On September 12, 2006, I wrote the following letter to Nobels' Marine in Leesburg, Florida:
September 12, 2006
Nobles Marine
Attn: General Manager
437 N Palmetto St.
Leesburg, FL 34748-5236
RE: Recent service
Dear General Manager:
On or about August 30, 2006, I made an appointment for diagnostic service on my 1996 Yamaha 250 SWS II (port engine) for September 6, 2006. On that date, I missed two hours of work by towing my 25' Mako from Mt. Dora to your facility. Upon leaving the boat there, I was informed that I would be contacted that day to be advised as to cause of the engine problem; however, no one called me that day, so the following day, I telephoned Nobles Marine, and after being placed on hold for at least 20 minutes, I was asked to call back after lunch. Later that afternoon, I called back and spoke with your service technician, I believe his name is Mickey, who informed me that three (3) of the carburetors were flooding and needed kits at a cost of $450.00, so I told him that I did not want that work performed and would be picking up my boat.
On September 9, 2006, I went back to Nobles Marine and paid the $90.00 service charge, but when I received the service ticket, I noticed that it simply had 3 carburetors flooding, and did not name which 3 of the 6 carburetors were allegedly flooding, so I spoke with the service technician, who asked Goober to recall from memory which carburetors were flooding, and Goober said numbers 1, 3 & 4. He said that he observed fuel coming up through the bowls and into the throat of the carburetors. I asked both of them if they recommended installation of carburetor kits to resolve the flooding issue, and they both recommended same.
After returning home with my boat that day, I removed (but did not disassemble) and tested all three of the named carburetors by connecting an external fuel pump and found that none of the three carburetors were flooding, so I reinstalled all three and started the engine to observe the flooding as described by Goober, but there was no flooding, so I sprayed each of the carburetors with starting fluid (with the engine was running) and found that carburetor number 6 was not allowing fuel into the intake, eg. hitting carburetor #6 with the fluid resulted in the engine increasing in R.P.M.s until the starting fluid burst was exhausted. I then removed carburetor #6 and replaced it with carburetor #6 from my starboard engine, and the port engine ran perfectly, so I knew I had isolated the problem to carburetor #6. After disassembling and cleaning the malfunctioning carburetor #6, I installed it on the starboard engine, and that engine also ran perfectly.
Of particular note, is the fact that carburetor #6 is unique on those engines, as it feeds fuel to the fuel pressure regulator and contains an additional fuel line that the other five carburetors do not have. Since the engine was running so badly, I knew, prior to taking it into your facility for service, that whatever was causing the problem was affecting more than one cylinder; however I was not aware that a malfunctioning carburetor #6 (and only #6) would cause such symptoms, but I presume that your technicians were aware of those symptoms and how to repair the problem, ie., clean and/or install a carburetor kit in #6.
The bottom line is this...I was told that 3 carburetors were flooding and needed to be rebuilt at a cost of $450.00, and failed to properly diagnose the real problem, or in the alternative, refused to furnish me with that information, even though I had already paid $90 for the diagnostics.
Therefore, I ask that you refund the $90 I paid for the fraudulent diagnosis plus $40 for the gasoline it cost me to drop off and retrieve the boat from your facility. Should you refuse to do so, I will have no choice but to post this correspondence high on the Google search list for everyone to review prior to seeking any type of service at Nobles Marine in Leesburg. I think my demand is quite reasonable considering the time and aggravation your business has cost me.
Please contact me within ten (10) days of your receipt hereof if you would like to discuss this matter. Otherwise, please be governed accordingly.
Sincerely,
Chris W. Hardee
The following is the response I received from Nobles:
Dear Mr. Hardee,
Thank you for writing me in reference to your recent dealings with our Leesburg location service department. We pride ourselves on delivering the highest level of customer service in the industry. We constantly send our service technicians to the appropriate manufacturer's service schools in order to live up to our customer's expectations.
In reference to your September 12, 2006 letter, first of all we apologize for failing to meet your expectation level. We held an internal review of your situation and have found the following:
-The Yamaha diagnosed by our shop did have three faulty carburetors
- It is industry and Nobles' Marine standard practice to rebuild all of the carburetors on an engine, not just the specific ones faulting. This prevents "come-backs" and future engine problems
-Failing to rebuild all of the carburetors, while a cost cutting measure, can lead to a running condition that may result in a major engine failure.
After our internal review, we found absolutely no efforts were made to deceive you and that we have properly diagnosed your engine. We would in the strongest terms recommend to you to immediately visit (before any further use of your engine) an authorized Yamaha shop, as your "repairs' to your engine may result in a major engine failure.
In closing, our 30 year reputation has been built on exception (sic) service and trust. We hope that this letter further explains the situation. We would welcome any further questions and discussions of your service.
Sincerely,
Chris Kewley
General Manager
__________________________
In summary, since Nobles' Marine did not offer to refund the cost of their incorrect diagnosis, I am posting these letters for all to read. Rebuilding all six carburetors is costly and unnecessary under most circumstances. I DID NOT HAVE 3 CARBURETORS THAT WERE FLOODING. The engine runs perfectly now that I cleaned number 6, so I have no need to spend any additional money at an "authorized Yamaha shop," and quite frankly, I am VERY leary about taking my boat to any "authorized Yamaha shop," for any repairs, particularly to Nobles' Marine in Leesburg, Florida.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope that it saves someone a lot of time, money, and aggravation in the future.
September 12, 2006
Nobles Marine
Attn: General Manager
437 N Palmetto St.
Leesburg, FL 34748-5236
RE: Recent service
Dear General Manager:
On or about August 30, 2006, I made an appointment for diagnostic service on my 1996 Yamaha 250 SWS II (port engine) for September 6, 2006. On that date, I missed two hours of work by towing my 25' Mako from Mt. Dora to your facility. Upon leaving the boat there, I was informed that I would be contacted that day to be advised as to cause of the engine problem; however, no one called me that day, so the following day, I telephoned Nobles Marine, and after being placed on hold for at least 20 minutes, I was asked to call back after lunch. Later that afternoon, I called back and spoke with your service technician, I believe his name is Mickey, who informed me that three (3) of the carburetors were flooding and needed kits at a cost of $450.00, so I told him that I did not want that work performed and would be picking up my boat.
On September 9, 2006, I went back to Nobles Marine and paid the $90.00 service charge, but when I received the service ticket, I noticed that it simply had 3 carburetors flooding, and did not name which 3 of the 6 carburetors were allegedly flooding, so I spoke with the service technician, who asked Goober to recall from memory which carburetors were flooding, and Goober said numbers 1, 3 & 4. He said that he observed fuel coming up through the bowls and into the throat of the carburetors. I asked both of them if they recommended installation of carburetor kits to resolve the flooding issue, and they both recommended same.
After returning home with my boat that day, I removed (but did not disassemble) and tested all three of the named carburetors by connecting an external fuel pump and found that none of the three carburetors were flooding, so I reinstalled all three and started the engine to observe the flooding as described by Goober, but there was no flooding, so I sprayed each of the carburetors with starting fluid (with the engine was running) and found that carburetor number 6 was not allowing fuel into the intake, eg. hitting carburetor #6 with the fluid resulted in the engine increasing in R.P.M.s until the starting fluid burst was exhausted. I then removed carburetor #6 and replaced it with carburetor #6 from my starboard engine, and the port engine ran perfectly, so I knew I had isolated the problem to carburetor #6. After disassembling and cleaning the malfunctioning carburetor #6, I installed it on the starboard engine, and that engine also ran perfectly.
Of particular note, is the fact that carburetor #6 is unique on those engines, as it feeds fuel to the fuel pressure regulator and contains an additional fuel line that the other five carburetors do not have. Since the engine was running so badly, I knew, prior to taking it into your facility for service, that whatever was causing the problem was affecting more than one cylinder; however I was not aware that a malfunctioning carburetor #6 (and only #6) would cause such symptoms, but I presume that your technicians were aware of those symptoms and how to repair the problem, ie., clean and/or install a carburetor kit in #6.
The bottom line is this...I was told that 3 carburetors were flooding and needed to be rebuilt at a cost of $450.00, and failed to properly diagnose the real problem, or in the alternative, refused to furnish me with that information, even though I had already paid $90 for the diagnostics.
Therefore, I ask that you refund the $90 I paid for the fraudulent diagnosis plus $40 for the gasoline it cost me to drop off and retrieve the boat from your facility. Should you refuse to do so, I will have no choice but to post this correspondence high on the Google search list for everyone to review prior to seeking any type of service at Nobles Marine in Leesburg. I think my demand is quite reasonable considering the time and aggravation your business has cost me.
Please contact me within ten (10) days of your receipt hereof if you would like to discuss this matter. Otherwise, please be governed accordingly.
Sincerely,
Chris W. Hardee
The following is the response I received from Nobles:
Dear Mr. Hardee,
Thank you for writing me in reference to your recent dealings with our Leesburg location service department. We pride ourselves on delivering the highest level of customer service in the industry. We constantly send our service technicians to the appropriate manufacturer's service schools in order to live up to our customer's expectations.
In reference to your September 12, 2006 letter, first of all we apologize for failing to meet your expectation level. We held an internal review of your situation and have found the following:
-The Yamaha diagnosed by our shop did have three faulty carburetors
- It is industry and Nobles' Marine standard practice to rebuild all of the carburetors on an engine, not just the specific ones faulting. This prevents "come-backs" and future engine problems
-Failing to rebuild all of the carburetors, while a cost cutting measure, can lead to a running condition that may result in a major engine failure.
After our internal review, we found absolutely no efforts were made to deceive you and that we have properly diagnosed your engine. We would in the strongest terms recommend to you to immediately visit (before any further use of your engine) an authorized Yamaha shop, as your "repairs' to your engine may result in a major engine failure.
In closing, our 30 year reputation has been built on exception (sic) service and trust. We hope that this letter further explains the situation. We would welcome any further questions and discussions of your service.
Sincerely,
Chris Kewley
General Manager
__________________________
In summary, since Nobles' Marine did not offer to refund the cost of their incorrect diagnosis, I am posting these letters for all to read. Rebuilding all six carburetors is costly and unnecessary under most circumstances. I DID NOT HAVE 3 CARBURETORS THAT WERE FLOODING. The engine runs perfectly now that I cleaned number 6, so I have no need to spend any additional money at an "authorized Yamaha shop," and quite frankly, I am VERY leary about taking my boat to any "authorized Yamaha shop," for any repairs, particularly to Nobles' Marine in Leesburg, Florida.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope that it saves someone a lot of time, money, and aggravation in the future.