Can I Vent Real Quick? Feel Free to Add Your Own ---- Pics

[campbellsoup]

Yeah, those of you who follow me on Twitter may already know.
Anyway, last Sunday my Service Engine Soon light came on in my car. No big deal, I figured I would have it check out after the Labor Day holiday. Come Monday, I pull out of my driveway and my car won't go over 5 mph.

So, I call AAA, have it towed to one of my local shops I use. Go up there Tuesday morning at 8 am and tell them what the deal is and give them the keys. Come 4 pm, the dude still hasn't looked at it. He gets to it on Wednesday morning and says its the throttle body and I have an oil leak. I finally get my car back this morning at 11 am and after paying $450.

I go to school, take an Accounting test, and am on my way to spend the rest of the day with my son who I hadn't seen in five days.I stop for lunch and get back in my car, and my car wont start. So I'm stuck at the mall, have to call a tow truck AGAIN, and bring it over to my main shop.

$350 for the alternator.

BAM. Yes Im mad. $800 in one day for my car which has never given me problems. 

 

[mangudai954]

When it rains it pours with cars sometimes.

I was stranded on i-95 a few weeks ago when my car died while I was driving. Almost passed out waiting for the tow truck to come. Fortunately i knew what to look for and fixed it. Thank god for AAA.

 

[kickstart]

Never failed, i had car trouble at the beginning of every semester. Grateful when I got a new car, but I miss my baby.

 

[dirtylicious]

didn't NT tell you not to buy that salvaged car?

 

[food4thgt]

Damn bro i feel for you...The way I look at it you cant enjoy the good if you don't go through the bad..

 

[GTA 809]

Did you keep up with your oil change and regular maintenance?
And it sounds like your mechanic broke your alternator. Shady mechanics are known for breaking this so that you (not by choice) become a repeat customer.
But it really sucks when your car breaks down while with the kids. By your self its whatever. I'll just hoof it but with the kids it makes a bad situation worse.

 

[tizoni]

salvage? 

I'm thinking that mechanic messed with your car. 

 

[do work son]

Originally Posted by Dirtylicious

didn't NT tell you not to buy that salvaged car?

 

[solewoman]

Lol at dirty...nt never forgets

 

[mangudai954]

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

Did you keep up with your oil change and regular maintenance?
And it sounds like your mechanic broke your alternator. Shady mechanics are known for breaking this so that you (not by choice) become a repeat customer.
But it really sucks when your car breaks down while with the kids. By your self its whatever. I'll just hoof it but with the kids it makes a bad situation worse.

You'd be surprised two thing unrelated can break at the same time..happens more than you think.

  

 

[stillin729]

you bought a salvaged Maxima?

I remember people telling Al Davis not to pick JaMarcus Russell...

 

[Kimchi Papi]

That sucks Bro. That's why I try to find people I can trust. I have a quality mechanic I know that won't rip me off. Got referred to this guy by a close co-worker of my wife who grew up with this dude. Good luck with the car...

 

[needemjs]

Originally Posted by Mangudai954

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

Did you keep up with your oil change and regular maintenance?
And it sounds like your mechanic broke your alternator. Shady mechanics are known for breaking this so that you (not by choice) become a repeat customer.
But it really sucks when your car breaks down while with the kids. By your self its whatever. I'll just hoof it but with the kids it makes a bad situation worse.

You'd be surprised two thing unrelated can break at the same time..happens more than you think.

  

Yup

 

[pushak513]

If you know anything about cars salvage isnt a bad come up..had a few of em fix em and flip em..my current work car is a salvage toyota tercel runs like a champ. try to get a little auto knowledge it can save you tons since the standard labor rate is about 75/hr

 

[theekinqq]

i wouldn't be surprised if mechanic broke or switched your alternator out. my friends dad has a shop and he comes homes and brags about all the people hes ripping off.

 

[adobecs4]

Originally Posted by StillIn729

you bought a salvaged Maxima?

I remember people telling Al Davis not to pick JaMarcus Russell...

DAMN

 

[nycposite]

Dirtylicious wrote:

---

didn't NT tell you not to buy that salvaged car?

.

but I feel the pain about a month ago I'm driving to DE on 95 and pop. My tire blows up. AAA take about a 2 hr 

 to get to me. Brought a new tire and was good to go. 2 days later I'm

driving from DE to wildwood NJ realize I'm running low on gas and decide to just fill out when I leave

. Its midnight and time to drive back home to NY put gas station in the navi and it

takes me to a closed station. try again same result. End up seeing a wawa and ask where the closet station was and she send me to another close station. End up saying F it and called AAA

and had them bring me gas. Worse weekend ever

 

[prymone]

Originally Posted by Mangudai954

Originally Posted by blackngold1z

Did you keep up with your oil change and regular maintenance?
And it sounds like your mechanic broke your alternator. Shady mechanics are known for breaking this so that you (not by choice) become a repeat customer.
But it really sucks when your car breaks down while with the kids. By your self its whatever. I'll just hoof it but with the kids it makes a bad situation worse.

You'd be surprised two thing unrelated can break at the same time..happens more than you think.

  

you must be a mechanic
  

 

[jkomorowski09]

old man who can literally fix any car problem ftw

 

[Pathos]

Originally Posted by StillIn729

you bought a salvaged Maxima?

I remember people telling Al Davis not to pick JaMarcus Russell...

 

[campbellsoup]

No, I didn't become a repeat customer......And I know he didn't mess with the alternator. My battery went out a month ago and Ive noticed I was slowing losing voltage in certain places, I just wasn't for sure it was the alternator.

I have two shops I use, and I know both mechanics really well.There is no ECU code for the alternator, so it wasn't the easiest to catch.

YES DIRTY, the car was a "salvage" title.. I bought it with 46k for $7,000. I was very weary of buying a salvage title, but I took it to a Nissan dealership AND my main mechanic and they both could not believe it was a salvage.


It was a smart buy actually. Tell me otherwise.  The car has 74k now. First problem Ive had.

 

[bweibel5]

An alternator that was bad wouldn't cause the car to NOT start without giving some sort of notice of a failing alternator in most cases (lights dimming under load, battery light coming on the dash while driving, etc.)

The car starts off of the battery and starter. The alternator maintains the charge in the battery, while using the extra voltage/amperage to run all of your accessories while driving.

IMO, you got hosed. Could've had a local parts store read the CEL for the 5mph thing for free, swapped out the TPS sensor on your throttle body (they go bad quite frequently) for the cost of the part and two bolts and one connector, and not had one issue afterwards I'll bet.

 

[campbellsoup]

Originally Posted by Bweibel5

An alternator that was bad wouldn't cause the car to NOT start without giving some sort of notice of a failing alternator in most cases (lights dimming under load, battery light coming on the dash while driving, etc.)

The car starts off of the battery and starter. The alternator maintains the charge in the battery, while using the extra voltage/amperage to run all of your accessories while driving.

IMO, you got hosed. Could've had a local parts store read the CEL for the 5mph thing for free, swapped out the TPS sensor on your throttle body (they go bad quite frequently) for the cost of the part and two bolts and one connector, and not had one issue afterwards I'll bet.

Maybe you're right.
I will say this, the initial shop was probably not the best place to bring my car. The guy is more into domestics and classic cars...... The car did have all the gauges flicker and all your typical alternator signs go when it did happen. It wasn't completely dead.

But, who knows. It sucks to not be able to know these things sometimes. But the CEL did read and shoot the code for the throttle body, so it is what it is. Life is such.

 

[mecks]

i paid 550 for a full tune up, change of spark plugs, brake change, brake pad? sanding, change of hoses, oil change, change of transmission, change of fans, and those air filters....

 

[mangudai954]

Id only pay for a tune up if I could watch the whole thing.