You wont believe this!

[RandyDTFR]

My 7-month-old ’06 sprint has 3K miles on the clock and I want to change the oil before going on a short day trip Friday. (I had the dealer do the break-in oil change at 500m in January)

So I get the bike on her center stand, and with my Craftsman wrench in hand, precede to remove the oil plug.

Man was that sucker on tight! I made sure I was turning the wrench the proper direction (“lefty loosey, righty tighty”)… and finally the bolt freed up. Then I backed the bolt out by hand; kind of felt like it had been cross threaded- it wasn’t backing out the way it should. It would turn then hang up, turn, hang up…

With all the oil drained, I start to reinstall the bolt & new crush washer. It starts on nicely and feels like its time to get the wrench back out and tighten it up. Now the bolt doesn’t want to catch- like its stripped.

I take a closer look and see two cracks in the casing! One running from the plughole almost to the side of the casing, near the gear selector. The second, smaller crack from the plughole leading to the front of the casing.

I can’t believe it! I can only guess that the mechanic at my dealer must have used a power tool to over-torque that sucker down, then when I released the pressure… CRACK!

I’ve never even heard of such a thing! I’ll call the dealer tomorrow, but can only imagine him telling me I’m out of luck; then charge me some un-earthly amount to repair it.

Anyone ever hear of such a thing before? Any suggestions?

Thanks~

~Randy

[Haddi-Man]

Yeah, call the dealer and tell them you want it fixed under warranty. You can't prove the dealer screwed up, so I don't think you have a terribly powerful position with them. But given that it's virtually impossible for you to have done this, I don't see them denying this as a warranty claim. But be nice to them--I think this is a case where you will get more flies with honey than vinegar.

If the bike were out of warranty, I'd make a bigger fuss. But considering that you haven't done anything to void the warranty, I fully expect them to repair it.

[MickSprint06]

Yes, a poster on this forum had to get his motor replaced due to a ham-fisted mechanic, from memory he left a spacer out and cracked a casing when torquing it up.

[Medic09]

I would bet the damage could be done by hand, just by torquing it too hard.

I cracked the oil pan on my old Honda exactly that way...

[denman13]

On 2007-06-28 23:46, MickSprint06 wrote:
Yes, a poster on this forum had to get his motor replaced due to a ham-fisted mechanic, from memory he left a spacer out and cracked a casing when torquing it up.

Yes and what a freakin' nightmare he's been through. After they finally fixed his bike after two months, they handed it to him with all kinds of cosmetic damage. He's talking to a lawyer now. I hope your dealer is willing to listen to a reasonable request. Cases shouldn't crack just from oil changes. But it makes you wonder if this isn't something all 05+ Sprint owners should be on the lookout for. I know I will pay close attention to the torque process on the lower engine casing. Maybe they used a thinner casing to lighten the bike?

[DaveM]

+1 Haddi-Man


DaveM

[RandyDTFR]

Thanks guys.

I'm right there with Haddi-Man. I've had to deal with irate people a lot throughout my career, and agree that a polite approach is the way to go.

I'll keep y'all posted on the situation.

Thanks!

~Randy

[airrider03]

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[davecmoc]

How about putting the oil and plug back in, take it to the dealer for an oil change and let them "discover" the problem.

[Medic09]

On 2007-06-29 08:04, RandyDTFR wrote:
Thanks guys.

I'm right there with Haddi-Man. I've had to deal with irate people a lot throughout my career, and agree that a polite approach is the way to go.

I'll keep y'all posted on the situation.

Thanks!

~Randy

I concur, but I'd be clear and firm about what I would expect as a paying customer. Remember that dealerships have a larger organization to answer to. I wouldn't threaten to go that route if you don't get satisfaction. I *would* politely ask for the regional manager, if need be, and explain that I'm just appealing to a 'higher court'. Take it as high as you need to.

I wouldn't expect it to come to that. Dealers are businessmen; they understand that customer satisfaction is key (well, often anyway).

Good luck!