| Blogs > spiritwoman45 > Life in the Canyon |
|
More Battery Problems I got in my car this AM to go into town. Battery monitor showed it still needed attention but since they put the new battery in yesterday I figured the light just needed to be reset. At the worst it just needed charging up. No problems observed.. Pulled up at my friend’s house and she went to get in. She has trouble closing the door. When we got to our destination I got out to check the door. Seems the guys who did the battery yesterday didn’t get the panel back on right. Not only was the door hard to open the paint had rubbed off scraping past the misplaced panel. There were big gaps at the bottom and the detailing didn’t match up. Since I personally did the detailing I knew it matched perfectly. On my way home things deteriorated. The Driver Information Center started giving strange read outs – seemed every one of the systems was asking for attention. At this point I concluded that there must be a problem with the new battery after all. Things progressed. 9 miles out I turned on the air and the radio went off. Getting serious here. I turned off the air. A bit further the radio started going on and off. Shut down anything optional. 2 blocks from home the engine started to run improperly. The electrical problems appeared to have progressed to actually affecting the engine function. I made it into the parking area and shut it down. Calls to the auto club. Lots of confusion. No, I don’t want the car towed to another garage, definitely not one out here. No, I am not going take advantage of their unlimited towing distance to take the car to my mechanic. I would have to rent a car or have one of my to drive way out here to get me home and I am not going to pay to fix the problems they caused. Woman from AA says dispatcher will call back. I keep insisting she will take care of things, that they will fix the problem they created and I will not have to pay for a rental car to get home. While they were figuring out what to do I took the Explorer and went to the pharmacy and grocery store. No solution by the time I got home but there is a person from the local dealership on the way. I am ready for him when he arrives. I explain what happened and insist he will get it fixed and I am not going to pay for anything extra. I really had to come on strong at this point, turn into my serious handle “Big Mama Judi the Mother Trucker”. A lifetime of being a woman dealing with men about car stuff prepared me well. They always assume that since I am female and blond and now old I know nothing about cars and can easily be shined on and dismissed. – wrong, wrong, wrong. There is no excuse for trained mechanics messing things up so badly when there is a tube video with step by step instructions my 12 year old granddaughter could understand on how to do the battery thing and absolutely no excuse for not being able to attach a part with 6 bolts on it correctly, especially when it has detailing you can match up. The supervisor who came out today said that the improper installation of the battery may have caused other malfunctions. So what now? They took my car to the dealership on a flat bed and agree to fix everything, including the scrapes on the door. They also say they will have someone pick me up when the car is ready. We’ll see but they are in for a real fight if they don’t. …………and people consider me stuck up because I am very particular about who touches me car. Spiritwoman ^i^ |
|||
|
Dealerships are the last places I choose for auto services. Sometimes you have no other choice. But in general I'd advise staying away from them and finding a good auto repair facility with certified mechanics. GBU, Gavin
| ||
|
We have some good local mechanics here in town and if we can't sort our own problems out we take the vehicle to them. I do have my servicing done at the dealership because they give me a special price. Alfie...
| ||
5/1/2013 8:20 am |
No problem sticking to my guns. No one here has ever needed to see that but I am quite good at when II have to be. I am a typical Leo - preferr sleeping in the sun but don't step on me. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 8:20 am |
Oh yeah - no problem as as I said I have lots of experienc dealing with men about cars. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 8:23 am |
Isn't modern engineering wonderful? I could be a real smart azz and say that's what you get when you buy a car that is no longer manufactured. But I wont, OOPS I think I did, LOL. First of all I went back to your first blog to see if I could find out what kind of a vehicle you had bought. Now that I know Oh Lord. Don't take it through a power car wash unless you are either long armed or want to spend some extra time wiping yourself as well as the interior. Not one of GM's best designs. Good luck on the repairs!!! Already know about the power washes. When I loved in the city I used a hand wash one. Now that I am out here in the canyon it's my hands that wash it. Not my first unusual car. I seem to have a thing for the unusual which is not limited to cars. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 8:24 am |
Dealerships are the last places I choose for auto services. Sometimes you have no other choice. But in general I'd advise staying away from them and finding a good auto repair facility with certified mechanics. GBU, Gavin Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 8:29 am |
Certified Mechanics, all that means is that the person knows how read and answer a question. In order to be certified one has to take a written test and have a minimum of two years in the auto repair field, but that can be waived if the person is a graduate of a tech school. It does not have a thing to do with his or her ability to diagnose and repair a vehicle. As a 40 year veteran of this industry I believe I have that ability. As I said before if I had the time, space and tools at my disposal I would have done the battery myself as I can't remember when I ever had someone replace the battery in any of my vehicles. Not used to paying for "simple" (hah} things but as I get older I know I will have to do this more and more. Just another sign that the day is approaching when I will have to pay lots more for auto maintenance and / or get a more normal car. I am actually looking on and off so that when the time comes I will know what I want and will be in a good position to deal. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 8:32 am |
We have some good local mechanics here in town and if we can't sort our own problems out we take the vehicle to them. I do have my servicing done at the dealership because they give me a special price. Alfie... Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
|
Why am I not surprised ?? Going to the dealers implies that they attend to the fault that you report. They essentially want to replace parts/components that do not need replacements in order to build up a fat bill. I usually sit with the mechanic/technician and have him (we have no lady technicians in auto department) work under my supervision. Better luck this time - I am sure they will do what needs to be done. Have a nice evening and a great day tomorrow.   "To fight the darkness do not draw your sword, light a candle" - Zarathustra
| ||
5/1/2013 7:24 pm |
They all fail eventually even here where it never gets that cold. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 7:27 pm |
I have my old Fiero stored in the back yard at my house. An old boy friend was always going to convert it to an electric car but we never got it done. I still think of having it restored but it becomes less and less likely as time goes by. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 7:29 pm |
Why am I not surprised ?? Going to the dealers implies that they attend to the fault that you report. They essentially want to replace parts/components that do not need replacements in order to build up a fat bill. I usually sit with the mechanic/technician and have him (we have no lady technicians in auto department) work under my supervision. Better luck this time - I am sure they will do what needs to be done. Have a nice evening and a great day tomorrow. Spiritwoman ^i^
| ||
5/1/2013 7:31 pm |
This has been a real crappy year for you...You stick to your guns...I have a mechanic that I have gone to for years, and actually as honest as the day is long (yes, they do exist  )Glad that Chuck is doing better, you need to relax, if you are growing something, this is the time to roll it, lol.. Spiritwoman ^i^
|
×
×