Vent - Just a Wee Bit Cranky

So, our mis-adventures started a week ago Saturday evening. Karl calls me and tells me that all his dash lights are turning on and off, and his radio is turning off and on and that he thinks his car is dying.

Sure enough, he calls me back and he's dead. Having just had an altenator of my own replaced, I was pretty sure his altenator went out.

So - I go down to where he is and we "hop-scotch" his car (by jump starting it, going as far as the charge would get us and repeating) all the way to a Firestone by the house.

I miss work on Monday and they put a new altenator into the car to the tune of about $600 (which has put a major dent in our Daytona plans, but we're still trying to work that out).

All's well and good, we drive out of there Monday with a car that's running.

Tuesday night at 11:45, Karl calls me and he's broken down again (mind you - I get up at 4 to go to work in the mornings). We do the same darn hop-scotching again, and it occurs to me that maybe the battery needed to be replaced, and we'd just purchased one in May from AutoZone. We pull his battery, run to AutoZone (which is open 24 hours) and trade batteries, and he's good to go. I got 3 hours sleep, but finally the car is fixed......or is it????

Friday night at the same time he calls me and he's broken down, in a not so great neighborhood (he went to visit a friend of his) and we might have to tow it. After we determined a tow was going to cost us $200, we decided against that, but he didn't want to leave it where it was, so we tried the hop-scotch method again, but this battery only took us 200 yards and would die.

We pull the battery AGAIN, Karl stays with his vehicle, I drive 20 miles to the AutoZone, they put it on the slow charger for an hour, and I take it back to him, we're able to get his car home.

Take it into Firestone Saturday morning, they look at it late Saturday and some more on Sunday and determine they got a faulty altenator, but it's going to take them until Tuesday to get a replacement and suggest we get a rental car. I lost it and went "no - why don't YOU get us a rental car? I'm tired and I'm cranky, and it would behoove you to make this right in any matter necessary!!!"

They're getting us a rental car today! :oops:

Robin,

I feel your pain with the car issues! My truck has been a money pit since I got it in 2004. Luckily I had an extended warranty so 90% of the work has been covered. But it sucks all the same to be without a car for days at a time. Hang in there and I hope things get better!

Jamie

Wow! $600 dollars is alot for an alternator. If you found a trustworthy independent mechanic you would spend much less than at a Firestone dealer for any repair.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

Wow! $600 dollars is alot for an alternator. If you found a trustworthy independent mechanic you would spend much less than at a Firestone dealer for any repair.

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Sadly, with a car that's not running - you're at the mercy of the place it lands.

I honestly don't mean to rub salt in your wound but you drove the car there. I am only suggesting that you locate an good independent mechanic near your home for future work needed. It would really save you alot of money at times like this.

So they finally decided to be decent about it and get Karl a rental so he can get to work....good for them and good for you guys for insisting they should! After paying a pretty darn high bill for an alternator you should expect a car that actually gets from point A to point B for more than a few days.

Glad it's being resolved for you Robin. I know with Daytona so close that this sort of thing is really stressful.

Oh geez! I hope they get that fixed for you.. and for realz this time! That's just terrible!

Give Karl a hug for me. :hug: (you can give yourself one from me too, or ask Karl to do it :giggle: )

We had an incident like that, but it involved the starter for my husband's car. 1 week after the warranty expired it went again. I HATE that car. :evileye:

Steel magnolia indeed! ;) Good for you for putting your foot down Robin! I hope the rest is smooth sailing in getting the situation resolved.

:hug:

K~

I know the feeling Robin. We have the worst luck with cars. In 5 years we have been through 6 different cars.

Just replaced the the altenator in our truck, and this weekend we had a rototiller go through the back window of our canopy on it. Lovely, $800 out the window for a piece of glass... so now the canopy is sitting in the garage waiting to be fixed.
I think the truck looks so much better with out it anyway:)

I feel your pain Robin... Cars can be so frustrating.

way to make it happen Robin! I want to see you in Daytona... no excuses. :)

Justin

Dang Robin! Hopefully the replacement will fix the problem permanently! Sorry that happened, I'm just glad they are getting you a rental! *good work lady* !!!

well, good to see i'm not the only one with car problems! my jetta is famous for breaking down at the worst possible time.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

I honestly don't mean to rub salt in your wound but you drove the car there. I am only suggesting that you locate an good independent mechanic near your home for future work needed. It would really save you alot of money at times like this.

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Dale, I hear what you're saying, but we got it there after two hours of jumping the car over and over and over again. We're in an apartment and most of our neighbors are rotating and barely here to ask them who they'd recommend local to us. We both work 29 miles away where there is an awesome independent mechanic that we use, but there was no way that car was going to make it there on the highway. We jumped it over and over pulling into parking lots on back roads. It took two hours to go six miles.

Unfortunately, you can't really plan where your altenator decides to go out.

that sux sorry to hear that hopefully they fix it right this time.... just do me a fav no matter how mad you get at the repair shop dont take it out on the rental company 90% of people let their anger carry over to the rental company as if they and the repair shop are one. LOL sorry work for a rental car.

Robin, something to look into when you go to places like firestone or anywhere you want to get work done... seeing as it cost you 600 bucks.. when they give you an estimate on the cost, tell them you only want one year warrenty(SP?) parts, it can cut your cost in half, most of the time the alternators they put in are rebuilt ones anyways... my neighbor told me about it and he does it and i did it when we needed to get work on sues car... cuts the bill in half..:gj:

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Originally Posted by Broseph

Robin, something to look into when you go to places like firestone or anywhere you want to get work done... seeing as it cost you 600 bucks.. when they give you an estimate on the cost, tell them you only want one year warrenty(SP?) parts, it can cut your cost in half, most of the time the alternators they put in are rebuilt ones anyways... my neighbor told me about it and he does it and i did it when we needed to get work on sues car... cuts the bill in half..:gj:

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Great tip! Thank you!

not a problem.. i always look for ways to save money..:D

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Great tip! Thank you!

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I feel your pain Robin, I just had my truck overheat on me yesterday while meeting a friend half way to pick up a couple of baby snakes. I had noticed the day before that the gauge was showing it running hot so I filled the reservoir, the next day the truck overheats and the reservoir is still full. Fortunately I pulled over in front of a car wash so I was able to get water. Three trips with a half gallon jug that I had in the back and the radiator is full again (reservoir never changed) It was at least enough to get me back home, I had steam coming out from under the hood by the time I pulled into the driveway. Took it in to the garage today and I need a new radiator and have the coolant system flushed out because it's all gunked up, which is why the water never made it from the reservoir to the radiator. It'll cost me $550.00 for all that when I finally get my truck back. At least thats what they told me on the phone, I hope it's not more. I really stinks being without your wheels, you feel like your chained down.

Mark

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Dale, I hear what you're saying, but we got it there after two hours of jumping the car over and over and over again. We're in an apartment and most of our neighbors are rotating and barely here to ask them who they'd recommend local to us. We both work 29 miles away where there is an awesome independent mechanic that we use, but there was no way that car was going to make it there on the highway. We jumped it over and over pulling into parking lots on back roads. It took two hours to go six miles.

Unfortunately, you can't really plan where your altenator decides to go out.

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I had debated holding my keyboard because you can't close the barn door after the horse is gone but I did it anyway. :oops:

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

I had debated holding my keyboard because you can't close the barn door after the horse is gone but I did it anyway. :oops:

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Hey - no hard feelings Dale! :D

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I feel your pain Robin, I just had my truck overheat on me yesterday while meeting a friend half way to pick up a couple of baby snakes. I had noticed the day before that the gauge was showing it running hot so I filled the reservoir, the next day the truck overheats and the reservoir is still full. Fortunately I pulled over in front of a car wash so I was able to get water. Three trips with a half gallon jug that I had in the back and the radiator is full again (reservoir never changed) It was at least enough to get me back home, I had steam coming out from under the hood by the time I pulled into the driveway. Took it in to the garage today and I need a new radiator and have the coolant system flushed out because it's all gunked up, which is why the water never made it from the reservoir to the radiator. It'll cost me $550.00 for all that when I finally get my truck back. At least thats what they told me on the phone, I hope it's not more. I really stinks being without your wheels, you feel like your chained down.

Mark

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Ugh! Sorry to hear your car is giving you problems too!

a wee bit cranky, I would be furious!!! Glad they are getting you a rental car!!! Hope things will be better for you all!!

Ugh Robin, I knew about some of the troubles, but not all, that stinks!! I am so sorry to hear about all the problems, but I think more than anything after all of this, you guys really need a getaway and Daytona is the place, we can keep it cheap, after getting the room ofcourse. You have plenty of friends staying with you that would be happy to hang out and have a good time with you guys. Keep your head up!

wow, my neighbors got a 2000 Catera and the caddy dealership was gonna charge him 600 just to change the battery cable