Car / mechanic advice - ripped off?

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JohnKay said:
Just say the car went to the garage dead. They stuck a good battery on to fire it up and tested the alternator with a multi meter and got 13v or so. Straight back out the door with a new alternator and the old battery recharged, it would be a fairly honest and easy error to make.

Yes they should have checked the battery voltage after a charge too, but everyone saying the lass has been ripped off are possibly jumping the gun, if
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socrates said:
lick the positive terminal
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⚡☠
Dennis said:
You don't change an alternator before testing the battery man. Could understand if they'd changed both but you don't change the alternator only when the batterys shagged
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How do you check a battery?
 
Good chance both were knackered .Get a garage you trust .The vast majority are trust worthy and the vast majority of car owners don't trust any of them
there lies the problem
 
Dennis said:
Or you could always lick the battery?
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you would have to lick both terminals at the same time so would need a long tongue
FishburnMackem said:
Lass at work took her car into a garage yesterday as it kept going dead. The garage replaced the alternator and charged her £250 for the work. Anyway, she's went to come to work today and it's been dead again so she's jumped it and took it to the garage who have called her through today saying it's the battery and it will be £60 for a new one fitted.

She's clearly been had here, should she be going to the garage and paying them for the battery but demanding they put the old alternator back on and refund her the £250? Or should she just be refusing to pay for the battery and cutting her losses?

I'd be inclined to go for the first option as it's pretty easy (99% of the time) to diagnose a battery / alternator fault.
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Ask her if they advised her to do anything when she left the garage the first time. oh and pics.
Skandhaless said:
With respect to our resident mechanics there are some dodgy fuckers about. Once had a family friend do a cambelt on a 16v Jetta gti for me. Took it to an old mate next time as he specialised in performance, and I fancied treating it. He advised me to get the belt changed. Nuts had never been off. Would have brayed the ¢unt if not for the trouble it would have caused our lass.
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Why bray him, why not just tell him to explain himself?
 
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JohnKay said:
Just say the car went to the garage dead. They stuck a good battery on to fire it up and tested the alternator with a multi meter and got 13v or so. Straight back out the door with a new alternator and the old battery recharged, it would be a fairly honest and easy error to make.

Yes they should have checked the battery voltage after a charge too, but everyone saying the lass has been ripped off are possibly jumping the gun, if the alternator has been dying for a while you have a good chance the battery has got it through constant low charge states.
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Bang on. People saying she has been ripped on here are talking shit.
 
yamar1 said:
Bang on. People saying she has been ripped on here are talking shit.
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We don't know either way without testing the alternator but yeah people shouldn't be claiming she has been ripped off just yet.
 
Dennis said:
On, I'd imagine. But I don't work with electricity (witchcraft)
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all you can do is check an alternator if it’s reading low you would change that first.
Both were knackered but they could not tell the battery was until alternator was fixed is the answer.
 
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