CAT C9 HEUI, oil pump & oil cooler problems

[jpkimmey]

I purchased a 2005 Beaver motorhome with a CAT C9 engine 1 1/2 years ago. I've had numerous mechanical problems including:
-oil pump failure summer 2011. CAT dealer replaced it.
-oil cooler failure last week ($7,000 estimate to repair per CAT dealer- needs to remove radiator & have them cleaned,etc)
- HEUI system has problems-found metal in the pump and OHMS are out of range). CAT dealer estimates $7,000 to "clean out" / repair HEUI system

Seems like one problem after another. CAT H/O offered to pay 30% towards oil cooler repairs. They don't know about HEUI problem yet. I'll be calling them Monday.
Anyone have any input / advice for a frustrated unhappy non mechanical RVer?
Thanks,
Joe Kimmey
[email protected]

 

[Mavarick]

Joe, sorry to hear about your engine problems. I?m sure you now understand how the engine oil is pressurized and used in the fuel injection system. This is why it?s important to change the engine oil regularly and use the correct oil filter. Many people change to an aftermarket filter without verifying the type of filter is equal to or better than OEM specs. It sounds like the previous owner might not have taken as good of care of the rig as you would have liked.
Right off the bat your price estimates seem high. For this kind of work I would recommend a dealer or at least Cat certified but you can purchase a used engine for about $15k +- just to help get this in perspective.  Have a look around your area to compare some prices by calling other dealers, just ask if they are Cat certified and then get a ball park # on cooler removal, etc. It never hurts to just call and speak with the service manager. Then I would have a serious talk with the dealer you are working with to figure out how to limit your exposure on this. He won?t have a crystal ball but he certainly can give you a better estimate (worst case and what is probable) or go elsewhere. You say a cooler failure so I assume it is plugged, why wasn?t this considered during the oil pump replacement? I would be an unhappy camper also. You shouldn?t have to just keep paying full price for one problem that causes other problems. IMO that is what has happened here. If that is why they are comping you 30% on the cooler that is not enough. Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Jeff]

I have found that our local Freightliner Oasis service center who is Cat certified beats Empire Cat by 20-30% on most items.

 

[jpkimmey]

Thanks for your responses / input! I have used only CAT dealers to service the RV since I purchased it. The previous owner used both a CAT dealer & a non CAT dealer. I have all his service records.

I was a commercial insurance broker for 27 years. I specialized in insuring heavy construction companies. I have decided to hire a guy I knew who ran the service dept for one of my largest construction clients. He obviously has extensive knowledge of diesels & has an excellent reputation as a guy with very high integrity. We are going to go down to the CAT dealer who has my broken RV and discuss what is broken, why it happened, how to prevent it from happening again and how to do the repairs. I want to be sure things are done right...in my best interest...this is a lot of money and I don't want all these problems to continue.

This is my first visit to this site. I greatly appreciate your input.

Thanks again
Joe

 

[Mavarick]

That sounds like an excellent plan to me. You definitely need someone in your corner here that knows his way around engines. He should have plenty of "local market" knowledge when it comes to pricing and the best place to have it repaired.
Welcome to the forum also. Hope you're back on the road soon.

 

[WILDEBILL308]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you get your problems resolved.
Bill