What Now? Burn The Truck? Oh....Thank God We Have a Service Plan

That's what was going through my mind when our service advisor called us over to his computer so he could show us the pictures on his screen and the two page printout of all the codes the diagnostic spit out. I think it was the PCM (Powertrain Control Module), but don't quote me on that. It's a box under the hood and it has an electrical harness attached to it. The plug inside it, a complicated plug with lots of connectors, is corroded. The only way it can be corroded is by water leaking in. The box and the electrical harness needs to be replaced.

Cost: $4,000.00

Plus car rental at $40 per day, time needed, two days.

We have a Ford maintenance plan. Can you run it through the insurance? 

Oh, great news! It's covered!

But it doesn't end there. We need to address the leak. 

"The windshield has been replaced," he said. 

Yes, but that was before we bought it (it's listed in the CARFAX records). 

"I would like you to take it somewhere to have it re-sealed. Call around, try a local place, not a chain."

In the meantime, we were told it's safe to drive like we have been doing, disconnect the battery to turn off the lights. So we came home and started making phone calls.

Safelight and other national chains will not re-seal a windshield, only replace it. We finally found a local company that will carefully remove it (hopefully it doesn't break) and re-seal it. Price, just under $150. However, if it breaks during the removal process, they are not liable for that and we will need to have a new one installed, for $658. Having a new windshield installed is close to the same price. We are scheduled for that service on Monday, March 31st. 

The parts for the $4,000 repair are on backorder, so maybe that will be done during the first half of April.

Our Ford Protect Service Plan is active until the end of this year. We bought 3 years and paid it off in two at the rate of $156 per month. We have used it several times. Two wheel bearing replacements ($100 co-pay on each), other stuff I can't remember right now, and this, so it paid for itself and then some.

That's all for today. I have been working on my plant shelves. Will update soon.