I have a therory on the low oil in the rear diff...........

[Steve 0080]

Money, sex and water, rule the world...EVERTHING comes back to one of these !!!


P.S. Larry, I agree. I stated in one of the beginning threads that I have never heard of a rear end failure early on, some have installed a new one after 125K miles, but how many folks does that effect.

* Due to lack of oil.

[BIGLRY]

See Larry I don't see it that way. The dealer most likely would pay the few buck more for the boat to come complete. This way he doesn't have to send an employee to BoatUS or Sailorman's every time he needs a plug. Plus travel expenses. The manufacturer has greater buying power. He could buy them in bulk at less than the dealer can and can offset the the difference in the cost of the boat. What's next a steering wheel? Every company has a customer, to the boat manufacturer it is the dealer, the dealer's customer is the boat purchaser. Satisfying your customers will keep them coming back. Sure it sounds nice for the employees vacation but how many employees can really go to Hawaii for $35k, the plane ticket alone is over $600. It makes me wonder what other things the manufacturer shorted the dealer to get a vacation. Make and sell a good product and the world will come.

Oh, the boat story is true and the boat manufacture owned two condos on the big island of Hawaii that they all stayed at. I know it as fact as my late wife used to babysit some of the employee's dogs & cats while they were on vacation each year (manufacturing plant was about 40 miles north of me).
I do agree with you that it would create a better relationship between the manufacture and his dealer network, but that was the reason he gave as to why he did not supply the drain plug on the boats he sold and that is what got me to thinking "What IF" about the commonly low rear diff oil we are hearing about on just this forum. How many other Honda MC have low oil right from the factory we never hear about?
Just a theory and nothing more.

"It makes me wonder what other things the manufacturer shorted the dealer to get a vacation" Good question which I can't answer.

[BIGLRY]

Money, sex and water, rule the world...EVERTHING comes back to one of these !!!


P.S. Larry, I agree. I stated in one of the beginning threads that I have never heard of a rear end failure early on, some have installed a new one after 125K miles, but how many folks does that effect.

* Due to lack of oil.

As we all know Steve there are three things you can NEVER take away from Americans and that is Booz, Sex & Weekends. Funny how Sex is always in there somewhere.

[unsub]

There's PDI = pre delivery [to the customer] inspection. Always charged to the customer. Usually under the dealer ruse of ensuring the vehicle is washed and gassed up, all bolts tightened, paper work etc...

and then there's...

PDI = post delivery inspection. Paid to the dealer in some form or another by the manufacturer upon delivery of each vehicle to the dealer by the manufacturer. Why? Because this is the last point of quality control the manufacturer has before a vehicle is delivered to the customer. The manufacturer depends on the dealer for the servicing and to make sure the vehicle is defect free. The PDI fee is supposed to cover the dealers employee cost for time for the "inspection". Now often built into the MSRP so the customer may not see it as such.

The PDI scam was created by the dealer long ago to find a way to get paid twice for what should be a cost bourn by the manufacturer, not by the customer. It's not unusual for the "PDI" costs to be the first $$ a dealer will "knock off the price" for the customer. After all, the manufacturer has this covered anyway.

So back to the theory of why Honda might be shorting the dealer on drive oil. Well, anythings possible, however the question remains: Is Honda willing to risk their reputation on a relatively small savings? Or, possibly they are depending on the dealer, after all they are paying the dealer PDI.

[BIGLRY]

There's PDI = pre delivery [to the customer] inspection. Always charged to the customer. Usually under the dealer ruse of ensuring the vehicle is washed and gassed up, all bolts tightened, paper work etc...

and then there's...

PDI = post delivery inspection. Paid to the dealer in some form or another by the manufacturer upon delivery of each vehicle to the dealer by the manufacturer. Why? Because this is the last point of quality control the manufacturer has before a vehicle is delivered to the customer. The manufacturer depends on the dealer for the servicing and to make sure the vehicle is defect free. The PDI fee is supposed to cover the dealers employee cost for time for the "inspection". Now often built into the MSRP so the customer may not see it as such.

The PDI scam was created by the dealer long ago to find a way to get paid twice for what should be a cost bourn by the manufacturer, not by the customer. It's not unusual for the "PDI" costs to be the first $$ a dealer will "knock off the price" for the customer. After all, the manufacturer has this covered anyway.

So back to the theory of why Honda might be shorting the dealer on drive oil. Well, anythings possible, however the question remains: Is Honda willing to risk their reputation on a relatively small savings? Or, possibly they are depending on the dealer, after all they are paying the dealer PDI.

Humm....

[Donncat]

Oh I don't know about the PDI being a scam. I sell construction equipment and of course we do a Pre Delivery Inspection and the shop needs to collect from somebody for it. The MFG doesn't pay a dealer to do it, it's the dealers responsibility. And I submit that if in a discount comes by throwing it out he just ate it. It is a cost just like freight and cost of the unit. Certainly if he threw it out you wouldn't want him to skip in the 1st place would you? Where I work we can't generate a Delivery Report until we submit the Arrival Report/PDI. Its a cost that someone pays and it is the consumer. Just my 2 cents.