ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: Maiden Hell on March 02, 2005, 10:16:50 AM
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So yesterday as I was coming home from work, I was stuck behind some slowmo and beeped my horn. Instead of the typical high pitch Japanese "beep", I get this low buzzed out honk...
Shit I look at my DRL indicator and it's rather dim. I shut of my radio and it can't come back on...
GREAT, my charging system isn't working again!!!
I just had the alternator replace a few weeks ago! So in a panic I drive back to my mechanic and tell them what's wrong. They hook up a batter tester and see that there is no charging going on at all. By then it's almost 6:00PM and it's too late to do anything. My Sidekick stays overnight so they can work on it today.
I get back from work later today and this is what they tell me:
It turns out that the battery was causing the alternator to malfunction. They put on another alternator and again no charge. :-/
They replace the battery and suddenly it's working great again. I also had the fan belt replaced because it was really frayed along the edges.
So there goes another $240...and $240 from last time too... This is really hurting me in the wallet. :(
What do you guys think about this...I can't help but feel swindled.
If it happens again within a year, I'm buying my own alternator and doing it myself.
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Alternators aren't that hard to swap if it happens again (shouldn't, with the new battery and all).
Sucks about your batt. killing two alts :(
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Alternators aren't that hard to swap if it happens again (shouldn't, with the new battery and all).
Sucks about your batt. killing two alts :(
So it's possible for a battery to do that? ???
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You got a good deal my alt. was over $300.00 :oand i had to put it in myself. mine might have got wet once or even a few times. I now have spares :D whole kicks are cheaper then just the alt.
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AutoZone list a X90 alternator for $114, Tracks are the same under the hood so yours would be the same i think.
Batteries for under $50 so you could definately save some cash doing this your self and alternator swaps are pretty easy.
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WTF????? You have to be kiding me. A battery causing your alt. to crap out :-/ You've been going to a dealership havent you? 240 for a belt and a battery, yep, sounds like a dealership to me.
1st- if your having a charging system problem and half assed mechanic will check the battery for a dead cell BEFORE replacing the Alt.
2nd- if the Alt replacement does not fix the charging problem, the alt did not break the battery, it was a peice of crap alt in the first place.
Sorry dude but your getting screwed by your mechanic.
Zig
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WTF????? You have to be kiding me. A battery causing your alt. to crap out :-/ You've been going to a dealership havent you? 240 for a belt and a battery, yep, sounds like a dealership to me.
1st- if your having a charging system problem and half assed mechanic will check the battery for a dead cell BEFORE replacing the Alt.
2nd- if the Alt replacement does not fix the charging problem, the alt did not break the battery, it was a peice of crap alt in the first place.
Sorry dude but your getting screwed by your mechanic.
Zig
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So it's possible for a battery to do that? ???
If the battery was shorting out inside. The alternator would be on perma charge at max load, essentially burning it up.
Any descent auto electical business would have noticed that condition right away by the load on the alternator and charge indicator.
Sorry to hear about your problem.
Good luck!
~Nate
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Any descent auto electical business would have noticed that condition right away by the load on the alternator and charge indicator.
exactly, plus if they didnt charge the battery before starting it, and just jump started it, a lot of load is on the alternator, so it's possible thats what killed it
nevertheless; its very easy to change yourself, doesnt even take an hour for the alternator, a few mins for the battery i'd guess
Andrew
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Im an auto mech for a living. I hate these discussions cause everybody always thinks we are the bad guys. Thats cause nobody ever wants to spend money on maintenence... not even me. However, any good mech would have tested that battery before installing an alt. It even has warning labels on most Alt boxes. This should have been cought on the frontside. Also, besure it wasnt a NAPA alt. They go out so often we now refuse to install them. The price of 240 installed doesnt sound terribly expensive to me. Sure you could have done it cheaper yourself but that a whole different animal all togather.
Mike
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i had someone install a altenater and a new battery once well two days later driven down the road and everything goes rong! well i pooped the hood and what do i find a loose wire, the lesson is dont let some jackass do your work, cause all they care about is "turn and burm"!
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the problwm isnt mechanics! its shop owners!
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holy crap! 240 bucks for that? ouch, I refuse to take my vehicle into any shop... all the work Ive done on all of the vehicles Ive owned is done by my self, I guess to some people some of the stuff isnt as strait forward as it is to me .. but man if I charged as much as some mechanic shops do to fix peoples vehicles Id be set.... my gf's dad brought her truck to the shop the other day.. because it had an acceleration problem, turned out to be plug wires... and that was 130$ in labour :o... I mean that woulda taken me at the most 20 minutes to figure out and I have 4 sets of plug wires sittin right here ::)
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Any descent auto electical business would have noticed that condition right away by the load on the alternator and charge indicator.
Yea that's what I meant to say put nicely ;) Not all mechanics do shit like that, BUT MOST DEALERSHIPS DO!!!!!! 90% of dealings I have heard of with dealerships are way over priced bad service that has to be taken back time and time again. That or you go in for a dead battery and end up getting a phone call with 20 other items that 'MUST' be done. >:(
Zig
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Dang, I just had to replace the alternator on my 4-door - but that was about $70, total.
Then, the Optima Red-top went out on my 2-door! Free replacement! (Love that warranty!)
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Yea that's what I meant to say put nicely ;)  Not all mechanics do shit like that, BUT MOST DEALERSHIPS DO!!!!!! 90% of dealings I have heard of with dealerships are way over priced bad service that has to be taken back time and time again. That or you go in for a dead battery and end up getting a phone call with 20 other items that 'MUST' be done.  >:(
Zig
+1
I two weeks ago I was feeling lazy so I brought my car (1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham; Mint Cond) into Valvoline for an oil change rather than doing it myself... Rather than pushing & turning the oil fill cap (like a radiator cap style) to open the fill tube, the kid there just twisted & ripped the whole F#cking fill tube right off the engine!!! >:(
They weren't going to tell me about it, but I heard them saying, "It won't go back on... I can't get it." I stepped out & saw what they had done. I asked them if they were going to fix it and they said, "Sorry, we don't fix cars." I'm thinking... Yup, you don't fix 'em you just break 'em. F#cking Geniuses! THEY JUST DUCT TAPED THE DAMN THING ONTO THE ENGINE & SENT ME OFF TO DEAL WITH IT!!! >:(
So I drove down to the parts store 1/2 mile away & they didn't have the part & told me to go to the dealership. Went to the dealership, and they said it's cost $120 for the part plus labor, and it can't get fixed for 2 days because the service dept was out for the weekend! :o
I was PISSED! $120 for a PART and tacking labor on top of that!? :o
I drove it to my friend's house (Mechanic) and told him the story... He said, "The only REAL problem I see is that you took your car to Valvoline!" We went to the parts store, bought 2 gaskets for $5.00, re-bent the fill tube the way it should be, and used a little RPV Silicone and the gaskets to fix it just like new!
F|removethispart|@CK dealerships! They'll screw you every time!
F#CK Valvoline! They'll screw up your car every time!
I paid my friend $40 for his time, and $5 for the parts, and went home happy (as happy as can be after dealing with Valvoline & a Dealership). :-/
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Oh, that was the death of my 92 4-door. Took it into Firestone to get new tires on - and told them sure, do an oil change, and replace the belts...
When I got it back, the head gasket was blown, and I had antifreeze in my oil.
You suppose they ran it with no belts on for awhile?
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+1
I two weeks ago I was feeling lazy so I brought my car (1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham; Mint Cond) into Valvoline for an oil change rather than doing it myself... Rather than pushing & turning the oil fill cap (like a radiator cap style) to open the fill tube, the kid there just twisted & ripped the whole F#cking fill tube right off the engine!!! >:(
They weren't going to tell me about it, but I heard them saying, "It won't go back on... I can't get it." I stepped out & saw what they had done. I asked them if they were going to fix it and they said, "Sorry, we don't fix cars." I'm thinking... Yup, you don't fix 'em you just break 'em. F#cking Geniuses! THEY JUST DUCT TAPED THE DAMN THING ONTO THE ENGINE & SENT ME OFF TO DEAL WITH IT!!! >:(
So I drove down to the parts store 1/2 mile away & they didn't have the part & told me to go to the dealership. Went to the dealership, and they said it's cost $120 for the part plus labor, and it can't get fixed for 2 days because the service dept was out for the weekend! :o
I was PISSED! $120 for a PART and tacking labor on top of that!? :o
I drove it to my friend's house (Mechanic) and told him the story... He said, "The only REAL problem I see is that you took your car to Valvoline!" We went to the parts store, bought 2 gaskets for $5.00, re-bent the fill tube the way it should be, and used a little RPV Silicone and the gaskets to fix it just like new!
F|removethispart|@CK dealerships! They'll screw you every time!
F#CK Valvoline! They'll screw up your car every time!
I paid my friend $40 for his time, and $5 for the parts, and went home happy (as happy as can be after dealing with Valvoline & a Dealership). :-/
Haha, that sounds like Valvoline for ya... used to work there :P
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i pooped the hood
Sorry, I had to point it out.
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If the battery was shorting out inside. The alternator would be on perma charge at max load, essentially burning it up.
That's what my mechanic was essentially telling me.
No this isn't a dealership mechanic. It's a small independently owned shop just mere feet from my house. He's done the work on my car for years now and works on a lot of trucks and 4x4s.
Well anyhow, thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it, and next time I think I'm going to do my own work. There is also another shop up the street from me where I get my emissions test done and they do pretty good work too, maybe I'll take it to them and hopefully get more straight answers.
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That Valvoline story is something I think you can get an attorney on or a small claims court on. I don't care what their policy is as far as "we don't fix cars", maybe not, but if they broke something, they HAVE to fix it, you didn't go in there to get it fixed, and they messed it up, that should be on them then.
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That Valvoline story is something I think you can get an attorney on or a small claims court on. I don't care what their policy is as far as "we don't fix cars", maybe not, but if they broke something, they HAVE to fix it, you didn't go in there to get it fixed, and they messed it up, that should be on them then.
My mechanic friend whipped up a professional looking "Invoice" to use as a a receipt, and I took that into Valvoline the following Monday to get reimbursed... The manager 'kid' there had no idea about the situation, but wanted to discover the culprit before giving me my money... Someone ratted on the kid that tore my fill tube off, and he said, "I didn't break nuthin'... Whatchu talkin' about? I ain't seen this car befo."
Another one of his workers called "B.S.!" on him, and he admitted it, apologized for just taping it back on. I got reimbursed for the repairs, and two days later they put the $43 back on my credit card for the oil change (used max-life) as well.
Still, I'm not going back there ever again. No matter HOW LAZY I'm feeling that day. :-/