2003 Ford Taurus Tow Truck Operator Flooding Engine
Tow Truck Operator Flooding Engine
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Our car wouldn't start. We took it to a mechanic. He diagnosed it was a bad starter and replaced it that day. The next day, the car wouldn't start again. The mechanic sent a tow truck to get the car. The tow truck operator started the car to move it to make it easier to hook up. The car started once, then he tried to show me it started two more times, but it wouldn't turn over. He took it to the mechanic. Later, mechanic called and said if he had more time, he would have noticed the spark plugs were shot. He replaced those. He also said the tow truck operator flooded the engine so he had to drain the gas and oil and replace the oil filter. He charged us for all this work, including half of the towing charges. When we went to pick up the car and drive it away, it again wouldn't start and the mechanic then discovered some wires were bad and needed the car another day to fix that, and that would be an another $50. I understand that there can be many issues uncovered when fixing a car and have no problem paying for parts and labor for those problems. What I don't feel is right is paying for towing when the problem was supposed to be fixed and then paying to fix what the mechanic's tow service did to my car when no one authorized him to try to start the car. Please advise.
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first of all, when it would not start originally, the starter was the issue. if you had running problems at that time, you should have told the repair person.
the tow truck driver did not flood the motor. it does not happen these days with fuel injection.
also, you had it towed back for another issue?? when it would not start, did the motor crank? if it did, then there was another issue. if it did not, then it is a comeback and you should not have been charged for the tow or repair related to the starter.
Roy
Just to add to Roy's thoughts -- my Mercury dealership in Chicago (when I was living there some time ago...now in CA) experienced many times when we flooded customer's mid-90's and early 2000's Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys. Moving them around a small parking lot, quick starting and stopping the cars repetitively in a short period of time - it truly did cause some issues. When these flood, they sound like lost compression almost. Usually, if not always, we could get the cars started by providing WOT (wide open throttle) and cranking until the engine started.
Shaunagh, you are very right to be frustrated. It appears that maybe when you first took the car in, there may have been communication issues right from the start. My opinion is that at best, the shop / mechanic working on your car was sloppy. More likely they were and are inept and lack the ability to be accountable for themselves. I would indeed seek recourse for some of your experience. I wish you luck.
