Help! Melted sill plates - stuck accelerator - door catching on seal- headlights wearing away

[VENM8R]

Too bad I don't live down in the lower '48. I have only one place to go to here in Alaska.
I am stuck with a hummer/viper tech that thinks my door rubbing the seal in two places and extensive carpet wear is "normal". He wouldn't adjust the door. He didn't even know what front sill plates were (The ones that had melted off behind the front wheel area from hot exhaust) - He said that this was okay too.
My advisor said that he had looked at the side of the sills only?

My hood was scratched above the right headlight for almost two feet and the hood chipped deeply (paint & hood material itself) on one side when or after an adjustment was done. The hood lip still is rubbing away the headlight covers so that it will soon break through them. Now the hood is very difficult to close.
My viper also stays revved up at the stoplights and even kept accelerating after I passed SLOW moving cars or just plain accelerating from a stop. Pushing on the brakes doesn't stop it. This of course didn't manifest itself while at the dealership.

I also have to take my viper there for the steering recall. I made an appointment two weeks ago for last thursday and at that time no one told me to bring it in for an examination.
Later I was told this was neccessary in order to tell what parts are needed. Fine, but two weeks were wasted waiting. I hope it doesn't snow until then.

The advisor is friendly and the manager is reasonable, he said that if I bring in any papers or documents supporting these claims they can/will fix them. Does anyone have an offical bulletin regarding any of these problems?
If not, explanations on how to fix some of these problems myself?

Thanks, GPII

 

[Craig 201 MPH]

get a shop manual and some tools. The viper isn't a complex car. You can find a manual for your car on ebay.

 

[Larry Macedo]

I bet they're 5 Star too...

 

[Vic]

Wow, dude, you got it tough, what with only one dealer there. Like Craig says, best to do your own wrenchin' in this case. The local Viper tech sounds like a dud, don't bring it back to him, or your pain will only continue.

Next, call the DC zone rep, and tell him how your local dealer scratched your hood, chipped it, and the throttle problem. Scream and shout a little! Aftrer all, you have been seriously wronged, have lost time and money, and they should make up for it. Don't put your tail between your legs!

(BTW, is the cable linkage free, or is it hanging up? With the engine off, open the hood, and try moving the throttle linkage by hand, then have a buddy step on the gas pedal while you investigate. (Watch your fingers!) See if its hanging up on anything, maybe it needs to be lubricated, or replaced.

Is your hood closing too far? Maybe you could turn your front hood stops out counter-clockwise a trun, and see if that helps.

On my car, the front fascia, headlights, and hood seemed like they were in perfect alingment, with parallel gaps, nice and neat looking, and generally better than many I have seen. But the hood tips were wearing little grooves in the headlight housings. Looking at the underside of my hood, it had a ridge running around the periphery, near the headlights. It seems to have been added later in teh production run, for stiffening the tips. (Another 2001 I looked at did not have this ridge, it was just completely flat around the backside in that area.) So I took my Dremel, and very gently radiused the ridge, being careful to not remove any more material than necessary, so that the edge of the ridge was not quite so pronounced in the small area where it was rubbing the headlights. After that, and one-half turn counterclockwise on the front hood stops, and presto, no more headlight rubbing.

Maybe a fiberglass shop can mate the broken tips back on for you, I have heard of this being done. See if DC will pay the bill first.

Lastly, if you are forced to have "dufus" rivet your steering reinforcement gussets on, make sure you tell him to put them on the right way, so that the oil filter does not become obstructed!

 

[Newport Viper]

Re: Help! Melted sill plates - stuck accelerator - door catching on seal- h

AKViper,
I know how you feel. Not too many choices here either!

 

[David Jenkins]

Re: Help! Melted sill plates - stuck accelerator - door catching on seal- h

I've always wanted to go to Alaska.............

 

[Viper Wizard]

Re: Help! Melted sill plates - stuck accelerator - door catching on seal- h

I've always wanted to go to Alaska.............

AKViper,
Invite David up, he'll take of your Viper! He's closer to you then I am, but I too want to visit Alaska!
Hint Hint

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Re: Help! Melted sill plates - stuck accelerator - door catching on seal- h

Thats a switch, now you have some of the best Viper tech's offering to pay you a visit.

 

[VENM8R]

Craig 201 MPH, I will get a manual - good Idea.

MacedoMS, I don't think they are 5 star with some of the survey's I have read on the internet.

Vic, your info is very helpful (especially the oil filter tip) and I will try out the hood adjustment tomorrow.

Maui Viper, how could I forgot about Hawaii? You suffer from the same fate as Alaska: high-priced shipping, shops that know you can't go anywhere else - so they put the screws to you, higher gas prices, etc!
Is it still the same? I haven't been there since '94. What a beautiful place.

Jeff Torrey, how true - too bad Alaska is so far away.

David Jenkins & Viper Wizard, I wish I could afford to fly up a couple of smart fellows like you two, my viper would be done in a pinch. Alas, I am just a miner with a viper for a home!

GPII