What did they do!!!

[Primetime]

I believe he used Rowe 9006 which according to some is an equivalent. I told him to use Lifeguard when I dropped it off and he wrote life guard 9006 @$11 a qt on the receipt so I believe this is the stuff:
https://m.eeuroparts.com/Parts/57042/Auto-Trans-Fluid-HIGHTEC-ATF-9006-Lifeguard-6-1-Liter-ATF9006/

As an update, I called him yesterday and explained the situation. I wasn’t threatening in any way upon first talking to him. I said the truck never had the downshift buck between 2-1 and never made the hum it does between 2-3. He immediately got defensive and said that’s how the truck came to him and it’s a very simple procedure that he did. Again I wasn’t threatening in any way and asked is it possible it wasn’t filled correctly. Without hesitation said no. I told him I was going to have it towed to the shop because I’m concerned about driving it so he could take a look at and he said “no, I’m not getting stuck with it”. He said for me to drive it in and he will take a test drive with me to reset the adaptations. I’ve never once did this in my life, but I think I may need to get a lawyer on this one. I have a very bad feeling about all of this.

 

[ryanjl]

Definitely get a lawyer. This guy is apparently well-practiced at screwing people over.

 

[Frank8]

The BBB isn’t worth much unless a business is a notorious crook, but you might first check to see if there are complaints. Is he rated online?

Now here’s something I can’t amswer but it might be important.

What could he have possibly done, assuming he wasn’t being malicious?

 

[TheWidup]

Do you have a mileage in/out on the invoice? If he's saying that's "how the truck came to him" then he would have had to put some miles on it before to diagnose it and then after to validate the repair. I had a war with two Ford service centers in the past and didn't need to "lawyer up" but I did file a complaint to the state attorney general that jumped all over them. In this case you might want to check in with a lawyer on the procedure here as you don't want to tow it back there only to leave it there to rot because they won't look at it...especially if he then calls to have it towed off his lot because it's taking up space. It's a real PITA dealing with things like this...make sure you document the h*ll out of it as you're going to need it if you have to get them for damages.

 

[rally3]

In my time at the dealer I have seen clearing transmission adaptions **** a few transmissions, if the clutches are pretty worn then the computer is not able to re adapt before it starts slipping and cannot recover, The ZF tech support recommended not clearing on anything at or above 100K
Have not seen a fluid and filter change cause any issues except from low fluid on refilling.
The ZF tech support also said that the filter in the pan is capable of holding most all the clutch material that the transmission can produce, But still recommended servicing at 120-150K

YMMV

 

[gsxr]

Also of interest is the FSM says the "filled for life" fantasy is with normal service.

For severe service, the fluid/filter change interval is... 30,000 miles.

Note the fluid capacity is 9.9 liters (10.5 quarts) for the initial/dry fill, and most people report only draining 4.0-4.5 quarts out during a fluid "change".

 

[armozo]

I had an extensive conversation with the ZF tech support before I did this service myself.

The guy said that the only way to get more than 4-5 litters is to let the car drip out for hours. A quick drain will get you just that.
To that end I did two drain and fills two weeks apart in order to get as much of the oil out.

I also did two adaptation resets, the first time the car was shifting rough when cold. Even though the ZF guy didn’t see a need for it. I wish I had not done the first one, to see if he was right.

GSXR is absolutely correct in change intervals. I would ad that if your commute does not include hours of interstate drive that you qualify for severe duty schedule maintenance. Note that the average American commutes 17 miles a day.

To the OP, I am so sorry this happened to you. I wish you good luck and a fast resolution.

 

[Pfunk951]

Man, that sucks.. What a ******* mechanic.. Very sorry to hear this..

1. Keep that receipt.. "Lifeguard 9006" isn't a thing, and is misleading as ****.. It is NOT what you asked for..

2. I've heard that mixing certain fluids with lifeguard is a no-no.. When people do the Mercon SP fluid changeover, it is highly recommended not to mix the fluids.

3. Rowe? I did quite a bit of research on the fluids for these boxes, and Rowe never came up.. From the data sheet, it looks semi-specialized as a ZF fluid, but also as a swiss army knife fluid for other applications- which I have been told, and seen, on other ZF forums (Jag, BMW, even Ford) to avoid.

4. The filling procedure is VERY important to follow, if he did the "x quarts out, x quarts in" he might have screwed it up. I would ask him if he followed the FSM procedure.. It's posted here, and on AB's website also.. If he didn't have burn marks on his forearms after the procedure, I'd be suspect he didn't follow the proper method.

I have never done an adaptation reset, and have no complaints on shifting from the pals I did this for. Mileages ranging from 68k to 140k; I've done 4 of these jobs now..

Good luck, and keep us in the loop.. Worst case we can try to undo what he did..

Mike

 

[Primetime]

Thanks to everyone’s responses. Hopefully I can work through this without it costing more than the truck is worth. Anyway, Here is the update:

Since leaving the shop I have kept the truck in my driveway trying to figure out my next move. I called a friend’s attorney for advice and he said the only thing that can be done is I bring it to another shop and have them figure out what the first shop may have done. Then, I would be able to use that information as ammunition. Of course, after calling a bunch of places, I realized that no one was going to touch it because they don’t want the responsibility/liability/hassle. As luck would have it though, I was talking to my neighbor and he mentioned that one of his previous students runs a Midas in town. He knew him and his family for a long time and said he can give him a call on my behalf. Of course I didn’t necessarily trust a Midas mechanic, but ya never know right. Anyway after speaking with the guy, he said he would at least check the fluid level following the procedure to a t and give me his opinion as to what happened. I figured it worth him taking a look at it, as I would at least get an honest opinion and then too, if it is under/overfilled, have a professional mechanics word for it rather than just my own. Anyway, this is where the story gets interesting. I had a flat bed come get the truck because I didn’t want to drive it and show any more mileage (the service mileage is written on the original invoice). When the tow truck showed up, I told the driver that the LR drove and I could get it on the bed. I proceeded to back out of my driveway, stopped, put it into drive, and drove up the flatbed ramp. About halfway up the incline the transmission through a code (it has never done that before), I lost forward gear completely and began to roll backward off of the truck. I applied the brakes, put her in neutral, and we used the chains to pull it up the rest of the way. When we got to the shop, the code was gone (I had shut the truck off on the way over). At that point, I was able to roll off of the flatbed in neutral, put her in reverse to get out of the way, and then back into drive to pull into one of the garage bays. They were closing, so I explained the story and he is going to take a look at it in the morning. So, my friends, does that give any light as to what could be the problem? I don’t know what code was thrown.... I will find that out tomorrow.

 

[Frank8]

I’m still wondering what the mechanic could have done to cause this. Put sand in the tranny? You seem certain that something was done to ruin you vehicle.
What possible scenarios are there that a mechanic could do to result in this?

Maybe I just don’t get it. What specifically do you think the mechanic could have done?