep you all posted. I am already frustrated as this should be a non-issue. In fact, this warranty point came up already under the guise of whether it needed to be transfered into my name or not, and I was assured that the factory Ford warranty did not need to be.
I will try and keep this post as up to date as possible, and as biased free as possible, but given the recent history of dealership versus buyer posts, I understand peoples hesitancy to take a side. Hopefully this all gets worked out quickly.
Last Friday (April 9th), my motor gave out at approximately 2000-2400 RPM under zero boost. There was a loud metallic crunching sound, followed by zero oil pressure. I immediately shut off the engine and coasted to the side of the road. Fortunately, my friend had a car trailer and was free to pick me up.
On Sunday, I dropped the car off to Landmark Ford, the only Saleen authorized dealer close by. On monday they began tearing into it and informed me that they hadn't found the culprit yet, but it was a "catastrophic engine failure" and may result in needing a new long-block. I was told it would cost around $5000. At this point I brought up the fact that the car should have two years left on the power-train warranty. He informed me, as far as they could see, no warranty existed.
I immediately called Courtesy Ford, where I bought the car, and told them to start digging into it, because both their two sales people I worked with, AND their finance lady informed me that the car had two years and three months left on the power-train. I said I wouldn't have bought the car without the Ford warranty.
The car DID have its Saleen warranty voided by a tech from a non-saleen dealership when he saw an upgraded radiator (its the extreme radiator installed by Saleen). I brought this up to the salesman before purchasing, and he said that the Saleen warranty is separate from the Ford one, and that the Ford warranty was still intact.
As I write this, I am waiting to hear back from Courtesy. I will keep you all posted. I am already frustrated as this should be a non-issue. In fact, this warranty point came up already under the guise of whether it needed to be transfered into my name or not, and I was assured that the factory Ford warranty did not need to be.
I will try and keep this post as up to date as possible, and as biased free as possible, but given the recent history of dealership versus buyer posts, I understand peoples hesitancy to take a side. Hopefully this all gets worked out quickly.
Last edited by siggyfreud; 04-12-2010 at 10:04 PM.
04-12-2010, 05:38 PM
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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The worrisome part is that he says the saleen warranty is gone. Ford didn't put a blower on that car. It got that when saleen modded it.
I hope I'm wrong or misunderstanding things here but Ford could always come back and say the factory warranty isn't going to cover the damage to that engine because SALEEN put the blower on there. If they won't fix it then sorry sir, you're SOL.
I hope I'm wrong or misunderstanding things here but Ford could always come back and say the factory warranty isn't going to cover the damage to that engine because SALEEN put the blower on there. If they won't fix it then sorry sir, you're SOL.
04-12-2010, 05:42 PM
#4
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The only warranty that matters at this point is the Saleen one. Hopefully there is something in writing on your purchase order.
I'm wondering how they could know you "probably" needed a long block? Unless the motor was torn down there would be no way of knowing, and then it's either you do or don't. I could see "probably" needing a short block.
Good luck with it.
04-12-2010, 07:21 PM
#6
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I spoke with Saleen awhile back and griped about the fact that a non-Saleen guy voided the warranty. I was basically told that because it was 3+ years ago, there is no way to look back and reinstate the warranty. That and when Saleen was sold, technically all Saleen warranties were voided.
But I did make a point to bring this up to the sales guy who assured me there was still a power-train. He was the same guy who assured me that the Ford warranty still covered the engine/tranny, as those were still Ford parts.
The head sales guy called me back awhile ago. He said that it did come with a 3/36, and an extended power-train that "for some reason isn't in my name." But he asked for the service managers name at Landmark, and is going to call him and talk to him, and then call me tomorrow.
My girlfriend was with me through the whole process of buying the car, and confirms that I was completely **** about asking about the warranty. I asked every guy from the original sales guy from the first time I looked at it, the guy I dealt with for 50% of the deal, and the sales manager after the other sales guy left for dinner. THEN after all that was done I asked the finance lady when she tried to sell me on an extended warranty, and I said well the power-train is still good for another few years right? She said yes and wrote down a date for me on the brochure of when the power-train would expire.
I'm trying to be polite and patient in hopes that Courtesy steps up to the plate here. Warranty or not, I bought this car under the impression and conditions that it had a warranty. It had a slight ticking noise that concerned me, but was told it had been checked out and was fine. After a clear PPI, I had it checked by Landmark form and their Saleen tech said it was the injectors ticking.
Then a few months later . . . boom.
Extra info: I don't think I have posted this anywhere but just for reference sake this motor has less than 7000 miles on it.
But I did make a point to bring this up to the sales guy who assured me there was still a power-train. He was the same guy who assured me that the Ford warranty still covered the engine/tranny, as those were still Ford parts.
The head sales guy called me back awhile ago. He said that it did come with a 3/36, and an extended power-train that "for some reason isn't in my name." But he asked for the service managers name at Landmark, and is going to call him and talk to him, and then call me tomorrow.
My girlfriend was with me through the whole process of buying the car, and confirms that I was completely **** about asking about the warranty. I asked every guy from the original sales guy from the first time I looked at it, the guy I dealt with for 50% of the deal, and the sales manager after the other sales guy left for dinner. THEN after all that was done I asked the finance lady when she tried to sell me on an extended warranty, and I said well the power-train is still good for another few years right? She said yes and wrote down a date for me on the brochure of when the power-train would expire.
I'm trying to be polite and patient in hopes that Courtesy steps up to the plate here. Warranty or not, I bought this car under the impression and conditions that it had a warranty. It had a slight ticking noise that concerned me, but was told it had been checked out and was fine. After a clear PPI, I had it checked by Landmark form and their Saleen tech said it was the injectors ticking.
Then a few months later . . . boom.
Extra info: I don't think I have posted this anywhere but just for reference sake this motor has less than 7000 miles on it.
Last edited by siggyfreud; 04-12-2010 at 07:30 PM.
04-12-2010, 08:09 PM
#8
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From what I was told, the 'everything' warranty expired this last march. I took the car into Landmark to have the noise diagnosed before that warranty expired. Is there any recourse in saying that I presented this problem to them before the comprehensive warranty expired?
Seems unfair that they could tell me its no problem (even if they felt it wasn't) and then 2 months later it goes boom and I'm potentially screwed because of less than a month in timing.
Seems unfair that they could tell me its no problem (even if they felt it wasn't) and then 2 months later it goes boom and I'm potentially screwed because of less than a month in timing.
04-12-2010, 08:27 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: California
Posts: 17
When you brought it in (before the warranty expired) what did the work order say? Also what are your Lemon Law rules up in Oregon? For me in California -my lemon law claim went all the way back to the first time I complained about my brakes. That ended up being at the 2000 mile mark. The Lemon Law Attorney, said that my claim started at that point.
I hope this helps. If you need more information PM me.
I hope this helps. If you need more information PM me.
04-12-2010, 10:17 PM
#10
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The work order I was shown had it into Landmark Ford for a battery replacement or something as the battery was being drained.
Courtesy also replaced the valve seals a few months after receiving it as they said they "dried out" from the car having sat for a few years.
When I took the car for a Pre-purchase inspection, they noted the sound too and to them it sounded like a noisy lifter or valve-train setup, or clutch, but most likely in the valve-train if the noise was louder when the engine was cold (which it was). It was one of those where short of tearing down the motor, we couldn't know, but it would probably get worse and give indicators of what it was. I wasn't concerned as it is/was warrantied. I do know that another person who previously took a look at it had a PPI done, and I don't think they were fully able to determine the knocking sound either.
I noticed a few more small things like the passenger seatbelt sensor coming on and off so I took it into the dealership (Landmark) to be inspected and asked them to take a look at the sound. They did and the tech originally said it just sounded like a typical Saleen supercharger. I asked him to keep it over night and start it in the morning. He did, and when I came back he said that it was noticeably louder when cold, but he felt like it was coming from the injectors. I wasn't worried, as I had planned on purchasing the 475hp upgrade, and figured those injectors would take care of the noise. However, I never got around to it before the engine gave up.
Lemon laws in Oregon state I must file a written notice within 1 year of original owner deliver on a used car, or within 12000 miles, whichever comes first. I'm not sure if thats 1 year from the time the original owner sells it back to dealer, or what.
Worst case I would probably pursue a case involving Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) laws. But again, I am hoping the dealership(s) step up to the plate and do what is right.
Thank you for all your interest thus far. Again, I hope I'm representing this information as best as possible.
Courtesy also replaced the valve seals a few months after receiving it as they said they "dried out" from the car having sat for a few years.
When I took the car for a Pre-purchase inspection, they noted the sound too and to them it sounded like a noisy lifter or valve-train setup, or clutch, but most likely in the valve-train if the noise was louder when the engine was cold (which it was). It was one of those where short of tearing down the motor, we couldn't know, but it would probably get worse and give indicators of what it was. I wasn't concerned as it is/was warrantied. I do know that another person who previously took a look at it had a PPI done, and I don't think they were fully able to determine the knocking sound either.
I noticed a few more small things like the passenger seatbelt sensor coming on and off so I took it into the dealership (Landmark) to be inspected and asked them to take a look at the sound. They did and the tech originally said it just sounded like a typical Saleen supercharger. I asked him to keep it over night and start it in the morning. He did, and when I came back he said that it was noticeably louder when cold, but he felt like it was coming from the injectors. I wasn't worried, as I had planned on purchasing the 475hp upgrade, and figured those injectors would take care of the noise. However, I never got around to it before the engine gave up.
Lemon laws in Oregon state I must file a written notice within 1 year of original owner deliver on a used car, or within 12000 miles, whichever comes first. I'm not sure if thats 1 year from the time the original owner sells it back to dealer, or what.
Worst case I would probably pursue a case involving Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) laws. But again, I am hoping the dealership(s) step up to the plate and do what is right.
Thank you for all your interest thus far. Again, I hope I'm representing this information as best as possible.
