Insist dealership check vehicle under the exact same conditions

[trailernovice]

In another thread, I described that our truck has been doing a deep rumbling noise at certain speeds when the trailer is connected...it only happened under those conditions....no noise when driving without the trailer

To try to duplicate, the dealership service rep put some amount of weight in the bed...he didn't sense any issue...tried to tell me, 'there's nothing wrong'....I didn't accept that

Once he hooked up to a trailer similar in weight to ours, the problem surfaced....now they've replaced the driveshaft

The point: it's important that, if a problem only occurs under certain conditions, that we insist the repair tech duplicate those conditions in testing

[JIMNLIN]

To try to duplicate, the dealership service rep put some amount of weight in the bed...he didn't sense any issue...tried to tell me, 'there's nothing wrong'....I didn't accept that

Once he hooked up to a trailer similar in weight to ours, the problem surfaced....now they've replaced the driveshaft

The point: it's important that, if a problem only occurs under certain conditions, that we insist the repair tech duplicate those conditions in testing

Good point and glad the dealer agreed to hook up another trailer to duplicate your trucks drive line shudder. Not many dealers will do that.

Just weight alone in the trucks bed may not cause a shudder issue....but add several thousand pound trailer plus weight in the bed created your trucks shudder.....especially under hard acceleration getting the combo moving.

[Sport45]

In your other thread you said, “At certain speeds, and only when the truck (in signature) is heavy with either people, cargo, or the TT (tongue weight per Jayco is 470 dry), the truck has an 'almost-too-low-and-too-deep-to hear' rumble that lasts until the truck gets either above or below the 'problem' speed....it happens at around 10mph and again at around 35 mph..”

So it seems to me the dealer really isn’t at fault for testing with a load in the bed since that was one of the things you said caused the vibration.

Deep rumbling when truck loaded (with cargo or TT)

[blt2ski]

Had this issue once. Both tech and advisor said bring both in.....accelerated out of dealership lot, tech said got issue. You're running on 6 cylinders, not 8......

Sometimes you the customer has to help tech find the issue, as others have done like me.

Yes, if I have to pay a bit of hourly to dodge guy or equal, at the end of the day, when issue is found, both are happy.

Marty

[dodge_guy]

I certainly hope you are paying for the per hour diagnosis when looking for hard to find issues. I’ll test drive a car a short distance but I won’t spend an hour unless it’s paid. Or like the very many people that come in and say it only happens at 75mph. Sure pay me to drive it to a highway that has a 75mph speed limit and I’ll do it!

I’ve wasted too much time on ghost issues to not get paid to look for a hard to find noise!

I am already tell you went in with an attitude and that doesn’t go very far!

[RetiredRealtorR]

valhalla360 wrote:
Ummm...if it only happens when the trailer is connected, why wouldn't you ask for it to be tested with the trailer connected?

Sounds like something I would have said . . . Oh wait . . . I DID! :C

[midnightsadie]

# one finding a shop that cares.

[BB_TX]

I had a truck that would start sputtering and puffing smoke when towing my tractor on my utility trailer but only when pulling a hill (this before I bought my 5er). But ran fine not towing. Drove to the dealer with tractor in tow, told them the problem, tech connected his diagnostic device (OBDII or whatever they had back then), got in truck with me, and down the highway we went. First hill and he said he got it and back to shop we went. He replaced a sensor (forgot which one now, been 15 years) and no more problems. Just need an accommodating mechanic.

[valhalla360]

Ummm...if it only happens when the trailer is connected, why wouldn't you ask for it to be tested with the trailer connected?

[RetiredRealtorR]

So, really, you need to show up with the truck AND the trailer, and have the technician ride along. Simple solution, and everybody ends up happy without a lot of wasted time. Try it that way next time. After having been in the automobile business 30+ years, I can tell you . . . it works.

[Lwiddis]

Good points, novice.

[mkirsch]

...and they say no and you say yes and they say no and you say yes and they say no and you say yes and they say no, we're calling the police. I've been there, and never been back.