GAH!!!! Cars!!!

[Luna]

About a month ago my car wouldn't drive. It would power down when I stepped on the brake - and finally I broke down about 10 miles from home. Getting a jump from hubby wouldn't start it, and it turns out I needed a battery AND an alternator.

Now this week, my car wouldn't start Tuesday night at work, and had to call hubby to come and jump me. Yesterday, leaving work - It didn't start the first time - but then started the second time but the ABS light was on. This is exactly what happened before my car died completely the first time.

So I dropped it off at local chevy dealer & they're telling me there's nothing wrong with it. WTF? I shouldn't need to get jumped if I have a brand new battery & alternator. They're annoyed b/c it started for them w/no problem. So I tell them to check the connections for me b/c if I have to get jumped again after work tonight - I'm going to be a very unhappy woman.

I have to be at work at 2pm today, which means I need to be on the road by 1:15pm the latest b/c Saturday traffic and mall parking is tough. Still haven't received a call back from them. I would have brought it somewhere else - but they're the ones who installed the stuff to begin with a month ago so I want THEM to fix whatever it is they may have done wrong.

Why do I feel like I'm getting screwed? :confused:

[draftermatt]

Some things are almost impossible to fix. Esp. if the mechanic can't get the problem to repeat. My Jeep has been having a "hesitation" problem for 2 years now, and no one can figure out what is wrong with it.

If it is as bad as you say maybe you should start looking for a new car.

[Mr. Rager!]

This happened to my car when my parents owned it.

It turned out that when the system that the person that owned it before them put in was pulled out, they didn't close off something in the wiring. So, it was just pulling power from the battery and the alternator had to work harder to re-charge the battery.

Maybe take it to an independent mechanic and have them go through the wiring and see if there's a short or something.

[digilight]

The power problem and the ABS sensor light should be totally unrelated. It could be a coincidence but a doubt if one problem is causing the other. One way to check if the alternator is working correctly is to start the car, and then remove the battery cables from the battery posts while the car is running. If the car keeps running then the alternator is fine. If the car dies (won't take but a minute to find out) then the alternator is toast.

Unfortunatly when you alternator goes out it will kill your battery because it runs it down completly dead and usually toasts the cells.

Also a rule of thumb is usually the prices for work done at the dealers is a lot more then that at a normal mechanic. Ask around for a name of a good local mechanic and you can save a lot of $$$ on work.

If you live in a snowey climent you would want the ABS brakes fixed* though (it could be something as small as just a sensor hopefully).
*I think I don't live where it snows so I'm trying to remember what I've heard, Can someone else chime in on this one for her who knows for sure!

[Tanasi]

The ABS light could be a speed sensor on the axel, at least on Fords. Digi is correct on the alternator, depending upon how old the car is it also could be the voltage regular, or maybe the computer. Has the car been flooded?

It's things like this is why I make sure my antique cars/trucks are always running properly. If I get something wet, dry it out, change the oil and crank it up.

[protege]

My car just went over 103,000 miles last week. I nearly scrapped it about 2 months ago.

Not only did the exhaust system fall off...but the timing belt went too! I knew the exhaust was going to get replaced soon...but not that soon! As I was driving home one night, it started getting louder and louder. The lower section of exhaust manifold had split, causing the section to the tailpipe to fall out. You think fart cans sound bad? Let's just say that several kids wanted to race me that night. Oh well, at least people got out of my way on the parkway! Since the exhaust for that car was only available from a dealer, I was kinda screwed. Not only was I carless for a week, but I got nailed on the cost :cry:

As if that wasn't enough, the car got its revenge about a week or so later. The engine was sounding a little more "tappety" than normal, but since it was more-or-less that way even when new, I didn't worry much about it. That was, until I was driving home from work (see a common thing here? Maybe I shouldn't drive home from work :lol: ), and the car started losing power. It was like the cylinders were shutting off. Had the car towed to the local garage, and found that the timing belt was shot. Apparently, the belt adjuster failed, and the belt jumped off the pulleys :eek: That too put a dent in the wallet :eek:

I can't really complain too much, since the car does have that many miles on it, and up until now, was pretty reliable. So reliable, in fact, that I took it to Baltimore last month, and it's still running fine about 1,500 miles later.

[Tanasi]

My car just went over 103,000 miles last week. I nearly scrapped it about 2 months ago.

Not only did the exhaust system fall off...but the timing belt went too! I knew the exhaust was going to get replaced soon...but not that soon! As I was driving home one night, it started getting louder and louder. The lower section of exhaust manifold had split, causing the section to the tailpipe to fall out. You think fart cans sound bad? Let's just say that several kids wanted to race me that night. Oh well, at least people got out of my way on the parkway! Since the exhaust for that car was only available from a dealer, I was kinda screwed. Not only was I carless for a week, but I got nailed on the cost :cry:

As if that wasn't enough, the car got its revenge about a week or so later. The engine was sounding a little more "tappety" than normal, but since it was more-or-less that way even when new, I didn't worry much about it. That was, until I was driving home from work (see a common thing here? Maybe I shouldn't drive home from work :lol: ), and the car started losing power. It was like the cylinders were shutting off. Had the car towed to the local garage, and found that the timing belt was shot. Apparently, the belt adjuster failed, and the belt jumped off the pulleys :eek: That too put a dent in the wallet :eek:

I can't really complain too much, since the car does have that many miles on it, and up until now, was pretty reliable. So reliable, in fact, that I took it to Baltimore last month, and it's still running fine about 1,500 miles later.

Bad thing about the timing belt/chain breaking is the resultant valve job. A piece of advise for those not in the know, if you're driving right along and the car quits for no apparent reason. Do not try to crank it back up because the timing belt could have broken and when those little pistons bang a time or twelve on those little valves you'll have a much larger bill than had you not tried to crank it.

[Spiffy McMoron]

My car just went over 103,000 miles last week. I nearly scrapped it about 2 months ago.

Heh. My car has 358,000 kms on it, and I just took it to get some winter tires put on it. The old tires were wearing funny, so I asked them to do an alignment, too. I pick up the car the next day, and they tell me that they checked the suspension, and thesy can't do the alignment because the ball joints are shot. I wasn't surprised by this, but I was surprised by the $1250 estimate to change the tires, ball joints, sway bar links, and rear shocks.:eek: Looking over the estimate, I noticed that they put the premium, expensive parts on it. :mad: I'm getting a second opinion, and soon.