Vent - Just a Wee Bit Cranky

[rabernet]

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!

[jglass38]

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

[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.

[rabernet]

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.

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

[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.

[frankykeno]

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.

[tigerlily]

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. (you can give yourself one from me too, or ask Karl to do it )

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.

[Kara]

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



K~

[Kristy]

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.

[jkobylka]

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

Justin