Maybe they always say "maybe it will be covered" as a catch all to keep them from promising coverage when the warranty may have expired or not apply. That is certainly not the case on this machine. I doubt very much that this wont be covered. The more aggravating aspect I think is the list of initial issues with the machine. Since you already bought an extended warranty adding more may not be that helpful, depending on how long you keep it. Perhaps they would refund the money spent on the additional coverage, and CAT would pickup the additional coverage themselves, but giving direct money back seems really hard for an OEM to do.
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CAT 299D3 XE
- Thread starter Reuben Frazier
- Start date
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
It’s supposedly ready and I’m going to pick it up tomorrow so I’ll see how this goes I guess.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
Make sure it's completely cleaned of all the oil before you take it.
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
Honestly I don’t expect CAT to do anything to help me out and that’s ok I guess however———They had better give me a 100% functioning and clean machine though. I’m pretty easy to get along with and understand things happen but enough is enough. I don’t have time to keep dealing with this mess nor the patience, I’ll update after I get some answers
Welder Dave
Senior Member
It's not OK if the dealer and/or Cat doesn't give you the equivalent of a brand new machine fully cleaned with everything gone over with a fine tooth comb. A little oil left in the belly pan a few leaves or branches and you've got potential to burn the machine up. They should be bending over backwards to help you.
RTSmith
Senior Member
Is that concerning seat heaters? Or something else?
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
I picked it up and he didn’t know what was wrong with it and I wasn’t waiting around to find out. I ran it for a day and it ran fine but I did have to add another $20 gallon of hydraulic oil when I got home which sucks. The days of paying more for a CAT to get the superior service are long gone I guess, this will officially be my last purchase.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
Did they clean it or do anything? Make them pay for the oil. You don't have be so nice when they're giving you the run-a-round.
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
No sir they didn’t clean it nor did I get reimbursed for the oil. I could say what I truly think about the situation but I’m not one to publicly bash anyone so I won’t. I waited a few days before responding to this post so I didn’t vent online but I’m still highly ticked off about this whole situation.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
You still have every right to be on their case. If they refuse to do anything contact Cat directly but do it soon. The most infamous thread ever on this forum had a dealer try to cheat a customer out of his machine because they messed up bad and tried to blame the customer. At one point the dealer almost had the customer convinced to pay $4K more and the dealer keeps the machine. Only after repeated prodding from myself and others did the customer contact Cat who had a specialist come out to investigate. Customer agreed to pay slightly more for something that should have been done in the first place but all the work the dealer messed up was repaired and the machine delivered back to the customer with no extra charge other than for other work that should have been done. I think the rad was done which was the extra work. Original work was a very poorly done engine rebuild if I recall. That thread went on forever but in the end the customer got a good running machine. It took about a year and half to resolve if I recall. It's too painful to go back and look at it. LoL
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
LOL that sounds horrible and I don’t want any part of that. If I had a couple hours to type I’d spill all the beans starting with a 299 burning up last year from the damn seat heater lol that this nightmare machine replaced lol I’ve had hell with CAT but one more issue and not only will I throw them under the bus but I’ll back up a few times.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
If this machine was to replace one that burnt up due to a manufacturer problem and now you're having these problems I'd be all over them! Sounds like they don't want to help you. Get them to clean it, reimburse you and make it right. I think one of the things that came out of the infamous thread is that this is a well known forum and the last thing a dealer and/or Cat needs is bad publicity. Nobody wants bad publicity when they're trying to sell machines or service. Someone's looking for a machine and reads of the problems you had with a specific dealer and they might avoid that dealer altogether.
Losing one to a fire from a well established issue and now this, at some point you have to let your purchase dollars speak for you. Its kinda like going back to the same bar where you get punched in the face at every time you show up. Realizing that you have money tied up in this machine , it likely is not as simple as walking away from it sometimes, but when purchase time comes again there are other options, they just dont say CAT on them. No amount of bitching speaks like taking your $110K somewhere else.
Do you recall the title I'd like to take a read of it
Welder Dave
Senior Member
D6C loss of oil pressure. Hard to forget. Give yourself about an hour to get through it.
LostBoulder
Member
For what it's worth, I too am having issues with my 299D3 2020.
From day 1 the unit has had a chatter/stutter in it's hydraulic system which causes it to jerk intermittently and most aggravating the bucket chatters badly when curling. Out of concern I checked the hydraulic fluid and found someone either at the factory or local dealer had filled the hydraulic system to capacity (as if someone had topped off a fuel tank). Needless to say I drained about 4-5 galls out just to get the unit into the "green". However, the chatter has continued for the past 100hrs now and the local CAT service has made 7 attempts to remedy, software updates, 4 hydraulic fluid samples, changed the fluid and filter, and yet the issue persists (this has been gong on since April of this year).
Now the regional sales service manager wants to add a friction modifier saying he "is confident" it will fix the problem after being in the system for 20-25 hours. They tell me no harm could have been caused by the hydraulic system being run 20hours with overfilled fluid and no integrity or life of the machine has been compromised. When I as why a new machine would need to have it's fluid have a modifying agent added, they say the fluid from manufacturing is "bulk fluid" and may not have the best "viscosity". I'd love to no why the heck you'd build equipment and put fluid in it that isn't proper spec for it?!?
I've told them I'm done having them come out spending hours running the machine trying to solve the issue and burning my time and fuel... not to mention down time. They also leave the machine a complete mess when done with oil spilled all over and drain plugs not tightened, it's a joke. So I (firmly) but politely requested the unit be replaced and now appear to be getting the cold shoulder.
There are several other details I could go on about here - but the bottom line is from my experience with CAT purchases (four in the past 5 years) all have had quality issues. Clearly the pre-inspection is a rubber stamp for our local dealership and sounds like for others as well... as no machine has been delivered without issues and oversights. I feel like CAT does a good job with design and engineering but execution of build quality and delivery are terrible at least for CTL's their excavators seem to have far better quality.
I'll post back on how this plays out but would appreciate anyones advice on successes they've had getting a unit replaced and who best to raise this to at corporate that might actually do good by the customer and stand behind the CAT brand.
How have things worked out for you @Reuben_Frazier ?
From day 1 the unit has had a chatter/stutter in it's hydraulic system which causes it to jerk intermittently and most aggravating the bucket chatters badly when curling. Out of concern I checked the hydraulic fluid and found someone either at the factory or local dealer had filled the hydraulic system to capacity (as if someone had topped off a fuel tank). Needless to say I drained about 4-5 galls out just to get the unit into the "green". However, the chatter has continued for the past 100hrs now and the local CAT service has made 7 attempts to remedy, software updates, 4 hydraulic fluid samples, changed the fluid and filter, and yet the issue persists (this has been gong on since April of this year).
Now the regional sales service manager wants to add a friction modifier saying he "is confident" it will fix the problem after being in the system for 20-25 hours. They tell me no harm could have been caused by the hydraulic system being run 20hours with overfilled fluid and no integrity or life of the machine has been compromised. When I as why a new machine would need to have it's fluid have a modifying agent added, they say the fluid from manufacturing is "bulk fluid" and may not have the best "viscosity". I'd love to no why the heck you'd build equipment and put fluid in it that isn't proper spec for it?!?
I've told them I'm done having them come out spending hours running the machine trying to solve the issue and burning my time and fuel... not to mention down time. They also leave the machine a complete mess when done with oil spilled all over and drain plugs not tightened, it's a joke. So I (firmly) but politely requested the unit be replaced and now appear to be getting the cold shoulder.
There are several other details I could go on about here - but the bottom line is from my experience with CAT purchases (four in the past 5 years) all have had quality issues. Clearly the pre-inspection is a rubber stamp for our local dealership and sounds like for others as well... as no machine has been delivered without issues and oversights. I feel like CAT does a good job with design and engineering but execution of build quality and delivery are terrible at least for CTL's their excavators seem to have far better quality.
I'll post back on how this plays out but would appreciate anyones advice on successes they've had getting a unit replaced and who best to raise this to at corporate that might actually do good by the customer and stand behind the CAT brand.
How have things worked out for you @Reuben_Frazier ?
Reuben Frazier
Well-Known Member
I can’t help you with your issue but to say good luck, the new D3’s have a lot of issues for sure. I’ve had more than my fair share of them. I didn’t realize on mine until recently that the power is down, I ran our 18 D2 and it’s an obvious noticeable difference with it lugging down even on simple change of directions but I’d become use to it until running the older machine. Don’t get me started on the cab noise with the hydraulics humming/screaming under normal driving conditions. CAT in the past has made an outstanding product with great support but they obviously have some serious issues going on now.
What model are you running, the XE?
What model are you running, the XE?
The part I put in red is incredible. I one cant believe a regional sales manager said that, and two the whole thing is ridiculous about adding a modifier. If CAT suggests that solution, then there should be a TSB on it. It sounds like a sales guy talking about things he knows nothing about. CAT is not putting inferior hyd oil in new machines and kicking them out. A CAT rep saying that I think would cause that guy sever issues if CAT Corp. got wind of that. If he could show documentation suggesting that idea, I guess you go with it. However I wouldn't take his word on that without some paperwork, of which I would keep a copy of.