Freightliner Died - Help?

[OMyStarz]

Hi guys....(female here)

We were on a load and our 1998 FLD120 died (cummins N14)...it started smoking (seemed to be blue smoke) and we hit the shoulder after it lost power. There was oil everywhere.

We got it running again, it didn't lose any power, and limped it to a service center where the guy last night diagnosed a bad turbo. This morning they say it's in the motor. It's tapping really bad.

OK...I bought this truck from JTS in Atlanta with no warranty, however they had just rebuilt the motor and we drove it off the lot with only 20 miles on it.

After explaining all this, my question is....how do I get this puppy home? We are in Virginia (had to repower the load) and need to get it to Georgia. We don't have enough $$ to get this thing fixed. It'll run...but like I said leaking oil and tapping and smoking like crazy

Updated: A mechanic we know back home has said it's likely a piston.

Any suggestions? Thank all.

 

[Cerberus]

You know you messed up by buying a truck with no warranty , you never do that, but not gonna bust your chops on that. This is a perfect reason why before buying a truck, make sure you have several 10s of thousands in the bank to fix things to keep it running. No reason to beat a dead horse, unless its at a cookout. Seriously, How long ago did you buy this truck ? You got insurance right ? Should be something in there to cover something like this. I wonder if the lemon law pertains to big rigs also. I would start with the insurance company, and company your leased on with .

 

[Sinister]

I'm pretty sure any lemon laws don't apply to used vehicles.

Why on earth would you buy an 11-12 year old truck with no warranty, and take the dealers word on a rebuild?

One of two things is going on here.

1 - Fake story - and such posters are easily found out, and usually abandon the forums. To which I say good riddance.

2 - People too stupid to survive in the industry. To which I say good riddance.

Not to go out of my way to be a jerk, but COME ON already...

 

[Cerberus]

Lemon Law America



Seems it varies from state to state. I thought the lemon law was directed at used vehicles. And i have to agree with you, buying a 11-12 yr old vehicle with no warranty is having a brain fart. The proper homework wasn't done on the vehicle before purchase. And since the age of it, there is not a port out there that will let that truck on property and doesn't cali require a truck to be less than a certain amount of years old ? They kinda limited themselves on what they could do with it that old. Must have been selling for really cheap.

 

[Sinister]

I guess that would be the only attractive thing about a truck like this. I've seen similar stuff in truck papers for $12000 or so. But if you don't have money put back to completely rebuild it (which may happen) buying it is still a bad idea.

 

[Cerberus]

I guess that would be the only attractive thing about a truck like this. I've seen similar stuff in truck papers for $12000 or so. But if you don't have money put back to completely rebuild it (which may happen) buying it is still a bad idea.

Never owned a truck myself but from i understand to do so you need 20-30G put back for repairs and any other misc. things that come up.

 

[Sinister]

I wouldn't call that necessary, and I'm pretty sure most owner ops don't have that much behind them when they buy a truck. That's just part of the risk of going into business for yourself. But to do something like these people did is just going out of your way to be foolish, and setting yourself up for failure!

 

[Cerberus]

I wouldn't call that necessary, and I'm pretty sure most owner ops don't have that much behind them when they buy a truck. That's just part of the risk of going into business for yourself. But to do something like these people did is just going out of your way to be foolish, and setting yourself up for failure!

Ok i was trying to be nice and understanding to them since that situation they were in just sucked, but what you said is just funny. And true.

 

[lunachic]

we bought our 98 from freightliner in 04, with a $900 warrenty.
not even 40,000 miles later kaplunk. through a rod.
It was'nt covered it was Bull Sh*t. The truck was bought by the way from freightliner of Ocala. We opted for rebulid creat motor only had a 1 year warrenty rebuild came with a 2 year.We had the work done At detroit in Tampa. And all follow up work at detroit of Ocala. Thumbs up for them. Freightliner sucks.
All total we had close to $20 grand in the motor and 25,000 in the truck.
In less then 6 months.
Really if you buy from freightliner keep a caution flag up.

 

[J-MAC]

All this crap and now one is tring to help the man or woman! Listen the cheapist way to get it home is to rent or borrow a fifth wheel to fifth wheel hook and pull it the truck can even be a medium duty truck to pull with it does not have to be another class 8 truck to pull. Now I am a independent and HELL NO I do not have 20 or 30 grand in any bank for all that stuff either. If you have the will than there is a way trust me I know !! I've been doing this sence 1986 and I also started out with nothing but a hope to do better for myself and others around me

 

[J-MAC]

And by the way J-MAC is a company I own out of arkansas look it up we can talk There is alot of folks that will help you get your truck where you need it to be for repairs

 

[lunachic]

All this crap and now one is tring to help the man or woman! Listen the cheapist way to get it home is to rent or borrow a fifth wheel to fifth wheel hook and pull it the truck can even be a medium duty truck to pull with it does not have to be another class 8 truck to pull. Now I am a independent and HELL NO I do not have 20 or 30 grand in any bank for all that stuff either. If you have the will than there is a way trust me I know !! I've been doing this sence 1986 and I also started out with nothing but a hope to do better for myself and others around me

All what crap ? The way things our today not too many of us have the money to go after a truck, 5th wheel hook or not. The cost of repair to rebuild the motor (kit) is what it is, yes someone might do the rebuild at a lessor cost, But if you want the warrenty they better be certifide for that motor. Or it's tossing the money out the window. We do most our own repairs now on most of the truck. Its out of warrenty. And we are independent. And would not be getting into another used truck that we did not know at this time because the money is not to be made. Alot of the stuff we buy/trade for now used. Because we don't have the back-up anymore.
They want to be o/o. It sucks what happened. And we all try to help each other out. But don't play it like it's nothing or a easy fix, because it's not.

 

[Cerberus]

All what crap ? The way things our today not too many of us have the money to go after a truck, 5th wheel hook or not. The cost of repair to rebuild the motor (kit) is what it is, yes someone might do the rebuild at a lessor cost, But if you want the warrenty they better be certifide for that motor. Or it's tossing the money out the window. We do most our own repairs now on most of the truck. Its out of warrenty. And we are independent. And would not be getting into another used truck that we did not know at this time because the money is not to be made. Alot of the stuff we buy/trade for now used. Because we don't have the back-up anymore.
They want to be o/o. It sucks what happened. And we all try to help each other out. But don't play it like it's nothing or a easy fix, because it's not.

WOW, well said 'chic

 

[Sinister]

The original poster hasn't returned. Either they're still wrenching on it on the shoulder opf the road, or my original thought....BS story.

 

[Larry]

Hey now don't knock Freightliner! Freightliner happens to make a good truck and just like any truck you got to work the kinks out of it!