Warranty work at any dealer?

[computerboy]

I have a TC25D I bought about this time last year. I have a dealer about 15 miles away and another 35 miles away. Both dealers were within a couple hundred dollars, but I decided to go with the dealer that was 35 miles away. He was a lot more helpful during the buying process and everyone here on the board says the dealer should be one of the determining factors. In the buying process I asked about service and if it would be a problem coming to my house since I do not have an easy way to get the tractor to him. He said it should not be a problem since they are in my area a couple times a month.

Since getting the tractor I have had only had one problem with the tractor. About a week after the delivery, the tractor died and would not start. After doing some investigation, I found it ran out of fuel. The fuel gauge showed over a quarter of a tank, but there was not fuel in the tractor. I called my dealer and they said they would stop out the next time they were in the area. After a number of calls I still do not have the problem fixed. Is the tractor service like the automotive service where most dealers will do warranty work on a car even if you did not buy it from them? Can I get another dealer to do service on a tractor they did not sell? If anyone has any ideas of how to get the dealer I purchased the tractor from to get the problem fixed, please let me know.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[tc35dforme]

Well there are two ways to look at this...

On one hand, the selling dealer has a margin on the sale and part of this margin is a factor for their overhead. This overhead covers stuff like the shop, tools, trucks, etc. and is not equal from dealer to dealer. That's why some dealers can't beat a low price, and some distance sellers can slash their price if they don't need to carry that part of their cost in the margin percentage for a particular sale ( if they know they'll never need to see the tractor again ! ). The selling dealer, by means of the margin on the sale, has a better chance of covering the incidental costs associated with the warranty repairs and as such should be the most responsive. New Holland or any other manufacturer will usually pay on a predetermined schedule for specific repairs. If it takes the dealer a few extra minutes, or they need a bit of electrical tape or such, they may have to swallow this to service their customer.

On the other hand, the warranty is between you and the manufacturer. Technically you could bring it to any authorized dealer for the warranty work.

I just think you'll get a better response from the seller...at least you should. If you do expect a non-seller to cover your warranty work, you need to understand that you may not be at the top of the list. You'll get the work done, but a guy who just bought a $ 25000 rig from them may get a bit more action.

 

[JerryG]

Call the Service Manager at your dealership. Tell him what is wrong and that whats his name said that they would look at it the next time they are close. Then ask him, if he has any idea how long it will be.

 

[Soundguy]

I'll make a comment. Even though it is under warranty.. most places won't cover pickup/delivery expenses.

In other words, them telling you that they will 'get by' and take a look at it means that when they are done with another warranty call in your area, they will stop by.. not that they will come straight out.. etc.

Seems odd that your gauge shows a quarter tank.. are you sure there is no fuel in it.. try checking with a clean stick

Also, you can check to see if there is fuel at the fuel filters and injector pump.

Aside from waiting for service, or paying to get it trailered.. you might be able to solve this one yourself, with a little help from us if you need it.

If it is as simple as just needing to bleed your injectors.. I think most of us here have done that.

Will the machine turn over, but just not start?

Soundguy

 

[computerboy]

Thanks for the response.

During the purchasing process I made it clear to the dealer that it would be difficult for me to get the tractor to them for work. He said it would not be a problem because they could stop by for any work when they are in the area. My father has a trailer and truck I can borrow if needed. The problem is the dealer has said for 1 year they would stop by to fix the problem. I need to pickup a couple of things at the dealer tomorrow so I am going to see what the problem is.

The problem with the fuel gauge is it has died 3 times because it ran out of fuel. The gauage showed about 1/4 of a tank. When this happens, there is no fuel in the filter and I need to bleed the fuel lines for it to start. I know there is no fuel in the tank because I can put about 7 gallons of fuel in the tank. In talking with the dealer, they think it is the sending unit. Hopefully I will get some answers tomorrow when I visit the dealer.

 

[bgott]

Fuel gauges on any kind of equipment are notoriously unreliable. I know it's a new tractor and I know they need to fix the thing but you ran out of fuel three times?!?!?!

 

[jinman]

When you turn the tractor off, does the fuel gage go to zero? If so, it is probably the sending unit. If not, it is probably the gage itself. I think I'd forget about waiting on the dealer to show up at your place to fix the problem. If they "drag their feet" until the warranty runs out, what are you going to do? The verbal promises of a salesman are notorious. Ultimately, the transportation of your tractor to the dealer is your responsibility unless you have a written agreement. If you find another dealer, you can bet they will make you bring the tractor to them too. Good luck with your repair. These little irritating things can become a big PITA for sure. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[MikePA]

By using jinman's test procedure you can determine if it's the gauge or the sending unit.

If it's the gauge, I'd just take the instrument cluster out and take it to the dealer.

If it's the sending unit, order one from the dealer.

An alternative would be to never let the gauge get down to 1/4 full since that's when your tank is empty. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Soundguy]

I agree... that promise that they 'could come by' sounds like a sales pitch with no weight ( nothing in writing ).. this is further evidenced as it has been a year.
He either needs to bite the bullet and pay for them to trailer it, or trailer it himself, or at least pull the defective parts and get them replaced before his warranty runs out.

Soundguy

 

[computerboy]

This is not a big problem. I don't let it get past 1/2 a tank now and have not had a problem since the first couple weeks of ownership. First time it ran out of gas I did not realize it was out of gas but the gauage showed 1/4 tank. I only have a little bit of gas so I bleed the lines and it worked. The second time it happened was when I noticed the gauage showed a 1/4 tank but it was out of fuel. The third time it happened I knew it was close to being out, but I trying to get something done before it rained and my luck ran out. I guess my future in fuel consumption calculations for NASCAR is not bright. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The fuel gauge goes down to empty when the tractor is turned off. Is it hard to replace the sending unit?

I have no problem trailering it to the dealer or going to pick up parts and doing the work myself. When the dealer says multiple times 'don't worry, we will stop out in the next week or two', it gets frustrating. I was not sure how the tractor service industry worked and was wondering if I could trailer it to any dealer for service.

Thanks for all your comments. I will update after visiting the dealer today.

Mike