Mechanic runaround on electrical short?

cintronr · August 29, 2016, 11:45:39 PM

My Ducati Monster 796 2013 has had a problem with my horn and right turnsignal not working. Took the bike in to be diagnosed on the 22nd and my alarm system tells me the bike was turned on the 26th and 27th. I made an appointment on the 22nd and they haven't touched the bike until a few days ago and it seems like I am getting the run around.

There is talk that the alarm system tied into another fuse is the possible cause, I call bull, as the fuse the alarm system is connected to is not related to that circuit. I have an aftermarket warranty and was told this might not be covered right off the bat. I feel like I am getting f around, any suggestions with this situation?

I was told the mechanic working on my bike haven't been taking notes(was told they should be) I want to go in and tell them to give me my fking bike pronto but am worried they will tack on charges. How does that work anyway, if you bring in a bike for diagnosing an issue, what is a max charge, if any? I only see the mechanic turn on my bike two days for a few minutes each time. I called today and was told the mechanic was off today and he would be back in tomorrow. Sorry for the long, unorganized rant. I want some advise before I raise hell tomorrow. Thanks.

polivo · August 30, 2016, 11:08:35 AM

If they believe the alarm system is the culprit, they should be able to prove this to you.. by removing its connections to your bike. They can physicallly leave it in place, but just temporarily remove whatever wires your alarm system uses to connect to your motorcyucle, including any grounding. If they are correct, the issue dissappears, then its your problem.. but atleast you know for sure.

cintronr · August 30, 2016, 11:17:09 AM

I appreciate the response polivo. Thanks!

cintronr · August 30, 2016, 01:30:10 PM

I went in, disconnected the alarm fuse (to show them the issue still occurs). I was told the mechanic started working on the bike on the 24th, the alarm feedback says he did not touch the bike until the 26th... I asked how much all this was costing and was told they do not charge if they cannot find anything wrong, which is good for me, but the mechanic does not get paid either. So I feel for the mechanic. I just want the issue diagnosed and repaired as quick as possible to save them and myself a headache.

Also, I made an appointment for them to look at the bike on the 22nd, what is the point of having an appointment for one day and them not touching the bike until 4 days later?

Curmudgeon · August 31, 2016, 12:48:40 PM

Maybe it's the switch but don't you have a PC-V and maybe other mods? Assume you checked all that wiring? There was also a connector which shorted and burned inside on the early 696's up behind the headlight. Did you check that one? Just musing as I'm no champ with "stringy bits".

cintronr · August 31, 2016, 06:15:55 PM

One other shop, farther from me, already replaced the switch module on the handlebars. So we can rule that out haha.

DarkMonster620 · August 31, 2016, 06:38:05 PM

Sorry to ask but, in the other thread someone mentioned following/checking wiring . . . Did you do that? Did you check all connectors?

cintronr · August 31, 2016, 10:25:24 PM

I wanted to check the wiring for the fender eliminator but decided not to because the wiring for the horn does not reach back there, the horn button with right turn signal activated activates the left turn signal.

DarkMonster620 · September 01, 2016, 03:55:14 AM

Ok, was this always or suddenly? I mean your last statement . . .

The more we know . . .

xcaptainxbloodx · September 01, 2016, 01:49:41 PM

I wouldnt be to miffed about the delay in the bike being turned on or the short interval of it being turned on.

A) they have a schedule and a dropoff date isn't necessarily a start date
B) you dont need to turn on a bike to remove bodywork and check connections
C) It would be poor practice to keep the bike on for the entire time you were trying to diagnose a fault. more likely that you would assess, modify and then test and only have the bike on during the test phase. if they disabled the alarm at any point it would also give you poor information.

Electrical faults can be a huge mess to sort out and I cant say that im surprised they haven't been able to give you a clear answer before they have finished diagnosing.

That said, your mechanic should 100% be taking notes on his findings and your service writer should have absolutely gone over fees (this is a legal requirement in most if not all states), even if only in a minimum/maximum type of deal.

My advice would be that you stop looking at your alarm data. It may be giving you bad information about who was doing what when and making you unnecessarily frustrated. Instead, ask them when you should check in next and then wait until that point before pressing them again. A little bit of patience will help everyone out and having them set the timeline gives you some ammunition if they start lagging behind. When you ask them for that timeline you should also get them to clarify the parameters for your charges.

Kopfjager · September 01, 2016, 03:02:40 PM

A friendly visit, and a good bottle of Scoth, go a long way.

cintronr · September 01, 2016, 07:27:19 PM

I talked to my extended warranty company and they agree with what I am saying, the guy recommended taking my bike somewhere else.

The other shop farther away has briefed me on what their troubleshooting steps are and are willing to work with me, they said even if my modifications are to blame and this problem falls outside of my warranty, they will provide me the most inexpensive solution.

I will pick up my bike tomorrow and take a look at the fender eliminator and ensure it is in good working order. The power commander and alarm are more than likely good to go(not attached to the turn signal circuit) so no worries there.

Speeddog · September 01, 2016, 08:16:50 PM

I've had 3 experiences with Extended Warranty outfits.

Two relatively small jobs.

One, I talked with them on the phone, they had me fax them the invoice.
A week and a half later I get a letter in the mail saying I got the VIN# wrong.
I called the customer, corrected the VIN#, and re-faxed it.
Heard nothing back for a week.
I called, and they said there was some other bullshit thing they needed.
I cut my losses and moved on.

Other job was pretty much the same runaround bullshit.
Spent twice as much time on the paperwork/phone call/FAX clustermake the beast with two backs as it took to do the job.

The 3rd one I had to do some testing and disassembly to get the problem diagnosed.
Extended Warranty folks said whoa, that falls under the manufacturer warranty.
I had to button it all back up, still broken, and the customer had to get the bike towed off to a dealer for repair.
Thankfully, the customer kicked me some $ for the work I did.

Perhaps other shops have had different experiences with Extended Warranty companies.
I've pretty much made up my mind on them.

cintronr · September 02, 2016, 10:55:41 AM

I went to pick up my bike today, and was told they killed my Battery Tender LI Battery. The said they will install a OEM battery in my bike and deliver it to me later today... I really wanted to give this shop a chance, WTF...

NAKID · September 02, 2016, 10:59:41 AM

Quote from: cintronr on September 02, 2016, 10:55:41 AM
I went to pick up my bike today, and was told they killed my Battery Tender LI Battery. The said they will install a OEM battery in my bike and deliver it to me later today... I really wanted to give this shop a chance, WTF...

Ummm, for me that would be a no. They killed the lithium battery, they will either replace it with the same or reimburse you the cost to do so yourself.

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Mechanic runaround on electrical short?