FINALLY got the trike back (a bit long)

[Teufelhunde]

Some may remember me posting on may 10th about the dealership leaving an oil line loose on my 2018 Tri-Glide after installing an oil filter relo/cooler, and the line blowing off. After that initial post, I have been avoiding giving up information, choosing to wait until everything was completed to report the results. I'll attempt a short chronology of the events:

5/9/18 Picked up bike after 1000 service and install of oil filter relocation/cooler kit, along with PA rear shocks and lift kit. Oil line blew off as I approached my home and light came on just 50 feet or so from my driveway. Dealer picked up bike on 5/10/18, as it had not so good engine noises. Dealer told me that the noise was lifters and they had them in stock, that they would replace them and clean the bike up and have ready for me on 5/11/18.

5/11/18 Dealer called me, lifters did not fix it, they were going to tear top end apart to inspect. I told the Service Advisor that I wanted to view the parts when the top end was apart. Two hours later, he calls back and says top end is apart and they took the cam chest apart to inspect also. I went to the dealership and viewed the parts. Pistons and cylinders scored. Cam and lifters (not new) seemed OK, as well as rocker shafts/bushings. I was told the bottom end was checked and was OK. The pushrods I saw in the tray of parts were fixed length, not adjustable, so it was easy to see that the lifters were not replaced like I was told, or they would have seen the scored cylinders when the had the heads off to replace the lifters. Dealer to install cylinders and pistons. We agreed to install big bore for just a discounted price for parts, no labor charge. Parts to be ordered.

5/25/18 Picked up the bike, was told that all was good and that they did a good long test ride to make sure. I didn't make it 5 miles before the check engine and coolant lamps came on. I pulled into a circle k lot, parked and called them. They sent someone to me, he checked the fans and they were ok. When he opened up the coolant bottle compartment in the right lower fairing to check the coolant, the bottle was BONE DRY, and there were NO LEAKS. This tells me that the "long test ride was a lie". Before I pulled over, I was also noticing that the bike had the power of a Honda 250 Rebel and I was hearing a noise I didn't like that sounded like it was coming from the bottom end. Back to the dealer I go.

When I got to the dealer, I got the service manager to come out and listen to the bike. I am hearing a definate knocking noise (sounded like bottom end), but he says "Well, these engines make funny noises sometimes", you know, the old they all do that routine.........Everything about his body language and tone of voice was telling me that I would get nowhere with him. I left and rode home. Riding home, I found that the bike was not only gutless, but didn't want to rev over 4000 rpms.

I decided to talk to the man whose name is on the sign. It took a few days, but I finally got to speak to him, and he asked me to take the bike to their other store, as the Service Manager there is really great on engines. I agreed and took it in on 6/1/18. This Service Manager was much different to deal with, he actually listened to my concerns, asked pertinent questions, started and listened to the bike, and did say he didn't like what he was hearing. He said they would check into it and call me. The next morning, he called me and said the power loss was sumping and they pulled almost two quarts of oil out of the engine, where max allowable is 6 ounces. He said they would pull the top end back off and cam chest to inspect/check the bottom end. I spoke to him on 6/5 and he said that both he and his engine man checked to bottom end and all of the other parts and can find no issues, they have an oil pump ordered and he did say that now would be the time to do a cam (parts only) as the engine is apart, and they would not charge me for installed the Stage II fuel/ignition mapping.

Got the bike back today and all seems well with a bonus of being a 114 stage II. It runs well and I can detect no unusual noises.

Hopefully this ends the chapter.....sucks that I missed the whole month of May, however. It is one of the two best riding months in Central AZ. We are into summer hibernation now........

YMMV

Lon

[Fearless]

Some may remember me posting on may 10th about the dealership leaving an oil line loose on my 2018 Tri-Glide after installing an oil filter relo/cooler, and the line blowing off. After that initial post, I have been avoiding giving up information, choosing to wait until everything was completed to report the results. I'll attempt a short chronology of the events:

5/9/18 Picked up bike after 1000 service and install of oil filter relocation/cooler kit, along with PA rear shocks and lift kit. Oil line blew off as I approached my home and light came on just 50 feet or so from my driveway. Dealer picked up bike on 5/10/18, as it had not so good engine noises. Dealer told me that the noise was lifters and they had them in stock, that they would replace them and clean the bike up and have ready for me on 5/11/18.

5/11/18 Dealer called me, lifters did not fix it, they were going to tear top end apart to inspect. I told the Service Advisor that I wanted to view the parts when the top end was apart. Two hours later, he calls back and says top end is apart and they took the cam chest apart to inspect also. I went to the dealership and viewed the parts. Pistons and cylinders scored. Cam and lifters (not new) seemed OK, as well as rocker shafts/bushings. I was told the bottom end was checked and was OK. The pushrods I saw in the tray of parts were fixed length, not adjustable, so it was easy to see that the lifters were not replaced like I was told, or they would have seen the scored cylinders when the had the heads off to replace the lifters. Dealer to install cylinders and pistons. We agreed to install big bore for just a discounted price for parts, no labor charge. Parts to be ordered.

5/25/18 Picked up the bike, was told that all was good and that they did a good long test ride to make sure. I didn't make it 5 miles before the check engine and coolant lamps came on. I pulled into a circle k lot, parked and called them. They sent someone to me, he checked the fans and they were ok. When he opened up the coolant bottle compartment in the right lower fairing to check the coolant, the bottle was BONE DRY, and there were NO LEAKS. This tells me that the "long test ride was a lie". Before I pulled over, I was also noticing that the bike had the power of a Honda 250 Rebel and I was hearing a noise I didn't like that sounded like it was coming from the bottom end. Back to the dealer I go.

When I got to the dealer, I got the service manager to come out and listen to the bike. I am hearing a definate knocking noise (sounded like bottom end), but he says "Well, these engines make funny noises sometimes", you know, the old they all do that routine.........Everything about his body language and tone of voice was telling me that I would get nowhere with him. I left and rode home. Riding home, I found that the bike was not only gutless, but didn't want to rev over 4000 rpms.

I decided to talk to the man whose name is on the sign. It took a few days, but I finally got to speak to him, and he asked me to take the bike to their other store, as the Service Manager there is really great on engines. I agreed and took it in on 6/1/18. This Service Manager was much different to deal with, he actually listened to my concerns, asked pertinent questions, started and listened to the bike, and did say he didn't like what he was hearing. He said they would check into it and call me. The next morning, he called me and said the power loss was sumping and they pulled almost two quarts of oil out of the engine, where max allowable is 6 ounces. He said they would pull the top end back off and cam chest to inspect/check the bottom end. I spoke to him on 6/5 and he said that both he and his engine man checked to bottom end and all of the other parts and can find no issues, they have an oil pump ordered and he did say that now would be the time to do a cam (parts only) as the engine is apart, and they would not charge me for installed the Stage II fuel/ignition mapping.

Got the bike back today and all seems well with a bonus of being a 114 stage II. It runs well and I can detect no unusual noises.

Hopefully this ends the chapter.....sucks that I missed the whole month of May, however. It is one of the two best riding months in Central AZ. We are into summer hibernation now........

YMMV

Lon

Glad you are fixed sucks to be broke... Ride safe Fred

[azbob09]

Glad you are fixed sucks to be broke... Ride safe Fred

What did the 1st service manager at Anthem say about the coolant bottle being bone dry with no leaks?

Along with no power after installing a big bore kit?

[Zammy]

Lon, glad you're all fixed up for now, hopefully that is the end of your ordeal.

[Ed H]

When Harley sends you a request for info regarding your experience send them your post.

I would be one unhappy camper if my dealer did that to me.

[Teufelhunde]

When Harley sends you a request for info regarding your experience send them your post.

I would be one unhappy camper if my dealer did that to me.

Yeah, initially I was PISSED, but after I had a chance to think, I realized that being pissed off would get me nothing other than indigestion......I am really not happy with the first store and the way I was treated there, and ripped them a new one on the survey. Sad thing is, I have spent over $40,000 at that dealership in the past two years, to be treated like an a$$hole by the Service Manager. The other store was right on the money, they treated me like a customer, listened to my concerns, stayed in touch with me, and FIXED THE PROBLEM.

Service Departments are staffed with people, and people will make mistakes. What matters is how they handle it when they do make a mistake. The first store needs the big broom treatment IMHO (take a big broom in and sweep all the people out the door, then start over). The second store appears to be well managed and functional.

YMMV

Lon

[Ed H]

Yeah, initially I was PISSED, but after I had a chance to think, I realized that being pissed off would get me nothing other than indigestion......I am really not happy with the first store and the way I was treated there, and ripped them a new one on the survey. Sad thing is, I have spent over $40,000 at that dealership in the past two years, to be treated like an a$$hole by the Service Manager. The other store was right on the money, they treated me like a customer, listened to my concerns, stayed in touch with me, and FIXED THE PROBLEM.

Service Departments are staffed with people, and people will make mistakes. What matters is how they handle it when they do make a mistake. The first store needs the big broom treatment IMHO (take a big broom in and sweep all the people out the door, then start over). The second store appears to be well managed and functional.

YMMV

Lon

You are 100% correct on your assessment of the first store. That SM should be history by now.

The second store obviously has had proper training on handling customer complaints in a polite manner.

Having dealt with people in a professional environment my whole life I learned to put myself in the customers shoes, look at the situation through their eyes. One tends to get a whole new prospective of a problem when approached in that manner.

Good for you on keeping your cool. Like you said nothing is gained when being irrational. Being an adult will get you a lot further, plus the person you are talking to does not know what to do when faced with someone keeping their cool.

[Teufelhunde]

What did the 1st service manager at Anthem say about the coolant bottle being bone dry with no leaks?

Along with no power after installing a big bore kit?

Didn't say anything about the coolant being dry, with the bike idling and I can very clearly hear a knocking noise, he is trying to tell me it is the EITMS making the noise, and that the noise was NOT out of line. In all fairness to him, I didn't say anything about the lack of power because it was ABUNDANTLY CLEAR from his body language and tone of voice that he thought I was stupid, knew nothing about motorcycles, and he WAS NOT hearing anything I was saying. I just left. A customer should never be treated the way he treated me.

Lon

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Service managers are people (well, kind of). They are capable of being very helpful or very degrading. I try to be firm and nice. LOL ... who am I kidding, I can only do that till they become degrading, then the Navy Chief in me rears it's ugly head. Although, I'm getting better with the not so nice language (getting tired of confessing my sins).

But, the worst I ever was, was when I brought my bike in after an accident. Fifteen thousand in repairs, all cosmetic. I was told that accident repairs where done on their timeline, not, first come first serve. I loaded the bike back onto the trailer, and went to talk to my customer (the owner used to have a pool I worked on) and read him the riot act. Needless to say, my bike got fixed really quickly and it was done right.

Afterwards, I bought a 5 pound box of Enstrome's toffee, and gave it to the service manager to share with his guys and anyone else at the shop as he saw fit (the only condition was that he gave a piece to the owner). It was my way of apologizing for my behavior. Since then, we are the best of friends and I get great service. It's true, you catch more bee's with Enstrome's than you do with vinegar.

Anyway, just my $0.02 worth.

[Teufelhunde]

Service managers are people (well, kind of). They are capable of being very helpful or very degrading. I try to be firm and nice. LOL ... who am I kidding, I can only do that till they become degrading, then the Navy Chief in me rears it's ugly head. Although, I'm getting better with the not so nice language (getting tired of confessing my sins).

But, the worst I ever was, was when I brought my bike in after an accident. Fifteen thousand in repairs, all cosmetic. I was told that accident repairs where done on their timeline, not, first come first serve. I loaded the bike back onto the trailer, and went to talk to my customer (the owner used to have a pool I worked on) and read him the riot act. Needless to say, my bike got fixed really quickly and it was done right.

Afterwards, I bought a 5 pound box of Enstrome's toffee, and gave it to the service manager to share with his guys and anyone else at the shop as he saw fit (the only condition was that he gave a piece to the owner). It was my way of apologizing for my behavior. Since then, we are the best of friends and I get great service. It's true, you catch more bee's with Enstrome's than you do with vinegar.

Anyway, just my $0.02 worth.

I had already planned to call the SM at the Phoenix store tomorrow and thank him for the work, as well as ask how many in his department. I figure they might enjoy a hot pizza for lunch one day later this week......

Lon

[Ed H]

I had already planned to call the SM at the Phoenix store tomorrow and thank him for the work, as well as ask how many in his department. I figure they might enjoy a hot pizza for lunch one day later this week......

Lon

+1 on that. Been known to do the same myself.

[Burnerboy]

Your right about catching more honey, when your nice about it, then coming in like a Azz hole, then nobody cares about you....

I'm in the heating plumbing business, It's funny when (in the dead of winter/10deg's cold) and somebody calls screaming their lugs out at me, yelling at me, cause they have no heat, I find myself, taking my time getting to their home, BUT if someone calls and say's nicely that they have no heat, I actually find myself rushing, to get to their home to help them out/and it's surprising but the bill is usually much lower, then the Azzholes , that did the yelling.....And 99% of the time I find it's the customer's own fault that they have no heat....

A) thermostat was lowered

B) emergency switch shut off

c)air filter plugged

D) circuit breaker/fuse blown

Good for you staying very calm, I can almost guarantee you that your bike was fixed much better then if you came in screaming!! You "done" good!

Ronnie

[1dn5up]

Sorta like pissing off the sergon before the operation ?

[Jack Klarich]

A happy ending good on you

Are you going to break the new top end easy or ride it hard?

[Teufelhunde]

A happy ending good on you

Are you going to break the new top end easy or ride it hard?

I'm doing nothing more than seating rings and as far as I'm concerned, rings are seated in 50 miles or they're not gonna seat.......

Lon