3.3 and 3.8 V6's, MUST READ FOR ALL!

Actually Kraby, what you fail to realize is that the factory or warranty company dictates the repair when they are paying for it. You actually don't have a legal recourse to that, TSB or not. The TSB may not have applied in your case. I don't know though I'm just saying. Things aren't always as they appear.

Of course if you are paying for the repair then you can dictate how you want it done. So don't be so fast to blame the dealer or the techs. They may have been doing what they were told to do.

I agree with Ron though, so many people think dealers are ripoffs and the techs are bad. The facts are quite different. In my 30 years of the business I have never met a tech that woke up and one day and decided he wanted to be a bad tech, or even just mediocre. All the techs I know try really hard to do the best they can with what they have to work with. In fact in this day and age DCX won't even pay the dealer for many warranty repairs if they aren't done by a DCX trained tech. And I'm not talking some generic training either. This stuff is complex and it's thorough. I just spent 4 hours doing a test on a CD after 2 days of classroom training and it was tough. You have to pass in order to be credited for the course.

Also DCX has the STAR hotline (they won't even talk to a level 1 or less tech) where you may have to call to get parts because they are restricted. STAR may have you do numerous diagnostic steps and/or measurements before allowing the parts to be released. Many short blocks are on restriction and there is a recent growing trend to have us techs repair them instead of replace them if possible. This may have been the case with yours, I don't know.

I've personally only seen one 3.3 that needed to be replaced and that was because of an imbalance condition it came from the factory with. They are good engines.

So in conclusion I'd like to say that, although you think you may know something, you may actually not. Something to think about before you go bad mouthing people, products, or an industry.

Here is a list of courses techs have to take in order to be certified to level 4 in engine repair. And this is just one skill catagory, there are 12 skill catagories so you get the idea how many course have to be taken.

Rule Name: 2006 Curriculum Level 1 All Skill Areas

Requirement Details: Completion of all of the following.

0010908 INTRODUCTION TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER-TECH WBT
0011008 Introduction Techconnect and SCANTools WBT
0010808 NEW VEHICLE PREPARATION - Rev. 1 WBT
0610408 Fundamentals of Electrical Part 1 (Web) WBT


Rule Name: 2006 Curriculum Skill Area 1 Level 2

Requirement Details: Completion of all of the following.

0120308 Fundamentals of Gasoline Engines WBT


Rule Name: 2006 Curriculum Skill Area 1 Level 3

Requirement Details: Completion of all of the following.

0030116 NOISE VIBRATION and HARSHNESS PHS 1 of 2 WBT
0030116 NOISE VIBRATION and HARSHNESS PHS 2 of 2 Class Room
0130808 Cam In Block Engines Includes 6.1/8.3 L (Phase 1)
0130816 Cam In Block Engines Includes 6.1/8.3 L (Phase 2) Class Room
0130908 Cam In Head Engines Phase 1 CDROM
0130916 Cam In Head Engines Phase 2 Class Room
0150608 Cam In Block Engines Includes 6.1/8.3 L Update



Rule Name: 2006 Curriculum Skill Area 1 Level 4

Requirement Details: Completion of all of the following.

0141508 ENGINE DIAGNOSIS Class Room - On Demand