Missing Link

I’ve been awfully silent so far this year – more so than I should be.   A lot has been going on,  combined with me generally being lazy about finding something to write about.    It happens, and I’m sure those of you who have followed me this far have come to expect it.

The holidays that have passed were good,  and so far the new year has treated me pretty well. For the most part.

A little over a week ago,  8 days if you want to be picky,  Ann called me about 15 minutes before my alarm was set to wake me up.  I groggily answered the phone with “yeah, what’s up”

Ann replied with “My truck just broke down on me.”

“Huh? what do you mean?”

“…. It broke down, as in stopped working, shut off…”

At this point I initially was going to say “Well what do you want ME to do about it, I’m sleeping here!” but thankfully my mouth refused to actually SAY that, and instead chose the way more tactful and safer “Let me put clothes on and I’ll come help – where are you?”

So,  I did just that and about 15 minutes later pulled up behind her broken down truck.   We called a shop I had taken my old Honda to a few times (that conveniently offered free towing and diagnostics) and after the tow truck showed up to tow it we went back home to await news.

The shop – Edwards Transmissions and Engines (specifically the one up near Castleton on the north side of Indianapolis) – was nothing short of a nightmare.    They continually would inform us that they thought they knew what the problem was, but couldn’t get the truck to die on them.   They then told us they needed to order parts and it would be another day.    The next day it was another excuse.   Come Saturday, a full five days after having the truck,  the day they promised to have it fixed by,  yet another excuse came up of “we need a specialty tool and nobody seems to have it except a place out in Plainfield – we should have the tool monday morning and your truck fixed by early afternoon monday”.

Monday morning, around 11am, they still did not have the tool.    By 2pm they officially GAVE UP on trying to fix the truck and told us to come pick it up.    That’s right folks – the shop that supposedly fixes NOTHING BUT TRANSMISSIONS AND ENGINES *GAVE UP* on trying to fix our truck.    They wasted a week of our time on unkept promises and downright lies.  I usually don’t ever say this but: AVOID THIS SHITHOLE OF A SHOP AT ALL COSTS.  I cannot recommend this place to anybody – ever – for any reason.

Lets list the things that Edwards Transmissions and Engines did WRONG:

1. Lied to us about when they could fix it,  and took an incredibly long time to diagnose the problem
2. Failed to diagnose all of the problems with the truck and frequently told us on status updates that they were going to “look into” the squeaking noises we heard when the truck was on.
3. Probably minor as things go but, did not use disposable floor mats or seat covers – tracking in such nasty things as cigarette butts onto the floor of the truck.
4. Changed all kinds of settings inside the car on the radio – including EVER SINGLE RADIO STATION PRESET.
5. Lied to us and told us that they did not hear any squeaking noises the entire time they had the truck.   How do I know they lied?  It was squeaking when Ann got in it to leave their shop.   Unless it magically required Ann or I to be present for it to squeak Edwards’ staff are a bunch of big fat liars.

The same day Ann took the truck over to the Ford dealership near our house.   She said they were kind, courteous, and professional.  They immediately put disposable floor mats and seat covers in to avoid tracking stuff into the car.  They also kindly gave her a ride home as they would be keeping the car overnight.   They even offered to give her a ride to and from school as long as they had her truck (a service she didn’t use, but was nice of them to offer).

The next morning they had diagnosed the problems.  The Idle air controller needed to be replaced, as did the serpentine belt tensioner and finally the cam shaft (which was the ONE thing that Edwards said they were going to replace,  but for whatever reason couldn’t make it work).   They also topped off her fluids and did an oil change.

So lets look at all the things the Ford dealership did RIGHT:

1. Were professional, courteous and knowledgeable.
2. Quickly and accurately diagnosed the problems.
3. Just as quickly and accurately FIXED the problems.
4. Used disposable floor mats and seat covers.
5. did NOT change any internal settings
6. Offered to provide transportation to / from school (even if we didn’t use it).

As it was – Paul Harvey Ford did everything exactly right.   They gave us the experience we HOPED Edwards Transmissions and Engines would.  I would highly recommend them to anybody who needed work done on their Ford car or truck.

Edwards Transmissions and Engines though…… they’re dead to me.  Unless you like being jerked around, lied to, and having someone doing god knows what to your vehicle, avoid them like the plague.