New Bird, first ride... bad experience

[hockeythug]

My father just got his Blue premium on Thursday, full blue interior and a white hardtop. He's been waiting for 16 months, I think. The car is gorgeous, absolutely beyond belief. We went for our first ride with the hard top off and the top down today. Only a few miles out, the car slows down, then dies. The dipstick was pretty much dry, but something else is going on, too, I think. When we tried to restart the car
(before checking the oil) it shook really roughly.

Anyone have any ideas? If anyone else has seen this, it would make us both feel much better. Might we have a leak, or is our dealer as stupid as we think?

Thanks

 

[Gobird]

hockeythug, sounds like , for one thing that yes your dealer is not too bright if he left a new car go off the lot that low on oil. The stalling thing has happened to a lot of us but it only seems to happen one time then goes away. I think I would have a long talk with the dealer.

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02 T-Bird 9293
69 Vette
73 MGB
97 F-150 4x4
2-Seadoo Jet Skies
a dog a cat and a couple hundred fish in my pond

 

[RedBirdDlx]

Checking the oil was a good idea, however it may have not run down into the pan yet, thus the "Low" reading. Is it low now that it has had a chance to drain down?

The fuel your dealer put in the vehicle before delivery may have been different (blended?) than factory fuel and the computer didn't adjust quickly enough to the change to keep it going.

On restarting the vehicle, I wonder if someond tried to "give it gas" by pumping the accelerator? You really need to keep your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the computer adjust the fuel and air delivery. The feedback systems are pretty sensitive to rich/lean conditions.

I doubt the dealer is stupid. I've known about 550 and most were superhuman, caring and responsible (or they wouldn't have been granted a franchise).

If you are concerned, talk to your service department. The may want to pull codes to see what might have happened. It's rare that this happens and it usually self corrects as the computer learns your climate, altitude, driving habits, etc.

Now if you want to discuss whether a dealer is shortsighted for selling over MSRP, I might reconsider part of my position.

 

[whvt01]

I don't if would say the dealer is stupid
but they may need to rethink personal in make ready.

Many posts ago, I said I knew who did
some of the make-readys at the dealership
that we will be taking delivery from.

Yes, yes it would possible that a car could
go out with no oil. I doubt they could
even find the dipstick. One of the reasons
got so crossways with the salesperson when
he told me that only qualified Thunderbird
techs handled the car, bull knew better.

 

[DesertRoadRunner]

If the oil was low the shaking was the failsafe system kicking in.

 

[57 bluebird]

I think roadrunner is right, If you engine overheats it will go into a failsafe mode and will shut down some cyclinders the car would run very rough. Check your owners manual for more explanaion.

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2002 Black/Black/Full Red
1957 Starmist Blue
1981 Shay ('55 Reproduction)(just sold it)

 

[hockeythug]

That's what we figured was happening, the failsafe system kicking in. Yes, we did check the oil again later (we had plenty of time) and it was still that low.

As for the intelligence of the dealer, they yet my father walk out the front doors with the keys before he realized he'd never physically given them the check... and they'd never asked. Other than that, the dealer experience has been good. They seem very concerned to treat the T-Bord owners well.

 

[Elaineinwa]

My father just got his Blue premium on Thursday, full blue interior and a white hardtop. He's been waiting for 16 months, I think. The car is gorgeous, absolutely beyond belief. We went for our first ride with the hard top off and the top down today. Only a few miles out, the car slows down, then dies. The dipstick was pretty much dry, but something else is going on, too, I think. When we tried to restart the car
(before checking the oil) it shook really roughly.

Anyone have any ideas? If anyone else has seen this, it would make us both feel much better. Might we have a leak, or is our dealer as stupid as we think?

Thanks

I remember reading in the owners manual that if the car overheats it will drop from 8 to 4 cylinders to get you to safety... don't know if it overheated due to lack of oil...