Got Damned Trailer Brake Controller

[03LightningRocks]

So I took a deep breath and went to Town East Ford to get my TBC issue fixed. I have put it off for about six months to avoid having to go through the usual BS when needing warranty work.

I dropped it off yesterday morning. Showed the service writer the problem...three times it said the trailer was disconnected...right in front of him. He acknowledged seeing the problem. I get a call at 2pm today. Uh... ya...Mr. Durham? Yes this is Ron. Uh ya...well...we can't find anything wrong with the TBC. I damned near had a focking stroke right then and there. Well after cussing him and his techs ability to find a problem. He then says...well uh...we can't replace the TBC unless we see it act up. Gawt Dammit I said...I am on my way there. Tell your tech he is about to spend the whole darned afternoon and evening riding around with me in my truck until we make the darned thing act up.

Now try to understand, my fellow Ford brothers, this darned thing beeps every time it thinks the trailer is disconnected. It has gotten to where it beeps every 5 minutes. How on earth could the damned thing be working right for them?

So I arrive at Town East. The service writer is out driving around town trying to make it beep. He pulls up, get's out...and says hang here for a minute and I will get the service man. Here is the fun part...I get in the truck, shut the door and it says nice and loud...BEEP..the trailer is disconnected. I about sh!t. I look around out the window and the service writer and tech are nowhere in sight. I thought about putting it in gear and getting out of the truck. Fortunately it did it again about three times and kicked on the TBC fault warning. They come back and I say to them...what does the display say...the tech gets a dumb look and says...TBC fault. I say...and what does TBC stand for. He takes off his hat, wipes his brow and says...Trailer Brake Controller. I say....so can we fix it now? he sheepishly says yes.

So....I get my, POS, TBC replaced. The new one better not give me this same crap.

They called me and spent 10 minutes telling me how sorry they where that I had to drive 45 minutes to diagnose the problem for them...

[03LightningRocks]

OOPS...sorry...I almost forgot........ :ron:

[98Cobra]

Damn, that sucks, but was a funny read.

Off topic here, but I noticed you titled this "Got damned" instead of "God". Isnt it interesting how changing the word, but not the intent, makes it ok for some reason?

Dont misunderstand - I am certainly NOT coming down on you. Just reminded me of an episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit! on Showtime talking about that.

^How's that for a :ron:?

:tongue:

[03LightningRocks]

Damn, that sucks, but was a funny read.

Off topic here, but I noticed you titled this "Got damned" instead of "God". Isnt it interesting how changing the word, but not the intent, makes it ok for some reason?

Dont misunderstand - I am certainly NOT coming down on you. Just reminded me of an episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit! on Showtime talking about that.

^How's that for a :ron:?

:tongue:

Your post certainly has the potential to derail this thread :rll: :rll: :rll: .

I used the word Got in an attempt to keep from getting censored:D .

[L8 APEX]

There has to be a better answer to dealer service than this... Where is the common sense in this world when it comes to taking care of valued customers needs. When buying a vehicle it is like picking the lesser of the evils. Fortunately Dodge builds crap and GM is ugly so I ended up with a Ford. I knew from the Lightning days that warranty service would suck and it has. I always got better service from GM dealerships. Better rental cars and always curteous and professional service. GM covered everything I asked the first time. Everytime I have stepped in a Ford dealership it has been a fight and I have lost most of the time. IE: My Lightning had 9K miles on it and was 8 months old. I went it in for a ticking noise from the passenger side. They called me 4 hrs later to come get it. The ticket said injector noise acceptable and okay to drive. The next day while driving to mother's house for Thanksgiving dinner it spits #3 plug. I had it towed to the dealer the next business day with the plug and busted coil pack in my hand. I gently placed it on the service writers counter and said I found that ticking noise for you on Thanksgiving. Of course everyone was closed and I was sitting on the side of the highway:mad: . Now my F250 has a oil leak, lame brake controller and a scratched up bed from 6th grader type emblem removal..

[LS1 Eater]

Im having the same problam with mine. I have taken it in 2 time now and keep getting the same thing. Sorry we cant get it to act up. As soon as I drive off it beeps like no other. So to day I go back and ask the service guy to go with me. It does it beeps befoer I even make it 50 feet. He goes on to tell me how they can never get it to do that and there sorry for the problam. So the truck is going back in Sat. to get it fixed. Im hoping it will fix it to or im going to rip it out here soon.

[L8 APEX]

I bought new for the peace of mind and worry free driveability. I am too busy to work on my own truck anymore. When they hassle me it makes me want to rip all my junk out of it and trade it in. They are not delivering the security and dependability I am paying so dearly for. When I am sitting at the dealership for hours or bouncing in and out of rentals I am not making a penny at the shop! Just like them replacing 2 emblems and saying just come back again for the third. I don't have the time jerkholes! That is why I called them a week ahead of time and gave them a list of part numbers I needed. Of course they would not order anything before the truck was there, then it takes three weeks to gather parts:flaming:

[03LightningRocks]

Im having the same problam with mine. I have taken it in 2 time now and keep getting the same thing. Sorry we cant get it to act up. As soon as I drive off it beeps like no other. So to day I go back and ask the service guy to go with me. It does it beeps befoer I even make it 50 feet. He goes on to tell me how they can never get it to do that and there sorry for the problam. So the truck is going back in Sat. to get it fixed. Im hoping it will fix it to or im going to rip it out here soon.

Did they tell you that there hasn't been any problems with these controllers...LOL. I just got off the phone with a friend who lives up North. His TBC was doing the exact same thing that mine and yours is doing. If you open the little glove box that is in front of your right knee, you can reach up and feel the back of the TBC. Just jiggle it and it will go off like crazy.

I wish they had not even put these POS controllers in the trucks to begin with. For 100 bucks installed I can buy an after market controller that never acts up....

By the way terry, my bud just bought an 06 F250 and his brake controller works at any speed. So the BS they told you about it not working at slow speeds must have been a problem. Otherwise Ford would not have changed it.

[L8 APEX]

The TBC's are great and the intergration with the stock PCM and ABS is awesome. There is only one difference in the post 3/05 production units. The new units allow you to manually apply full power for hooking up with 5th wheel hitches and such. Otherwise in auto mode they apply equally with the stock brake system. The manual slide bar is the only change between the TBC's. That is what the manual says and why they wouldn't replace mine. They tested it by the book and it works as a pre 3/05 unit should so it is okay and they cannot get it warrantied. There were some bad units early on but I think they are as solid a piece as youcan buy. The company that designed them is Tekonsha (sp)? They are the best in the business if you look on RV and Camper hauler websites. Most generic units are not proportional with speed. They seek a constant setting you dial in and that is not optimal for city/highway driving. It results with too much in the city and not enough on the highway. Your new controller will rock.