DonS

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Don S

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Re: DonS

Sounds good to me, which lodge you going to be staying at.
 

Boomyal

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Re: DonS

Don said:
Sounds good to me, which lodge you going to be staying at.

Will be staying at Chinook Shores. This trip was arrainged thru a friend by one of his vendors so I do not know a lot about it, but it sounds like it will be a fun week.

Funny, I've never paid too much attention to Alaska in the past and really could not have told you where Ketchikan was. All of a sudden, I'm planning to visit there, my 19 y\o son has a college roommate from there and it turns out that the guy who gives me the hardest time about my OMC is from there. Go figure!;)

I'll touch bases with you shortly before leaving to get the info where to stop by and say Hi.
 

bosavy

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Re: DonS

if it a car it would have gone trough lemon law . that sucks for you and the consumerspecialy thet paying alot and getting nothing but your in the middle i know how that is.i looke a t a rinker with a volvo didn't buy it . i heard good things about a meckso i stayed with that.What if the consumer called the factory i know in my business that works ....
 

rodbolt

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Re: DonS

thanks for the info DonS.
I scanned it today, trim send high, MIL active. no audible alarm and it seems its latched in a power derate.
funny thing is the trim sender has never been hooked up and it worked fine.
I am getting conflicting stories on wheather a trim send malfunction will set a hard failure and a power derate to 850 RPM.
anyway supieror diesel is sending a harness that is supposed to bypass the trim sender. if not I will.
also the harness diagram is different for the trim send wires than the 8.1 I am actually working on even though volvo just sent the harness manual to us and both me and the volvo tech confirmed the correct page.
now my question is, will a bad/no sender sender set a hard warning with no audible and a power derate.
however odds are I wont buy the vodia, the dealer gave up his dealership today over the other 8.1 and a blown 2 year old 5.7.
its a bummer but I understand his frustration.
means the nearest volvo gas dealer will be about 50 miles from the outer banks. the dealer is nuts if he thinks I am going to work on them without factory support, even though they have not been real supportive.
 

Don S

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I can understand WHY the engine would run at idle with the trim high, but I don't have a clue rather the use it or not. Obviously neither does your rep.
Wish I did, I could work for VP instead of here and make a hell of a lot more money, and work a lot less.
Sad to hear he's giving up the dealership, but I also understand the frustration.
I would sure hate to install 15 to 20K worth of equipment in someones boat telling them the whole time that this is the best, only to find no support from the manufacturer. Word of mouth in small towns kills small buisnesses. Not big buisnesses. Personally, I would be standing on someones desk at Volvo wanting some answers before I gave in completely. Maybe even a (and tell no one I suggested this) an attorney. It has to end somewhere.
 

rodbolt

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Re: DonS

will find out soon :)
I know the PCM 555 will go into power reduction and give an alarm if trimmed to high or the ECM cannot tell where the drive is.
cant find out anything from the 5 volvo tech reps I talked to today but 3 out of 5 say its possible.
I was really looking fwd to the EGC and VGC schools I was scheduled to go to this spring.
the guy that owns the local volvo dealership is a bit of a hot head and has no understanding of modern engines and controls.
its sad but he is still stuck in the 70's and type I's and stringer units.
so far I have been successful in keeping lawyers out and volvo is sending someone that has authurity from chesapeake on wednesday. or so they say.
Tom Heely from superior diesel has been a lifeline and he is a sales rep :).
heck of a guy though
he is like me, I really dont care what happened I just want the consumer to be happy with the product.
if its a consumer issue I can educate them but the last 2 are not consumer issues.
are you familiar with either carolina classic or albermarle hulls ?
I will keep working to hold Volvo at this dealership as I believe volvo has a very good product.
maybe I need to drive to chesapeake and knock on the presidents door. its only a 70 min drive.
I am about the only certified gas tech in 50 miles or so. the diesel tech next door has never been to any drive schools and has less than 2 years with volvo.
we send them diesel and they send us drives.
works out.
but wednesday will tell the story, luckily the dealership owner will be out of town.
if attorneys get involved all are sunk. at the end of the court battle their will only be two people walking out with a smile.
this is gonna use all my experience and most of my imagination :).
 

Don S

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I guess about the only thing I can do is wish you Big Time GOOD LUCK..
No experience with either Carolina Cassic or Albermarle so no help there either.
Only 70 min. away? ? ? ? and you aren't on the road yet! and I would also do EVERY Thing possible and be up against the wall before talking to an attorney, but it sounds like the dealer has hit that wall.
 

rodbolt

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Re: DonS

yes he hit it, but maybe I can overcome it.
this guy likes to beat his head on the wal I like to find ways around that wall.
less blood that way.
biggest beef I have is in 8 weeks not a single volvo tech rep has been able to say yes or no.
but having been involved in many court cases both representing a dealer and as an expertwitness for the plaintiff all I tell them is at the end of the day the judge bangs a gavel and only 2 folks walk out happy.
one day I may write a book :)
a couple dealerships I technically work for to fulfill the employment requirements, the rest I contract with.
if your good ya get latitude :)
the money is nice the education is priceless.

the albermarle and the classic are basically identical hulls made close to here.
all have had water injestion issues and volvo has been aware of them for 15 years or so.
yet they keep allowing it to be installed then wont warrenty it when it fails.
the last guy was funny, he blew in with the tech bulliten for riser height, I made him hold the tape measure,twice, riser hieght is 13 1/2 inches. inside volvo specs.
but with the 8.1 cam characteristics and the horizontal riser outlets it will never work.
 

rodbolt

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an update, the 30 larson with tghe 5.7 is getting a new bobtail and the customer pays to install it, way better than I expected or asked for.
however the customer,in a fit of stupidity I guess, is asking about warrenty.
an issue I will explain to them later.
the 8.1 is being reviewed in sweden.
all it is mostly is a matter of finding the right person, he was an instructor that has taught me in a few courses, and keeping the issue below the corperate radar.

the TCP issue on the other boat is ongoing.
seems the RTA's are worse than clueless.
I even had one tell me that the warning horn. two wire horn, could be bad and still self test.
what a moron.
 

Don S

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Re: DonS

Sounds like things are starting to shape up, is your dealer going reconsider, or is he just flat done with Volvo?

Sure wish I could load up my Vodia and come visit. Bet between us we could get that 8.1 figured out.
I was thinking about it yesterday,and would guess the trim high is a non issue. Was you able to check it using the Vodia tool?
 

rodbolt

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Re: DonS

on the 8.1 with the TCP issue. I unplugged everything, sprayed contact cleaner on all of it and its working.
I hope it keeps working because Volvo refuses to send me any informatiuon on trouble shooting it even after 5 phone calls to a manager in chesapeake.

on the 8.1 with water damage, not only is the dealership and volvo going to be named in the lawsuit but I am going to be named personally as well.
this should only cost me 1500-2000 dollars and a weeks time.

on the 5.7 the bobtail shoed up today about 4 pm and I hope to have it installed by the weekend but I lose friday for a yamaha update seminar.

will kepp ya posted.
oh, and the 5 out of 9 consensus indicates the ECM on the 8.1 does not monitor drive position.
well, it monitors it but sets no codes.
 

Don S

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I hope it keeps working because Volvo refuses to send me any informatiuon on trouble shooting it

Do they actually have anything else other than the service manual? I know they do have an EVC diagnostics code book on the partner network.
Just go to service and warranty, in the upper right of the page click on diagnostic codes. There is quite a bit of info in that book. Of course it's only downloadable, there is no paper book as yet because it's still being updated. There is a lot more info in it now than in the original version.
You ought to check it out.

The court thing doesn't sound like any fun, but maybe some good will come out of it in the long run.


Good Luck
 

rodbolt

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apearntly they really have nothing on actually testing the EGC system. they keep saying they will fax it to me but its been almost 2 weeks and no fax even though I call every day.
I told them each time this customer calls me I will call you.
and I do.
but yep, the customers attorney called today and yep I am also gonna be named.
the customer has to sue all involved to get to the idiots that created it.
good thing I kept all the pictures and write ups where the various volvo techs affirmed the engine was installed to their specifications.
it will still cost me at least 2000 dollars to hire an attorney to go sit in court for a while.

I am done with volvo.
I will never touch another volvo product after this.
I dont care who where or when. if it says volvo someplace on it I will refuse to work on it.
 

rodbolt

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Re: DonS

another update, I switched the 5.7 in 4.5 hours, looking good.
the TCP issue seems to be resolved.
the final 8.1 issue Superior diesel stepped in and it looks like not only am I gonna get a long block but the volvo and carolina classic engineers wish to come play with it when I am done.
customer isnt real happy cause he has to pay some labor but maybe we can get the issue of this and the other 5 hulls with the same water injestion problems resolved.
I wont mind donating a weeks time if I can get the reason for the failures resolved.
whats funny is the customers attorney actually agreed with me that all options had not been pursued and give it more time.
almost raised my opinion of attorneys :):).
but behind this one I have 5 more big blocks with the same failure in the same Albermarle/carolina classic hull.
I am keeping my fingers crossed as I firmly believe Volvo Penta has a good product and good support, lousy website, so maybe before I head out on vacation we will have even better news.
 

Don S

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Re: DonS

Who knows, maybe together the engineers from VP and CC along with the customers attorney watching them will be enough to get the problems solved.

Good Luck........ Again :)
 

rodbolt

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I hope so, but if not I am personally named in a losing lawsuit.
I wont "lose" as all my t's are crossed and all my I's are dotted. all the installation, acording to 3 different volvo techs with pictures, was done in accordance with the latest Volvo bullitens and installation manuals.
however I will lose if it goes to court no matter who wins.
so hopefully I kept this out and got more involved in solving an issue than with fighting an issue.
I will donate 40 hours to solve this rather than 10 hours to fight it.
even if my insurance will pay to fight.
the goal is to keep the consumer happy and make Volvo products more user freindly.
 

180shabah

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Re: DonS

My hat's off to you rodbolt, after all of this you are still positive and even more impressive, you are still calm. I hope this last effort will keep you out of court.

Good luck.
 

rodbolt

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180. I am calm now, but ya should have seen me today. the preliminary team came in.its gonna be an uphill battle. but at least they can reccomend something.
however at the end of the day my idea is gonna win.
but its nice that all seems to be going in favor of my customer, actually its volvo's customer I just installed it.
the guy with the 5.7 drove up from his florida vacation today to get his boat.
he was very happy.
gave me a 50 dollar tip he did.
I gave it to the toys for tots drive on the way home.
so maybe Volvo made a few folks happy this christmas :)

if ya do nothing else this holiday season, please help your local toys for tots.
 

seahorse5

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Re: DonS

rodbolt said:
180.

... gave me a 50 dollar tip he did.

I gave it to the toys for tots drive on the way home.
so maybe Volvo made a few folks happy this christmas


I tip my hat to you, Rodbolt !!!!!!
 

180shabah

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Re: DonS

rodbolt said:
if ya do nothing else this holiday season, please help your local toys for tots.

One of our favorite charities too. We shop clearance and closeouts all year long, and usualy have a truckfull to donate by december. This allows us to give more gifts than we normally would be able to.
 
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