Horrible ATS experience

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waywardtravel

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Sep 30, 2013
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I read mixed reviews on ATS over the years on certain product but mostly ok on the twin CP3's. Belts tight, rail pressure sensor relocate leak on a couple, controllers are an issue with them it seems, so I finally pulled the trigger about two months ago and what a mistake.
Should have bought a single
I completely live and understand pay to play but this just blindsided me and want to share my experience with ATS.

I just purchased an ATS twin fueler about two months ago.
There was a mixup and they sent the wrong kit without the APPS mount.

When I called the tech support said "your truck is not an 04.5 if you have an APPS. Then said he'd be happy to send one out for 80 bucks. The price is the same for both kits so it's currently wire tied.

I told him the belt was super tight as in it took everything my mechanic hands have to get it on. He said that was normal.

Then upon startup I had the normal three long cranks after the fuel sytsem being open and then white smoke. and rail was crazy high.
I swapped out the Rail pressure sensor which costs around 300 bucks.

It seemed to fix the problem until the next morning.
Two to three long cranks and white smoke that cleared in 10 seconds.

It did this three days cold start only so I swapped injectors and checked the RPRV with zero change.

I re-wired my rail pressure sensor so I could monitor it while cranking.
11,000+psi while cranking.

Tech support that day said "THERE'S NO WAY OUR CONTROLLER OR KIT CAN CHANGE RAIL PRESSURE" lol He said I need to buy a Snap on scanner to see what's being commanded.
I have a feeling that dodge software commands max FCA and CP3 pressure so that's why it's 11,000 instead of the normal 4,500. two pumps.

I went to the track after proving I wasn't going to melt my engine from an injector and nearly totaled my truck and killed myself going over a cliff with no power brakes and no power steering.
The tensioner that was way too tight sheered off the bolt taking out $1,500-$2,000 in fan clutch, crank position sensor, engine wire harness, radiator, a big chunk of the fan, belt, etc
I couldn't see the leak on the radiator it was dripping from across the bottom. I seriously hope I didn't blow a headgasket at the track when the tensioner blew and temps were 245 by the time I stopped.

I got ahold of warranty dept. who was helpful at trying to rectify the problem of what caused this. I am not alone and others have changed pulleys among other things to rectify the design. I can't say the solution yet.

He offered a controller, and even another CP3 because they didn't have fca's and cov to try and combat the rp issue, and the APPS mount that I never received.

I said I had an odd noise let me get the truck running without the ATS kit before you send a pump and all that stuff.

FFW two days and after make shift wiring two fan clutches and trying old crank position sensor I got it running but had a fan clutch issue. Then I found the wire harness got yanked by the belt chafing it over the power steering pump. Then noticed the radiator leaking and clearly was hit by shrapnel from the fan or bolt, or belt tensioner that failed and went flying down the track.

The truck starts PERFECT without the second CP3 installed.
1st crank on 3rd revolution and no white smoke.

I called the same guy and he changed his offer to
1 belt.
1 belt tensioner
and 1 controller
yippie I nearly died, I have a broken truck that I have 3 solid days plus working on and at least $1,500 in parts bills from a disaster created by your kit and your gonna give me about $300.00 in parts to maybe fix the problem.

He did say he would send a pump if I still had the problem after changing the controller.

How does any of these items even fix the problem that caused this whole problem from the get go?

Totally livid. Do NOT buy one.

This is an UNSAFE kit because when it blows the tensioner it WILL take away your power brakes and power steering.
 
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Always two sides to every story. ATS does not make **** products. They are not perfect either. What business did you have going down the track if you had concerns in the first place?
 
I accepted that the belts were tight and shouldn't cause any issue after finding multiple threads about it.
My only concern was white smoke on cold start that worried me until Swapping injectors and no change. No other signs of injector failure, Rail pressure was perfect running. I had no reason not to go down the track.

If you mean I shouldn't go down the track because of a hard start that's not my opinion. I disagree.

Agreed on two sides to a story, You have mine.
 
And I'm not saying they build crap products as a rule.

I'm saying I experienced this. Customer service goes a long ways.
 
What a nightmare! I run a Single 120 over never had an issue or a need for more fuel! But if your looking for over a thousand HP I guess you have to have them!
 
I plan on making this work with different pulleys or belts in time after getting a laundry list of parts. I'll probably fix the harness without issue but need to get it out to see it.
Might even have the radiator repaired for now. This just happened.
I'm out of the country with no auto parts stores for American cars so it's air freight.
It will take time. Idler pulleys I should be able to buy here no problem.
I just sent 4 turbo's to the states for balancing.
$1,800 up and $500 back.
I can't be sending stuff both ways
 
I disagree.......mostly

Shainer said:
Always two sides to every story. ATS does not make **** products. They are not perfect either. What business did you have going down the track if you had concerns in the first place?
Click to expand...


If you call the maker of the parts in question and are told, "thats the way it is supposed to be", Well...............they should know, right??? After all, they built it.
I had the same issue with a HTS trans a couple years back. Shifted way firm on light throttle.......I called them several times TRYING to get to Dusty and only ever got his wife (I think its his wife). She is also the only one to call back. I even told them I would be willing to buy a valve body if that would fix it, and that I doubt the shafts would live like this. I finally accepted that "just drive it, thats how they all are and are supposed to be" answer I received. Within a 100 miles it broke the input and HTS would do nothing. Even after I called THERE shaft maker and was told if the trans is chirping tires on light throttle shifts YOU WILL BREAK ANY SHAFT. DO NOT USE OUR SHAFTS IF THATS HOW YOU BUILD TRANS. THEY WILL BREAK. I then told them that it was a HTS trans and according to HTS, "thats the way they all are, just drive it". The guy I was speaking to in tech said to have Dusty call him directly..............I went with FIREPUNK and I can GUARANTEE nobody from this area has a HTS trans or will.
 
And again, I had an HTS trans "built for 600hp". Took a full weight 4 door to low 11's and 900+ hp. Only time I had a problem, I broke the input because I was mad and driving like an idiot. Parts don't like shock loading. Couldn't have asked any more from it. Guess I'm just lucky.
 
matty169 said:
If you call the maker of the parts in question and are told, "thats the way it is supposed to be", Well...............they should know, right??? After all, they built it.
I had the same issue with a HTS trans a couple years back. Shifted way firm on light throttle.......I called them several times TRYING to get to Dusty and only ever got his wife (I think its his wife). She is also the only one to call back. I even told them I would be willing to buy a valve body if that would fix it, and that I doubt the shafts would live like this. I finally accepted that "just drive it, thats how they all are and are supposed to be" answer I received. Within a 100 miles it broke the input and HTS would do nothing. Even after I called THERE shaft maker and was told if the trans is chirping tires on light throttle shifts YOU WILL BREAK ANY SHAFT. DO NOT USE OUR SHAFTS IF THATS HOW YOU BUILD TRANS. THEY WILL BREAK. I then told them that it was a HTS trans and according to HTS, "thats the way they all are, just drive it". The guy I was speaking to in tech said to have Dusty call him directly..............I went with FIREPUNK and I can GUARANTEE nobody from this area has a HTS trans or will.
Click to expand...

Been running hts for 5 years.. Tons of track days.. 0 issues.... As far as the ats kit... I love there new style kit, works great for me.. I did have an issue getting the new r/p sensor adapter to stop leaking.. Took 2 months to get it from ats. Like pulling teeth.... Not a fan.
 
Waywardtravel, if chose to depart your lurker status on this forum just to b!tch about a vendor, you need to find another forum. Consider this a warning.

Anyone who's been in the go-fast hobby for any length of time has gotten the fuzzy end of the lollypop from a vendor/manufacturer at one point or another. Grabbing your keyboard torch and pitchfork and attempting to stage an uprising on every forum mildly related to said vendor never accomplishes anything.

You did not invent this concept. I've seen it tried thousands of times. It never ends with, "My problems have been solved! The world is now right, and it didn't cost me a dime!" or "HA! Everyone else on this forum will never use said vendor again!" I'm not sure what else you could be looking for with an introductory post like that.

You want help, ask for it.
You want analysis, post pictures of the carnage.
You want to b!tch, log out and don't come back.

This is not the diesel industry's version of Angie's List
 
mulisha said:
Been running hts for 5 years.. Tons of track days.. 0 issues.... As far as the ats kit... I love there new style kit, works great for me.. I did have an issue getting the new r/p sensor adapter to stop leaking.. Took 2 months to get it from ats. Like pulling teeth.... Not a fan.
Click to expand...

Not to de-rail but what finally worked for you regarding the leaky rail pressure sensor? I have the same issue with my dual fueler kit....oddly enough it only seems to leak in cold weather.
 
Purn1973 said:
Not to de-rail but what finally worked for you regarding the leaky rail pressure sensor? I have the same issue with my dual fueler kit....oddly enough it only seems to leak in cold weather.
Click to expand...

New rail pressure sensor adapter from ats and a r/p sensor.
 
mulisha said:
New rail pressure sensor adapter from ats and a r/p sensor.
Click to expand...

I've tried both and also am using the yellow thread tape on all threads. Warm weather and it's fine, in the cold in leaks just enough to let you know it's there. :bang
 
Amish Elegance said:
Waywardtravel, if chose to depart your lurker status on this forum just to b!tch about a vendor, you need to find another forum. Consider this a warning.

Anyone who's been in the go-fast hobby for any length of time has gotten the fuzzy end of the lollypop from a vendor/manufacturer at one point or another. Grabbing your keyboard torch and pitchfork and attempting to stage an uprising on every forum mildly related to said vendor never accomplishes anything.

You did not invent this concept. I've seen it tried thousands of times. It never ends with, "My problems have been solved! The world is now right, and it didn't cost me a dime!" or "HA! Everyone else on this forum will never use said vendor again!" I'm not sure what else you could be looking for with an introductory post like that.

You want help, ask for it.
You want analysis, post pictures of the carnage.
You want to b!tch, log out and don't come back.

This is not the diesel industry's version of Angie's List
Click to expand...

I will take that as a warning and strongly disagree with the points of you assuming I don't want to fix the problem. My truck is in pieces and I don't have the new parts to put it back together and photo where I think the pulleys make contact. My belt length coincides with others that have the kit running problem free.

I have found a few people that have changed idler pulleys, routing above or below the factory upper when changed, and belt length on this on other kits.
People go to a ford 7.3 smooth idler on some other kits and run the belt below not above.

I am the last person you will ever find with my hand out because the world is not fair, right, or I was mistreated. I am a man and have owned mechanic service businesses all my life. If I work on somebodies equipment and something goes wrong I'm there at all hours and even flying there in my business and taking care of the bill later. Identify and FIX the problem first.

I was not treated this way and want to share the experience because I think that is wrong. I was told ATS was going to give x by the guy who can authorize it, then when I said wait let me do some troubleshooting and test drive before I WASTE YOUR MONEY.

When I called back he reversed or reseeded on his previous offer. He didn't say why and had no new information before doing so.

At this time I do believe this was caused by the kit. It was my bolt. The tensioner mounting bolt on a factory tensioner that failed. I think it was because the tensioner idler made contact with the AC compressor pulley above centerline forcing it into the bolt and mounting point.
Because those two pulleys are not identical they meet where they will induce a twisting force on the idler as well.

The bolt did not walk out it sheered. I don't know if I saved the extracted bolt to photo because it was dark and at the track. I was in fix it to go mode.
I'll look around the truck later.
 
I also want to share this mainly because it was made clear to me that ATS does not cover consequential damages if and when there part fails or design causes a failure.

Root cause analysis is not done but the ATS policy is the ATS policy.
People need to understand that. I doubt it's legal but that's how it was conveyed to me before I started ranting.
 
Name me one aftermarket company that will cover incidental damage? Heck show me an OEM that will. They may replace the defective part... anything after that you are on your own.
 
Shainer said:
Name me one aftermarket company that will cover incidental damage? Heck show me an OEM that will. They may replace the defective part... anything after that you are on your own.
Click to expand...

EVERY single company within the united states.
It is mandated federally then each state also adds additional protection.
These are the old laws that are founded on morals and respect that promote quality control and harmonious society.

I've never initiated a single lawsuit but have been through countless on the engineering side or data collection for mechanical and electric work and root cause analysis.

I'm not going to pick apart the diesel world by any means but we have laws for good reason.

If I buy a product that makes me sick and it was proven that the product was mishandled or somehow tainted knowingly he who knew that is liable for consequential damages.

If I manufacture an electrical system for a boat and it starts a fire because of poor design I am liable for consequential damages.

If a mechanic changes a woman's tires and fails to tighten the lug nuts causing a crash he is responsible for consequential damages.

If you drive a boat too fast on any navigable water in the US and your wake causes consequential damages to somebody else's boat, dock, or flowers you are responsible for consequential damages.

If a company builds a brake kit for a vehicle and that kit fails and the vehicle crashes into another vehicle that company is liable for consequential damages.

I have been on both sides of this numerous times at work and it's exactly the same.
Your responsible for the mess you create.
That was just making my point in defense.

I have written off hundreds of thousands in gross revenue for my own stuff over many years just because there was even a question of chicken or egg.
I was always a very small company with very small revenue and that has meant no toys for a month or three. but it was the right thing to do.
 
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