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alrtg	This afternoon after work I drove my car in the rain to the local Dodge Dealer for my scheduled appointment to do some preventative maintenance. This is the first time in the ten years I have owned the car that I have taken it to the dealer for anything, and the first time It has been in a shop overnight since I bought it. It is kind of scary in one way, and exciting in another. The main reason is to replace the timing belt and water pump due to age. The car has 52,979 miles on it currently. While the car is there, I am making the most of the visit to have the cooling system flushed, replace the radiator hoses, service the transaxle, replace the transmission filters, oil & filter, and replace the front lower ball joints with the new rare parts pieces I recently purchased. The Viper Tech at the Dodge Dealer will be doing the work and is familiar with the Prowlers. He has been at this dealer for 12 years and says he has replaced ball joints on four other Prowlers. He has his own Miller Tool Kit and was a bit surprised that I brought one with me for his use if needed. I am having him return to me the timing belt so I can send it to Phil for testing. I offered to send the lower ball joints to Rare Parts for further testing but Glen said he has plenty at this point.
alrtg	I got my Prowler back from the dealer today and all seems OK so far with the possible exception of a perceived exhaust leak I don't think was there when it went in. I'll look into that a little further tomorrow if the weather and my motivation cooperate. The labor for installing the ball joints was $374.85 for the pair. The tech indicated he would be removing the fenders to do the job so I can understand what otherwise might seem like a somewhat higher price point. While the car was in they found some additional minor things that needed attention and I added flushing the brakes to the list otherwise I would have had the car back sooner. It was ready yesterday but since it was raining heavily, I opted to wait until today when the sun was out. The tech that worked on the car is Viper certified and had his own Miller Tool kit for the Prowlers. He said he has replaced ball joints on at least four other Prowlers. Overall I think I am satisfied with the work and the invoiced amount for it. Sunday (tomorrow) if the weather cooperates and the perceived exhaust leak turns out to be nothing, I may try to run a tank of gas through the car before putting it away for the winter. P.S. I have the timing belt to send to Phil. I didn't see any signs of cracks or anything else on the old belt when I picked up the car but will look closer tomorrow and maybe post a photo or two. This message has been edited by alrtg on 11-10-2018 at 06:04 PM
ed monahan	They took the fenders off when they did mine also. Glad you got it back in one piece, it is always a little nerve wracking when you leave it at a dealer.
CAT-A-TONIC	I suppose the cost for the ball joint job from a dealer is probably within the hourly rates. BUT.....bigger question that I would ask is if he knew about the errors that were in the TSB and factory service manual regarding the ball joints.
alrtg	I don't even know about the errors..... Please enlighten me as to what they are VS what is correct.
CAT-A-TONIC	Both the TSB and factory SM had duplicated errors. Incorrect upper ball joint torque specks. And depending on how much of your front suspension he took apart, might need to inquire. Both TBS an SM have a lot of dismantling that doesn't need to happen to change the lower ball joints.
alrtg	Monday after work I stopped by the dealer and spoke to the tech about my perceived exhaust leak. He seemed surprised that I thought there was one, but was more than willing to put it back up on the rack and look at it. This afternoon after work, I took the car back in and he acknowledged when I arrived that he heard what I did and put it up on the lift for a closer inspection. After a little minor tweaking of two clamps, the leak seemed to be taken care of. It wasn't much of a leak, but it was enough to annoy me if not corrected. It was nice to go somewhere that when a minor issue needed addressed, they didn't try to dismiss the problem or feed me a line of crap. They were great and receptive to fix the issue without any grief. After my experience at this dealer, would I recommend them to other Prowler owners,,,,Absolutely.
ed monahan	Good news is always good news. Glad they took care of it for you without any B.S.
TucsonJer	Had my new lower ball joints installed today. It took them 3 hours to do the job but when I went to pick my car they dropped the normal rate of $130 per hour down to a $100 per hour. I’ve been taking the Prowler there for everything ever since I got it 4 years ago and I have to say they’ve always treated me right. For all the owners in Tucson, it’s Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep at 22nd & Pantano. Jer
CAT-A-TONIC	Just curious regarding install. Has your tech done a Prowler ball joint replacement before? And if so, did he have anything to say about the new style?
alrtg	I think he said he had done the recall on four other cars but had no comments either way about the new parts. He did however have his own Miller Kit with the necessary tools for the job and didn't need the one I took with me.
ed monahan	Tucson Jer had a couple of small hiccups. I talked to him on the phone. Hopefully he will notice this and respond. Nothing major but they told him since it wasn't OEM they were not responsible for any problems.
TucsonJer	Ed is correct about the little hiccups I had to deal with at the beginning of the process. The problem was mainly because the Service Advisor and the Service Manager were both newbies and neither knew anything at all about Prowler’s. They weren’t even aware that one of their own mechanics was a certified Prowler mechanic. They tried to tell me the lower ball joints couldn’t be replaced with replacing the lower control arm as well. The Manager even said that because the new ball joints I brought them weren’t OEM replacement parts they wouldn’t be responsible if anything was to break while replacing them. I know you all are probably thinking why I just didn’t tell them to forget it and go somewhere else to get it done. My answer to that is simply because they were uneducated on what needed to be done didn’t mean their certified Prowler mechanic didn’t know what to do. They brought him in and after he enlightened them, everything turned around. He had the tools needed for the job and knew how to do it. Three hours later the ball joints were in and the oil was changed. They sent an Uber driver to my home to pick me up and bring me back to the dealership. To try and make amends with me they reduced the labor rate from $130 to $100 per hour and gave me a good deal on the oil change. Bottom line is I got my ball joints replaced and the oil and filter changed. They were made aware of the fact that they have a certified Prowler mechanic on site. Now hopefully the next time I need something done other than an oil change I won’t have to be put through all the aggravation. Jer
alrtg	Jer, I am glad to hear that the job went well and you are satisfied with the transaction.
TucsonJer	Thanks Andria.
drbutton	Other than asking the Service Advisor, as in this case that did not work, how can I locate a certified Prowler Tech?
OkieHokie	I have wondered that also. Wish Chrysler had an online database.
ed monahan	I would call around to the Chrysler dealer(s) and ask them. Someone will know one. A lot of them might be retired by now. The guy we found was a Prowler Tech, the dealership got downsized out of business and he had so many customers wanting him to work on cars that he bought out a small repair shop with 4 lifts. All of the guys working there used to be his co-workers at the dealership. The previous owner of the shop was not ready to retire but he told him he needed to find a place sooner, rather than later and the guy decided to retire. I am sure MOST of the Prowler techs were the better or best mechanics at the dealerships. The dealers wouldn't want to send a brand new kid or a guy two years from retirement, so that plays into, also. Good luck.
alrtg	In many cases the dealers may not have a Prowler certified technician like the dealer that did the work on my car. When I went in, I asked the service writer if they had a Viper certified technician since it was a Dodge dealership. The technician that worked on my car was indeed Viper certified but had also done work on several Prowlers, but not Prowler certified. IF the dealer near you has a Viper certified technician, there is a good chance that that technician will be able to handle the job and give your car the respect and attention it needs. The way I look at it, a parts replacer or flat rate flunkie probably wouldn't make the effort to obtain specialty certifications. JMO This message has been edited by alrtg on 12-18-2018 at 06:01 PM
ed monahan	I agree with Andria but I would EXHAUST my quest to find a Prowler tech first. There are some totally UNIQUE things on a Prowler. Most Viper techs are going to be very good mechanics and will know to protect the car while they are working on it, so that is definitely a HUGE step up from your garden variety mechanic. Good luck on your hunt. If you find a Viper tech, he may know some Prowler techs from the old days at the dealership.
padroo	It won't be long before all the Prowler techs will be retired.
drbutton	I like the mechanic who works on my Prowler, and there is no way I could keep the car running without his help. I did ask about the Prowler Tech issue at my last stop at the dealer, and the service manager told me that he is Viper and Crossfire certified, and that they "have to" keep these guys certified per FiatChrysler. I am too busy to take the car to a bigger town all the time for repairs, so I am going to stay with this shop for mechanical. Body work all goes to Zimmerman's and they are awesome. I live in a town of fewer than 20 thousand people, so all automotive choices must be made with realistic expectations about service. Not all dealers/mechanics here can be trusted.