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CLARKE POWER
Those of us with Detroit Diesel engines occasionally need work or parts for our engines. It is not surprising that over the years of Prevost forum posts we have seen forum posts about Detroit Diesel engine service providers. Stewart Stevenson and Williams have both been praised by members whose service experiences were very good.
My experiences with Clarke Power have been universally bad and yesterday’s scheduled appointment prompted this thread. For quite a while I dealt with Covington Detroit before it was acquired by Clarke. I was happy with the service and the knowledge of the parts counter people. After the company was acquired by Clarke, based out of Cincinnati OH things changed. My first negative experience was when I tried to buy a conditioning filter for the coolant system which had 2 year coolant and needed 6 month replacements of the cartridge to add SCAs.
The parts counter guy did not know what i was tallking about. My bad, I should have pulled the number, but never previously needed it. He went to the shop to ask the mechanics about the needed part and returned saying they don’t use them. I asked how they service trucks between Power Cool replacement intervals. Back to the shop he went and said that is not part of the service. I left and bought what I needed from Truck Pro, with the counter man knowing exactly what was needed.
Yesterday was a new experience. I had been having a check engine light come on for a few minutes occasionally and then go out. It might return on a subsequent trip or not. I finally hooked up my reader so I could catch it when it happened, because whatever it was had not been stored in memory. When it happened my reader was specific in telling me the response time on the #1 injector was slow. I caught it a few times, and each time it was the same. When the check engine light came on there was a little roughness but quickly the problem disappeared. Now with my newly made quick engine access I decided to get the problem fixed, so I called Clarke in Knoxville, provided the exact complete diagnosis from the Nexiq reader I have, and asked for the repair to be made. The service manager said they were busy but he could get me in in a week. I asked for an early appointment one day later, first thing in the morning.
I showed up on time and was told they were too busy to get at the coach. He said there was a chance they could get at it late that day. Polite, patient, understanding person that I am I suggested I had an appointment and was told they deal with customers on a first come, first served basis. I guess my interpretation of an appointment made a week prior differed from his and when I suggested I expected my appointment to be honored he said he would do what he could. A half hour later a mechanic with a lap top came to the coach, hooked up to the coach and after a lot of button pushing, scowling, and mentions of long ago codes like a low coolant light as a result of a blown coolant line he announced my problem was a #1 injector with a slow response time. Wow! He verified exactly what I defined as the issue a week prior. Amazing.
He went in to discuss this with the service manager, and I followed a few minutes later to try to learn what was happening. After their 10 minute discussion the mechanic with the laptop went to check on the availability of parts while I asked the service manger what was next. He reiterated his comment about being busy, and in response to my comment about an appointment he said he met his obligation by diagnosing the problem which was all he wanted me to believe the appointment was for.
To further piss me off the mechanic returned and indicated they did not have any fuel injectors in stock and they might be available by the end of the week.
So maybe Clarke has the expertise to do repairs. Maybe. I’ll never know because their clearly expressed plan was that I was expected to leave the coach, that they would work on it as their schedule allowed. and while I may think it is only the injector issue I think will be repaired he indicated they never find just one issue and that once they had the coach there would likely be other repairs needed.
If you could read my mind you would see I gave them the proverbial finger.
There is a great outcome. I called Prevost Nashville to get advice on who they turn to for such engine service. As it turns out Prevost has been doing engine repairs in Nashville and they have previously done a number of injector “six pack” replacements. I am scheduled, have a price and without a doubt I will get in on time and get the work done without the miscommunications experienced at Clarke, or the feeling that Clarke was going to find a whole lot of issues to add to the work.
If you have to have Detroit engine service try to avoid Clarke. If you must use them make certain you and the person scheduling the service know clearly if you have an appointment for repairs or just to get your coach sunbathed in the back lot. Make sure you know if the coach has to be left, and if so how will it be secured. Finally get it all in writing. I find I am not alone in my recent experience and that those who I have spoken to regarding this find they have been faced with very large unexpected total costs.
And if it makes sense, check with Prevost. I am very comfortable with Prevost and in the past I have learned they will do what they say, when they said they would do it, and while they are not the cheapest shop in town, they will stand behind their work.
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5 Replies
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Jon,
Interesting to hear. I have had great experience with Clarke Power in Nashville. They have been very responsive and helpful. The dropped their normal work and did a rush job on coolant hoses for me earlier this year. I wonder if its just growing pains.
I also have had good service at Prevost Nashville……
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Clarke Power in Nashville ran up a bill on me a few years ago to the tune of $10,000+. They were only authorized to check the transmission that had recently been replaced by another Clarke Power location. When I called for an update they were replacing stuff we’d never even discussed checking. Their internal communication was deficient, to say the least. Fool me once …
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This is to bring the final result of my efforts to try to do business with Clarke.
If I ignore their attitude about first come first serve and how appointments mean little, and I ignore the fact they make it clear buses are not their favorite vehicle to work on, I am left with the fact I was told when the work would get started I was not to be in the coach, the coach would not be done in one shift and I could not stay in it over night, and that in the initial conversation when I showed up for my appointment the service sales guy told me they always find something else wrong, implying I was to bend over and get prepared.
Needless to say I jumped for joy when Prevost indicated they do engine work, that they have the Detroit expertise, and that they clearly understood if at all possible I could remain in the coach overnight and during the day I could be in the coach working while it was being repaired.
So I arrived the afternoon prior to my appointment. I had been to Nashville and always was pleased with the quality of the work and how they treated the coaches and customers. Kira, the gal in the service department sent me to a parking spot with power for the night and said first thing in the morning I would get right in for service. At 7:15 Jeff the tech had me pull the coach in. I ran out the slide and opened the engine access panel in the bedroom, and by 7:30 ish he was starting to pull off tubes and hoses an brackets that were in his way.
When I indicated if possible I would like the coach pulled outside the door that end of shift so I could stay in it overnight. He said that was not going to happen.
The reason is was not going to happen is he replaced all injectors and did a complete tune up, had it buttoned up and running before lunch.
The two shift job described by Clarke, and the manner in which they keep customers away from the coach to me was an indication their hands were going to be in my pockets.
Prevost does engine work. Jeff proved it. He knew what he was doing and his years of experience with Detroit Diesel showed. He is able to work on two stroke engines as well as the Series 60 engines. He and Prevost and how well everything went make it very easy for me to urge owners to give serious consideration to bringing coaches to Prevost for engine work. We have been remiss for not knowing the scope of what Prevost will do and now we are going to correct that.
I know some owners have taken their buses to American Fleet, to trucking companies, and to other places not knowing Prevost has the skills necessary, perhaps better than most to do almost all engine work. They will not rebuild an engine, but they will replace one. They will replace transmissions. They will do anything external on the engine. And unless there is no alternative they will not pull and engine.
Instead of getting cheated by Clarke, or spending upwards of $3000 to American Fleet to pull an engine and have me spend two or three nights in a motel, I never left my coach and in a morning I was done and gone.
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Jon: Thanks so much for the follow-up on your story. Its good to hear that at least one Prevost shop can do Detroit Diesel work.
But Prevost owners beware. I’ve been to two different Prevost shops. One did excellent work, I was very pleased with the overall billing, and have high recommended it. Sadly … it is now apparently closed.
My experience with the second shop was on the other end of the spectrum. While they diagnosed the problem (leaking transmission seal, second time since 2014) and replaced it … some other things I had them do and ask them about left me very, very reluctant to go back. Then the invoice came which I challenged and after telling the accounts payable dunning person from NC or Quebec I was waiting for their shop to respond to my questions about the invoice, appropriate adjustments were eventually made. (I’ve been told by “the locals” that there has been a change in the management of the shop.)
So … morale to the story … not all Prevost shops are created equal, have the same capabilities, and are qualified.
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I am in the process of writing an article about Prevost Nashville. This is because I and most of us were unaware of the scope of what they can do and the particular strengths the Nashville facility has.
As Dick points out not all service centers have the same focus or expertise and my article will cover Nashville, but when I make a post about the article when I get it finished I will be seeking others to write articles about branches they use, the strengths found in that facility and the scope of work done. Prevost tries to have uniformity, but because of regional influences different Prevost Service centers develop and put in place abilities best suited for their market.
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