Service / Timing Question ??? - Ducati.ms

my996duc1 · Apr 29th, 2006, 3:43 pm

Hopefully this is a stupid question....
I had my 2000 996 in for the 18,000 mile service. They had problems getting it to start after the service and they finally figured out the "timing was set 90 degrees off". I am not sure what that means but can't imagine it is good.
They said the bike would not start but just crank over. Can this cause damage to the engine by just cranking it over for a couple of days with out the engine actually starting ???
I don't know alot about the timing settings and effects of it on the engine parts.

I got worried when the dealership called a few hours after I left ridding the bike and they were wondering how the bike was running...
I hope they are just providing good follow up for a bad situation BUT I have never had a dealership call and wonder how my bike was running after they had "fixed" it..... They seem like extremely nice people and have seemed to be completely honest with me about what is going on....

Any ideas ???

Thank you in advance.

jbcaddy · Apr 29th, 2006, 8:27 pm

having the sparkplugs fire at the wrong time should not cause a problem unless it caused the bike to backfire violently. it sounds like yours just cranked without any thing happening. a bit hard on the starter and battery perhaps, but no real problem for the motor internals. the main problem I see is the competence of your service techs. what else did they do wrong during your service? it seems time to find another place to service your bike.

JAC · Apr 30th, 2006, 8:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcaddy

having the sparkplugs fire at the wrong time should not cause a problem unless it caused the bike to backfire violently.

What happens if it backfires violently??

Buckelew · Apr 30th, 2006, 10:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by my996duc1

Hopefully this is a stupid question....
I had my 2000 996 in for the 18,000 mile service. They had problems getting it to start after the service and they finally figured out the "timing was set 90 degrees off". I am not sure what that means but can't imagine it is good.
They said the bike would not start but just crank over. Can this cause damage to the engine by just cranking it over for a couple of days with out the engine actually starting ???
I don't know alot about the timing settings and effects of it on the engine parts.

I got worried when the dealership called a few hours after I left ridding the bike and they were wondering how the bike was running...
I hope they are just providing good follow up for a bad situation BUT I have never had a dealership call and wonder how my bike was running after they had "fixed" it..... They seem like extremely nice people and have seemed to be completely honest with me about what is going on....

Any ideas ???

Thank you in advance.

I would not consider taking the bike back there - EVER!

With that generation motor, there are divots cast/machined into various bits so that, when you put the belts back on, everything is in the right place. Obviously they screwed up on this. They're clueless.

The new motor (testastretta) doesn't have these marks and they expect that you'll buy a very expensive tool to align things when replacing belts (instead of marking the various pulleys).

Unless things banged around, I wouldn't expect any damage. But it wouldn't hurt to have them check compression to make sure they didn't screw things up.

OldBaldy · May 1st, 2006, 8:28 am

Check with them if the cam timing was 90 degree off, or if they switched plug caps or something. If cam timing (as I suspect - and the reason for their call), then I would have them to a leakdown test on both cylinders to determine if any valves have been hit by the pistons. I would think that was very likely....sorry.

If the leakdown shows a problem, they should strip the full top-end of that cylinder and redo the valves, check the guides, piston, etc, etc, etc.

They should not charge you for the leakdown, nor any corrective work/parts, as it's their screw-up, but give them a chance to rectify the situation. Honest mistakes can happen, and they seem to have been upfront about it.

my996duc1 · May 1st, 2006, 12:25 pm

...... MORE TO THE STORY .....
I am looking to plug in my battery tender - not expecting to ride soon - and can't find my plug. I take the side fairings off and find it BUT I notice the main fuse holder is busted and has been zip tied together..... I also notice the gas tank vent hose is missing from the holder/router so I take the gas tank off to see if it is caught up underneath it.... nope just gone.... BUT the ITG airfilter is sitting funny... They did not install the front of it right and just shoved it into the airbox...

What else is wrong that I cant see ???
What did they do right, if anything ???
Are the valves done correctly ???

So far what I have been told by the dealer and what I have found from looking at this bike =
- air filter installed wrong
- main fuse holder busted and zip tied together
- fuel tank vent hose GONE
- timing was set "90 degrees" off but fixed now
- my newer battery was run completely dead trying to start bike but they recharged it for me.

1. I don't feel comfortable giving them my bike to work on again to fix these problems.
2. If they can't remove and replace the fuse holder with out busting it, install the airfilter, remove and replace tank vent hose.... how did they check the valves properly ?
3. I wont feel comfortable without taking this somewhere else and have a complete check done, from a leakdown/compression check to the valves being checked again.

Anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this ???

I've put a call into the manager and left a message.

Thank you for any advice or suggestions in advance.

Chris748s · May 1st, 2006, 1:05 pm

I would demand a full refund of what you have paid to them. I would also demand that they pay for an inspection at another dealer and cover any related damage. In return, you won't sue them. If they even hint at not wanting to pay and you paid with a credit card. I would call the CC company and stop payment under the pretense of fraud (Payed for services that wern't received). That'll get there attention.

I would next bring bike to a good dealer and have EVERYTHING documented. Then file in small claims for the cost if the other shop won't pay.

I personally don't play nice when people screw me. Which is another reason I always pay for everything with a CC card.

-CC

level7 · May 1st, 2006, 7:09 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldBaldy

Check with them if the cam timing was 90 degree off, or if they switched plug caps or something. If cam timing (as I suspect - and the reason for their call), then I would have them to a leakdown test on both cylinders to determine if any valves have been hit by the pistons. I would think that was very likely....sorry.

If the leakdown shows a problem, they should strip the full top-end of that cylinder and redo the valves, check the guides, piston, etc, etc, etc.

They should not charge you for the leakdown, nor any corrective work/parts, as it's their screw-up, but give them a chance to rectify the situation. Honest mistakes can happen, and they seem to have been upfront about it.

Yep that's what I was thinking, that can't be good. Piston to valve contact

I can't believe this shop did this. Did they have some high school kid working on the thing?

gzinga · Oct 4th, 2007, 1:41 pm

I would think that 90 degree is quite a bit hence mostlikely the cylinder and valve had not hit eachother....there problem would be if they were 2 or 3 theets off....

my this is just a guess......

learn how to work on your own bike...

mr-x · Oct 4th, 2007, 8:27 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by my996duc1

...... MORE TO THE STORY .....
I am looking to plug in my battery tender - not expecting to ride soon - and can't find my plug. I take the side fairings off and find it BUT I notice the main fuse holder is busted and has been zip tied together..... I also notice the gas tank vent hose is missing from the holder/router so I take the gas tank off to see if it is caught up underneath it.... nope just gone.... BUT the ITG airfilter is sitting funny... They did not install the front of it right and just shoved it into the airbox...

What else is wrong that I cant see ???
What did they do right, if anything ???
Are the valves done correctly ???

So far what I have been told by the dealer and what I have found from looking at this bike =
- air filter installed wrong
- main fuse holder busted and zip tied together
- fuel tank vent hose GONE
- timing was set "90 degrees" off but fixed now
- my newer battery was run completely dead trying to start bike but they recharged it for me.

1. I don't feel comfortable giving them my bike to work on again to fix these problems.
2. If they can't remove and replace the fuse holder with out busting it, install the airfilter, remove and replace tank vent hose.... how did they check the valves properly ?
3. I wont feel comfortable without taking this somewhere else and have a complete check done, from a leakdown/compression check to the valves being checked again.

Anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this ???

I've put a call into the manager and left a message.

Thank you for any advice or suggestions in advance.

DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH YOUR BIKE AGAIN. They are obviously clueless and should not be servicing motorcycles espically ducati's
as much as this sucks i would bring the bike to another reputible ducati dealer no matter how far away. make sure they have a level 2 certified tech. have them redo the whole entire service and document everything that is wrong ,then demand a full refund from the dealer who made a mess of your bike. If they made that many mistakes that you found how many others did they make that you have not found yet and god forbid they did something that is safety related and the bike breaks causing a crash. That level of incompetance you have described is absoultly unacceptable