Well, as the title reads, that's how I feel. I've kept my mouth shut for 2 months while I tried to resolve my issue with them. I'm just PISSED so I need to rant!!! It's a LONG read so bare with me.

Here are the events that have transpired:

Looked at their website in early October and liked what I read. From the site:

"#1 Win - Win Situation: Part tests good, you eliminate time and hassle of buying and returning a part you did not need. Part tests bad, we apply the testing fee towards the purchase of rebuilt unit.

#2 Quick Turn Around: The part is tested and returned to you the same day received. If bad, rebuilt ships same day.

#3 Experience / Guarantee: FIC has been in the Fuel Injected Parts business for over 30 years.

#4 18 Month Unlimited Mileage Warranty

Sounds good right? WRONG!

I called and was asked to fill out the online request form and ship the AFM to them. I was quoted $199.00 plus $10 shipping over the phone....but wait...online says my part is $163.66 + $66.00 core charge! That should have been my red flag!

I send the part USPS for $15.00...pay the $209.00 to FIC...and a WEEK goes by without word! I make a call. Bob White says it will go out tomorrow (Friday).

I call the following Tuesday, Bob says it will go out tomorrow...

I call on Wednesday and ask if it has shipped...Bobs daughter says it will ship tomorrow...I nicely inform here of the multiple "ship tomorrow' remarks and aske here to make sure it leaves today...after all step #2 says quick turnaround, rebuilt ships next day! I waited OVER a week! Online store said 12 in stock!!! Part ships on 10/23/12.

I get the part and install it. I let the car warm up and idle for 20 min. I drive it and it starts bucking and cutting out. It will not idle and gas is flooding the engine. My AFR gauge is all over the map. I limp home and it will not start back up. I wait for 15 minutes and she fires right up. This time I don't dare take her out. I just let it idle. It would idle for 45 min. then shut down as if someone had turned the key off! So I change every component I can get my hands on as far as the ignition system is concerned. I have spares of almost every part. New ECU, Distributor, CHT, Cap, Rotor, Plugs, Wires....etc etc. Nothing works.

The wise old man, my dad (a fully employed mechanic since the age of 16) says its the AFM! I told him, "can't be, I just had it rebuilt!"

His wise reply, "So, that doesn't mean a damn thing!"

I inform FIC of the problem and they say send it back...I inform them that I should not have to foot the return shipping bill. They said they would send a call tag out to UPS to pick it up. A WEEK LATER UPS PICKS IT UP!!!

Another week and a half goes by and I get a replacement AFM (same one...I scribed a mark on it ) Install it, SAME PROBLEM!!!!!

Call FIC again. This time Robert JR. thinks it might be the thermo switch in the unit. A part, according to him, NOT USUALLY REPLACED IN A REBUILD. Really?!? They don't replace one of the only 5 parts in a FULL REBUILD!?!

UPS picks it up AGAIN in about a week...

Meanwhile I hit the G&R swap and pick up a used AFM for $15...WORKS LIKE A CHARM!!!! Drive the car to work, to the Halloween run and the car works great!

I get a 3RD AFM from FIC, (same marked casting)...this one was worse than ALL the others! Car was running on two cylinders and then shut down after only 10 min. I put the $15 AFM back in...everything is good.

I call FIC and explain the 3rd one is junk too. They don't believe me and tell me it must be the ECU. I tell them I swapped ECU's and that I have confirmed that its the AFM because I bought one at a swapmeet for $15 and with it installed the car works fine.

Bob White then gets upset and says we will just have to part ways and to send the AFM back and he will ship me a core! I ask him why I should spend another $15 shipping him a broken unit so he can send me a core. The one I have now is as good as a boat anchor to me and I can send this somewhere else to get a working unit. I ask him if he thinks its alright that I should spend $30 in shipping for a product that I can't use and be back at square one minus $30.00 in my wallet. He says, "I guess."

So I'm fuming but I collect myself and call back and talk to Junior. He's cool and says to hold on to the bunk AFM and he'll build a new one from a different casting and get it out to me. I thank him for not throwing in the towel and will be looking forward to the new unit.

A week goes by...I call Jr..."Oh, I forgot to do it! I'll do it today and I'll get it shipped out!"

Here we are, another week and a half later...I call and the daughter answers the phone...Jr's not there and she can't confirm any shipments to my address. She will try to get a hold of Jr. and confirm...if it hasn't gone out she will ship it today...

I smell

Any opinions? Any other options for AFMs? (NO NOT CARBS )

Thanks for letting me vent fellas!

That sucks.

I've gotten multiple AFMs, multiple sets of injectors and multiple ECU resolders done by Fuel Injection Corp. IMHO, everything was affordable, quick and worked great.

I will continue to use them.

Apparently, according to Bob White, we don't have a choice. No one else does this service.

At least Robert Jr. was understanding and tried to fix the problem...I don't think you should ever stick your customer for $30 bucks and tell them it's a lesson learned for them.

I'm not posting to steer business away from him. If he can keep a business open with the type of service I received, more power to him.

I just needed to vent.

As we say in the trade, "No matter what your reputation your only as good as your last job".

And this is why I go carbs!

I've always had great luck with them. Especially when they were Brett Industries... I knew the family personally.

It's hard enough working on these cars as it is. Installing supposedly good parts from a trusted re-builder, and finding out they are indeed bad, turns a mechanic into a alcoholic.

I knew one of you carb guys would say something!



Bob said they bought out Brett Ind. about 10-12 years ago...I don't think this is the same family.

Use them if you want, I have never heard anything bad about them. The unit that I sent them to rebuild came with the car when I bought it 5 years ago. It had a Fuel Injection sticker on it. That's why I looked them up first.

I just wish I could have gotten a working unit without all of the stress.

How long do you think I've been at this? I've been using them since the Brett's. He was beyond retirement and had a heart condition. I've not really talked to the new people but I've used them... No problems.

Not sure I get your point? How long do I think you've been at this? Not sure.... since yesterday... last century? I've never met you.

I'm glad you haven't had any problems...I wish I could say the same. As I said, I've never heard a bad word about them. Maybe I'm the first person to ever receive a bad AFM (3 times). I hope I'm the last.

What would you do if it were you that this happened to? Not vent and make others in your "club" aware?

I kept my mouth shut for over 2 months while dealing with this "quick turnaround/next day" deal.

I'm a straight up guy, as those who know me in the SoCal area can vouch. I don't get hot easily, pay what I owe, help when I can and I always let a person rectify a mistake as they see fit. After reading the first post I think you can see I've done my share of being patient.



Happy Holidays everyone!

I mean I've been dealing with them since the Brett family owned it... A lot more than one AFM. No problems. 15-20 years...

I think there might be something terminally wrong with the AFM you have sent them 3 times. Have you considered just driving down there? Or did they move from Orange?

Happy Holidays everyone!

FIC are in Livermore, Ca. A bit of a drive for me.

I too had dealt with Brett when they were Orange, right in my backyard. Great company! They rebuilt parts for my Toyotas & VW's. I didn't know the family, but these parts last quite a while and once running properly they don't require much attention. So by the time I needed them for this car they're gone and FIC is the go to company.

Yes, Robert Jr., from FIC, thought that the AFM was terminal as well and offered to rebuild another one from a new casting...that was in November.

What I can't figure out is how they can test good at their facility and not work installed in a vehicle! That's the real head scratcher!

I had that happen with 2 MPS's from them. They leaked out of the box. I ended up taking the second replacement apart and putting a light coating of rtv on the paper gasket. Fixed the problem. Also seems significantly cheaper to go through one of their vendors than going through them directly. They were helpfull, but I question how well they tested them.

Not sure a little RTV will patch up my AFM.

Just noticed in your signature that you sell NLA 2.0L throttle body gaskets...is there a difference between the 1.7,1.8 and 2.0 gaskets? I've seen 1.7 and 2.0 advertised but never seen a 1.8l for sale.

http://the944.com/afm.htm

lol Mike, think your right. Might need alot of RTV to fix it! Just posting my experience with them. Regarding the gaskets these are just specific to the 2.0. For the 1.8 I'd try more RTV.

That's what I had to do! Thanks for the info.

Got my replacement (Completely different casting) AFM from FIC yesterday. Installed it in the car and ran it for about an hour...

SUCCESS!!!!!!

Apparently the one that they rebuilt has some bad stuff going on inside of it and refused to work.

A BIG thank you goes out to Robert White (Jr.) and his sister, of Fuel Injection Corp., for standing by his products and getting me a working unit.

It took a while , but the end result is good.

I'd check the new unit for RTV Glad you got it resolved.