Need help or ideas...

[HHI VIPER]

My buddy bought his first Viper, a 95 Emerald RT/10 from a Dodge dealership in Washington State about 1 1/2 months ago. Anybody possibly know this car?? Borla exhaust, smooth tubes,... Anyway, part of the deal was that they were going to supply a warranty that would cover him bumper to bumper (whatever that might mean). When the car arrived in South Carolina, the floorboards had about an inch of water, the radio didn't work, the lighter had an inch of water in it, blah blah and so on. We all know the issues with soft tops. The water wasn't going to be the major thing as time moved ahead. He called and complained about the water and radio and they said the car had been completely gone over and everything worked when it left the dealership. They did send him a radio and thats fine. BUT NOW.....Major problems start. about 3 weeks of driving with the top down, he decides to put the top on and use the air! OOOOPS! Air doesn't work! He calls Washington (LOL) and complains to the dealer. They said take it to a Dodge dealership and have them look at it. (we must not forget he has the "WARRANTY" the dealership provided) Well, about a week went by and the day he was going to take it to the dealership the temp guage pegs!!! He calls Washington again and complains. Again they said, get it to a Dodge dealership and warranty will take care of it. So he gets it there and low and behold, the wireing harness has been chopped up, exposed wires in 3 different spots, the Viper Tech said "WHOE" you have some major stuff going on here. Your system is overcharging, it needs a new wireing harness, computer (the present one has markings on it like it came from a junk yard and said "O2 issues") air conditioning parts, etc...etc... My buddy calls Washington and now the run around starts. He is not getting anywhere with the dealer so he calls the warranty company regarding all the issues and they are now saying they are not going to cover anything because the car has been altered or modified. He has had this car for less than 2 months and it is now sitting at the dealership waiting for somebody to step up. If the warranty company isn't going to pay for it and the dealership was responsible for providing a warranty in case of claims like this, shouldn't the dealership pay?? Any input/advice would be great!

 

[dave6666]

Step 1: Get a lawyer.

Step 2: Have lawyer contact dealer that sold car.

Step 3: Pop open a cool one and let the lawyer do his work.

 

[Dom426h]

Washington state all-the-way to SouthCarolina

There is plenty of Gen1's on the east coast... What was appealing about this one? Was it an Ebay auction?
sounds like someone didnt do their homwork. Just because a vehicle has a warranty Dosnt mean all is gravy...
my advice to your friend is to properly inspect a vehicle Before purchase(in the future).

On the AC, it is likely that the system has a leak at one of the O-rings. dump a can of Refrigerant in it and see if it gets cold.
This may save you from having a mechanic charge you for an expensive component that is not needed.

good luck getting her back in shape

 

[HHI VIPER]

Step 1: Get a lawyer.

Step 2: Have lawyer contact dealer that sold car.

Step 3: Pop open a cool one and let the lawyer do his work.

Identicle to what I told him Dave only I put beer first!!! I just got my beer and wine license for a Pizza shoppe I opened and I told him to come by and I would buy! This really ***** for him!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Washington state all-the-way to SouthCarolina

There is plenty of Gen1's on the east coast... What was appealing about this one? Was it an Ebay auction?
sounds like someone didnt do their homwork. Just because a vehicle has a warranty Dosnt mean all is gravy...
my advice to your friend is to properly inspect a vehicle Before purchase(in the future).

On the AC, it is likely that the system has a leak at one of the O-rings. dump a can of Refrigerant in it and see if it gets cold.
This may save you from having a mechanic charge you for an expensive component that is not needed.

good luck getting her back in shape

I didn't realize he was that serious when he was looking. I told him I would get on the VCA and help him find a car and before I knew it, he made an offer! Now he is regreting it. Not an Ebay deal, it was listed on a used car sight somewhere. He already admitted the mistake but it may be too late. No more joy of his purchase at this point. There were 2 previous owners. He has talked to a previous owner through a little research but the guy said it sounds like somebody messed with it afterwards.

 

[BlackSnake99]

***** for him!

That about says it all.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Any attorneys on the board from around that area, Belleview Washington (Belleview Dodge) that would want to write a letter for a VCA member for a small fee??

 

[HHI VIPER]

A conversation was held with the salesman Saturday and the salesman had little to say when my buddy brought up the possibility of being unsafe or a fire waiting to happen if not repaired! The Dealer said it went through an inspection?? "WOW" Wonder if they looked under the hood or just said...YEP, it's a Viper???

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Too bad- Many of us here in WA would have done a once over on the car, but most of us in WA WON'T use Bellevue Dodge!

PBR

 

[Green Viper]

Sorry that both you and your friend (Mark if memory serves) are still having issues. I am very familiar with the car from new until last September, it is by no means a lemon, it is a great car and at least as of that date was in great condition!
It was sold in September 2008 and was out of sight until traded in at Dodge of Bellevue earlier this year. I have provided the complete history, mods, etc to at least 5 people including Mark and both dealerships. The car had not been in any accidents, A/C worked, radio worked, and it did not have a charging problem or overheating problem.

Again, I do not know what has happened to the car over the past 13 months and it really sounds like the dealer it is at in SC is completely clue-less about Vipers. When on the phone they asked why the door handles were shaved off.

When the car was sold in 9/2007 it did not have a top or windows, so not sure if they were in good condition or were part of the reason it leaked in transit. When I owned it (for 9 years!) the hard top was used or no top at all, soft top was only on about half dozen times. The same was true for the following owner who also kept the car in great condition.

The OEM wiring harness was modified to put a VEC2 engine controller (to compliment other mods) it was later removed, yes there were some modifications done to the wires for that but they were all soldered and protected with heat shrink, same thing for the speedo recalibration box, all of these were done by a certified viper tech.

The A/C probably needs a recharge, that actually was just an issue on my 99 which is 5 years newer.

The 95 Green Viper RT/10 (VIN 201321) at one point had an aluminum radiator and Gen2 cooling fan, which did require the wires to be spliced, again done by a professional Viper tech, and it worked great both before and after the radiator was installed. Can't remember if the cooling fan still is Gen2 or if it was swapped back... sorry.

I gave Mark several pointers about the over heating as it sounds like air got in the system. As of last week, I had not heard that the dealer checked coolant overflow bottle level or "burped" the system of air. They actually seemed to think I was making it up... until they spoke to a real Viper tech.

Last I heard the Dodge dealer in Bellevue, WA was trying to work out details with the dealer in SC and with the independent Viper tech here that did the work originally to send the tech to assist the SC dealer who wasn't quite as familiar with a Viper as he probably should be.

Has anyone been able to reach Claus who owned the car last and might be able to fill in the missing pieces in the time line and history of the car? As I heard from the dealer in SC they thought it had been in an accident but were not able to say why they thought that other than the color on the "front fender" didn't match.

I am of course here to help, Mark has both my email and phone number and I have helped to get the Viper tech engaged here. He probably just needs to keep the pressure on the dealers to make the trip happen or find a Viper tech in the SC area that can assist.

James

 

[Janni]

Perhaps get this car over to Tom Sessions in Wilmington????

 

[HHI VIPER]

Too bad- Many of us here in WA would have done a once over on the car, but most of us in WA WON'T use Bellevue Dodge!

PBR

My buddy jumped the gun no doubt with exitement! I think most of us can relate that to something at one point in our lives! I know I can!! It will work out in the end I'm sure. He loves the car but just wants it running!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Sorry that both you and your friend (Mark if memory serves) are still having issues. I am very familiar with the car from new until last September, it is by no means a lemon, it is a great car and at least as of that date was in great condition!
It was sold in September 2008 and was out of sight until traded in at Dodge of Bellevue earlier this year. I have provided the complete history, mods, etc to at least 5 people including Mark and both dealerships. The car had not been in any accidents, A/C worked, radio worked, and it did not have a charging problem or overheating problem.

Again, I do not know what has happened to the car over the past 13 months and it really sounds like the dealer it is at in SC is completely clue-less about Vipers. When on the phone they asked why the door handles were shaved off.

When the car was sold in 9/2007 it did not have a top or windows, so not sure if they were in good condition or were part of the reason it leaked in transit. When I owned it (for 9 years!) the hard top was used or no top at all, soft top was only on about half dozen times. The same was true for the following owner who also kept the car in great condition.

The OEM wiring harness was modified to put a VEC2 engine controller (to compliment other mods) it was later removed, yes there were some modifications done to the wires for that but they were all soldered and protected with heat shrink, same thing for the speedo recalibration box, all of these were done by a certified viper tech.

The A/C probably needs a recharge, that actually was just an issue on my 99 which is 5 years newer.

The 95 Green Viper RT/10 (VIN 201321) at one point had an aluminum radiator and Gen2 cooling fan, which did require the wires to be spliced, again done by a professional Viper tech, and it worked great both before and after the radiator was installed. Can't remember if the cooling fan still is Gen2 or if it was swapped back... sorry.

I gave Mark several pointers about the over heating as it sounds like air got in the system. As of last week, I had not heard that the dealer checked coolant overflow bottle level or "burped" the system of air. They actually seemed to think I was making it up... until they spoke to a real Viper tech.

Last I heard the Dodge dealer in Bellevue, WA was trying to work out details with the dealer in SC and with the independent Viper tech here that did the work originally to send the tech to assist the SC dealer who wasn't quite as familiar with a Viper as he probably should be.

Has anyone been able to reach Claus who owned the car last and might be able to fill in the missing pieces in the time line and history of the car? As I heard from the dealer in SC they thought it had been in an accident but were not able to say why they thought that other than the color on the "front fender" didn't match.

I am of course here to help, Mark has both my email and phone number and I have helped to get the Viper tech engaged here. He probably just needs to keep the pressure on the dealers to make the trip happen or find a Viper tech in the SC area that can assist.

James

James, greatly appreciate the info! Thanks so much for piping in!!! Yes, without a doubt, he is losing confidence in Belleview "and" the dealership here. Charleston SC has 2 Viper Techs that have been around for a while and I encouraged him to have it towed an hour up the road or even Savannah GA. Savannah has a few Techs too. I/he will keep you posted! Thanks again!!!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Perhaps get this car over to Tom Sessions in Wilmington????

Talked with Tom and he said if we need him to let him know! We'll see! Thanks!

 

[ViperGeorge]

Its funny that any dealership with a Dodge sign thinks they can work on a Viper. He needs to get this car to a real Viper Tech, one that knows what they're doing. A good Tech doesn't have issues working on a Viper that's been modified, heck a lot of them have been. They don't look at the car and go "oh it has a K&N filter on it, it's been hacked up. It has to be completely redone." Over the years radios, exhaust, and other stuff have been replaced with aftermarket units sometimes requiring wiring harness mods. Later when the car is traded or sold some of these mods are removed. As long as the work was done correctly (as it sounds it was) then it should be ok.

Re water in the car, everyone knows that RT/10s leak with the top on or not. Gen 1s are worse than Gen2s but they all leak. Did the selling dealership ship the car by covered transport or on an open trailer? If the later, the water damage is definitely their fault.

 

[Janni]

Agree on the water thing - if you ship a Gen 1 RT with a softtop - across the country on an open trailer - you're asking to replicate the scene out of Risky Business.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Its funny that any dealership with a Dodge sign thinks they can work on a Viper. He needs to get this car to a real Viper Tech, one that knows what they're doing. A good Tech doesn't have issues working on a Viper that's been modified, heck a lot of them have been. They don't look at the car and go "oh it has a K&N filter on it, it's been hacked up. It has to be completely redone." Over the years radios, exhaust, and other stuff have been replaced with aftermarket units sometimes requiring wiring harness mods. Later when the car is traded or sold some of these mods are removed. As long as the work was done correctly (as it sounds it was) then it should be ok.

Re water in the car, everyone knows that RT/10s leak with the top on or not. Gen 1s are worse than Gen2s but they all leak. Did the selling dealership ship the car by covered transport or on an open trailer? If the later, the water damage is definitely their fault.

The Dealership provided the warranty as part of the deal but when work needed to be performed 2 weeks after ownership, the warranty company the "Dealership" provided said the car has been altered. Thats where the problem is. They shipped the car on an open trailer across the country from Washington State to South Carolina.

 

[V10 PWRD]

This is a sad story but how in the heck can the dealer be responsible for water damage if this buyer had the car shipped via open trailer unless they stated the possible effects of going cross country uncovered to the new owner. It's obvious this guy jumped in to this with his eyes closed.
Good luck in getting this issue resolved. Sounds like there's some hope.

 

[HHI VIPER]

This is a sad story but how in the heck can the dealer be responsible for water damage if this buyer had the car shipped via open trailer unless they stated the possible effects of going cross country uncovered to the new owner. It's obvious this guy jumped in to this with his eyes closed.
Good luck in getting this issue resolved. Sounds like there's some hope.

The dealer was shipping it as part of the deal. Buyer wasn't responsible for shipping!!! Dealer took the cheap way and sent it uncovered. You would want to think that they would have thought more of the car and shipped it covered but that's what one gets for thinking??? There is hope. The car is being sent to another Dodge dealer an hour up the road that has more experienced Tech's. Hopefully it will be over by the 1st of November.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

The dealer was shipping it as part of the deal. Buyer wasn't responsible for shipping!!! Dealer took the cheap way and sent it uncovered. You would want to think that they would have thought more of the car and shipped it covered but that's what one gets for thinking??? There is hope. The car is being sent to another Dodge dealer an hour up the road that has more experienced Tech's. Hopefully it will be over by the 1st of November.

Please God tell me its not going to the tech who used to work at Savannah Dodge. He and the rest of their service dept. are lying, piece of crap crooks! I had a coolant leak when in Savannah several years ago. The "tech" LIED and said it was Roe Racing cap wasn't up to Viper spec and had worked loose. I told them I wanted the cap back to send to Roe and was told they threw it away. When I got upset that they would throw away a "faulty" part without showing me 1st, they miraculously found it. They charged me $400 to come to the conclusion that the cap had worked loose. This included labor to remove and reinstall the hood during the inspection ! The cap was sent to Roe and they tested the cap on a Viper for a couple days and found no leaks coming from it and that it certainly did meet Viper spec for radiator caps. They lost their franchise when Dodge made cuts earlier this year...they are one that DESERVED to lose the franchise.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Chad how do you really feel about them.

I do have a enclosed trailer to pickup the car if things dont work out at the dealer its at now. JUst a quick 4 hour road trip.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Please God tell me its not going to the tech who used to work at Savannah Dodge. He and the rest of their service dept. are lying, piece of crap crooks! I had a coolant leak when in Savannah several years ago. The "tech" LIED and said it was Roe Racing cap wasn't up to Viper spec and had worked loose. I told them I wanted the cap back to send to Roe and was told they threw it away. When I got upset that they would throw away a "faulty" part without showing me 1st, they miraculously found it. They charged me $400 to come to the conclusion that the cap had worked loose. This included labor to remove and reinstall the hood during the inspection ! The cap was sent to Roe and they tested the cap on a Viper for a couple days and found no leaks coming from it and that it certainly did meet Viper spec for radiator caps. They lost their franchise when Dodge made cuts earlier this year...they are one that DESERVED to lose the franchise.

The car is going to Hoover Dodge in Summerville SC. We heard the Tech's in Savannah are all gone. Probably a good thing!

 

[HHI VIPER]

Chad how do you really feel about them.

I do have a enclosed trailer to pickup the car if things dont work out at the dealer its at now. JUst a quick 4 hour road trip.

Tom, you are too kind! If things don't work out, I will help him get the car your way for sure. He's running out of patience but the car is at Summerville Dodge in Summerville SC as we speak. He is going to let them see if they can make him feel all warm and fuzzy!! The dealership here in Hilton Head I had a personal issue with and will not return there either. Charleston is the next closest dealer 1 hour away with Tech's at Rick Hendrick Dodge. Supposedly long time Tech's?? Anything major Tom, I'll be calling you! Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Venomiss]

Did he get his Viper fixed finally?

 

[FrankBarba]

Why with Tom so close would you even consider having anyone else work on the Viper. I one time trailered my viper from PA to NC. Tome found the problem within a very short time....

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

I have taken pictures of this car in my front yard on a sunny BBQ day. It is REAL hard to get a reflection off of that Green where any two parts of the car look the same color. Most of the pictures make the car look black. After about 20 pictures, I did get a set that made the car look green, but the color did change depending on the curves and the sun.

If Jani says Ton is Da Man....don't walk....RUN as fast as you can to this man!
I'm sure he will fix it so it is right!

Short of that....buy a plane ticket for the Viper Tech that did the mods and he can come to the car. I know him too!!!

Best of luck to ya!!
PBR

 

[carguy07]

"Why with Tom so close would you even consider having anyone else work on the Viper. I one time trailered my viper from PA to NC. Tom found the problem within a very short time...."

"If Jani says Tom is Da Man....don't walk....RUN as fast as you can to this man!
I'm sure he will fix it so it is right! "




Exactly, you are fortunate to have him so close. Take it to him and be done with it.

 

[HHI VIPER]

Thanks for all the input from the above posts! Yes Venomiss it is on the road to recovery! If all goes well the car should be up and running by mid week. Hoover Dodge is waiting on a few parts. I believe a motor wireing harness and... ! As suspected, the local dealer here with a Viper Tech (suposedly a Viper Tech) mis-diagnosed some of the problem. "IF" for some reason things cannot be taken care of at Hoover Dodge, believe me, I will highly encourage a trip to Tom Sessions next to quit messing around. The word is, the dealership in Washington state is covering the repair's so far. We'll see in the end how it goes.

 

[HHI VIPER]

I have taken pictures of this car in my front yard on a sunny BBQ day. It is REAL hard to get a reflection off of that Green where any two parts of the car look the same color. Most of the pictures make the car look black. After about 20 pictures, I did get a set that made the car look green, but the color did change depending on the curves and the sun.

If Jani says Ton is Da Man....don't walk....RUN as fast as you can to this man!
I'm sure he will fix it so it is right!

Short of that....buy a plane ticket for the Viper Tech that did the mods and he can come to the car. I know him too!!!

Best of luck to ya!!
PBR

Mark was impressed with that color. In person it is really sharp. It sounds great! I think! If I remember correctly since it's been a while!