Warning to 6.0 PSD Owners with Amsoil System

[CJ]

Customer service is everything in a CASE like this.

[letrbuck]

I picked up my SMB in February '08. It sounds like my filters are also plumbed wrong. If I understand correctly - the hoses should be crossed - is that correct?

[CJ]

The unofficial word on this board is yes. however to my knowledge no one on this board represents SMB west.

so for now,

[daveb]

Originally Posted by CJ

The unofficial word on this board is yes. however to my knowledge no one on this board represents SMB west.

so for now,

Except as Jonathan stated here. But I don’t know if he was officially speaking for the company. Maybe he was throwing a little water on the fire. I’ve received 3 calls from SMB on this and they are working on it.
DaveB

Originally Posted by Jonny

Sportsmobile will soon be coming out with a statement on how the AMS Oil situation will be addressed. Testing is going on to determine the best approach to take on this issue. Oil samples from a few different rigs have been sent to AMS Oil for analysis. These samples were taken from vans that had some different characteristics such as...mileage...year...and from vans with lines run both ways.

If you are do for an oil/filter change, feel free to swap the lines as shown in the diagram posted by Charlie as you do the filter change. If you are not due to change the filters, take no action until further notice. I am very sorry that this has inconvenienced and/or added any stress to an already hectic time!

Again thanks to all the members who continue to provide valuable information and great stories/trip reports as the SMB community continues to grow and thrive!

Jonny

[CJ]

Thanks for the info, However not all of us are personal friends of the owners of SMB and I think very few of us are fortunate enough to get personal calls. Glade to hear you have been singled out and are receiving individualized treatment.

As I read the message you are referring to I would have to assume it is as you indicate Jonathan an owner of SMB and not just some Johnny on the board.

If he is talking for SMB then he should have said so. And you don’t pour water on a magnesium fire. It can be put out rather quickly with good business practice.

IMHO this is just another step in the poor way to carry on business.



Am I also to assume your AMS oil system is fixed?

[Buji]

Jonny is an employee of SMBw, and the son of Alan, the owner. I applaud him coming on here and acknowledging the problem, and like I said earlier I appreciate it. He probably didn't realize (and I'm not sure I would either in his shoes) that he should point out that he is part of the SMB organization. I think for a lot of us it's already somewhat common knowledge.


Now I want to be crystal clear here:
I have had my brand new van in and out of SMBw 6 times in the past year for AC problems, body issues, and have a LOT to be dissatisfied with. To be honest, I will put dollars to donuts that the B.S. I've had to put up with on my van has been more than anyone else that I've read about. I'm certainly in the top running. This is just the cherry on my sundae that is my 1 year of SMB ownership. If anyone has more reason to get apoplectic over this latest issue than me, I have a bottle of excellent tequila to share with them in commiseration.

Having said that, I also took the time to thank Jonny for coming on here and saying something, if only to let the community know they are looking into how to address the problem. This is a first for SMB in this forum that I can recall.

Does it suck that the community had to figure this out? Absolutely.

Do you think you could correctly judge the potential damage to all of your user vehicles and formulate a plan of attack in under a week? I know I couldn't, if I were in SMB's shoes. *

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Jonny didn't have to post anything, and we want to BUILD those bridges with SMB, not discourage them with what may be perceived as typical internet bashing behavior.

At the end of the day we have a very strong case, there's no confusion over where the mistake was made. If SMB's response is not sufficient for the community, we have a lot more options available to us.

In summary, I was taking a hiatus from the board while my 1 year old van was getting the whole AC system replaced after taking 12 days off of work over the past year and a personal cost of over $2500 in fuel just driving the dang thang to fresno over 6 times. Not to mention the numerous vacations I've had to cancel/sit out, and regular daily usage I've not had because of the problems.

I was/still am at my wits end with SMB over my AC issue, and if this last visit doesn't fix the problem once and for all I will be addressing my problem in a much different fashion, youbetcha.

Let me bottom line it:
If I of all people can give SMB the benefit of the doubt and let them take a week or so to figure things out, then I honestly believe anyone else should. That is just my opinion.



* I wanted to refer to the recall business ford had to go through with the 99 cobra mustangs and the ill fitting / poorly installed headers. It took ford MONTHS to even acknowledge the problem in the face of tons of empirical knowledge, and months still to announce their response. Some users were dissatisfied with that reply, and pursued a class action suit.

[AndrewST]

Originally Posted by John & Dana

I did drive my van on a short trip yesterday and I don't know whether it was the Amsoil or switching the oil lines but the engine was noticeably quieter. At 60 mph the engine was barely audible over the road noise.

John

After switching the lines, if the engine noise level goes down with other owners, could it be that the engine was running with higher oil pressure due to flow restrictions? Or reduced oil flow?

On an older car, I know the oil level just by earing the valve noises of the engine! Less oil, more noise!

Andrew

[letrbuck]

I just talked to Alan and he informed me that SMB is sending out a notice with instructions, photos, etc.
He also suggested that I wait to switch the hoses until my next filter change. It makes sense that only swithcing hoses would send the crud buildup back in the wrong direction.

[Greg In Austin]

Well said Buji !!

and I agree with Letrbuck, it makes no sense to just switch the hoses WITHOUT also replacing filters; that sounds like a situation that could force any previously filtered particulates back through the engine. I think filtering backwards through the filter a litter more is a better idea than reversing the flow without removing the particulates.

AND I am anxious to see/hear the SMB instructions/response.

[Greggd]

After looking into this post I have discovered that I seem to be one of the fortunate ones who had his Amsoil system installed correctly .
I read all of your posts and then contacted Jonathan Feld at Sports Mobile to be assured that my system was in fact installed properly , and was immediately impressed with his knowledge and understanding of this issue , I was assured that any and all problems would be addressed with regard to this issue and like always was very gracious and thankful for my call and the Forums Members bringing this problem to light . Buji was correct with regard to the promptness that this is being addressed and as a manufacture of Thermal Plastic Products used by the public and the government I am somewhat amazed at how quickly they have moved on this . I can also say that the ultimate fault will fall on the OEM of a given product and was assured that Amsoil has already become proactive in solving this problem . I am very grateful for this Forum and SportsMobile for providing all of the great information available and the commitment to Service on our Vans .
Greggde