Car / mechanic advice - ripped off?



the boot said:
😆 The alternator wasn’t working so it would always read low. That’s why you can’t tell until alternator is fixed. See above.
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You check the alt first, if it's ok you then check the battery, if there's still a fault you fully charge the battery and do a drop test while cranking, you should always charge a suspect battery first before checking.
 
sidneyeric said:
You check the alt first, if it's ok you then check the battery, if there's still a fault you fully charge the battery and do a drop test while cranking, you should always charge a suspect battery first before checking.
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Eh. It’s a garage, if the alternator was broke they would think that replacing it would sort it. Are you saying they should have charged the battery to check the battery as well before fitting the alternator? As the outcome would be the same. Alt + batt.
 
the boot said:
Eh. It’s a garage, if the alternator was broke they would think that replacing it would sort it. Are you saying they should have charged the battery to check the battery as well before fitting the alternator? As the outcome would be the same. Alt + batt.
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Read it again.
 
a1970man said:
For a garage to replace an alternator they should have tested it.
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I phoned up asking for a price years ago on an Isuzu engine Cavalier at the dealership, the bloke said it was over £600 plus VAT and said he would go and see if they had one.
I just hung up.
Got a reconditioned one for £80.
That's all the garage would do if they replaced it I reckon.
 
I’ve found generally motor repairs take the piss
They take your vehicle then say they’ll be in touch ( much later in the day ) oh we advise this is done at x amount £
Very few are fair & true
 
black cat in france said:
Aye they don't like garage bills, amazing how many folk are running about with nye on a grands worth telephone in their arse pockets or false tits in their bra, but they twist when the saxo needs a 25quid pair of wiper blades.
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£25 for Saxo wiper blades.

If the alternator wasn’t providing enough then I suspect the garage changed it and charged the battery. Problem is that the battery could have been run dry if the alternator was the problem. It’ll start maybe once but won’t hold enough charge to make it practical.
 
FishburnMackem said:
My thought exactly.



It's in Peterlee Bracken Hill ind estate, not sure what it's called.
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Is it Evans Halshaw by any chance? Why am I not surprised? They buggered my car up to the point that I took it elsewhere because every time they touched it they wrecked something else. I would pick the car up and carry it ten miles to another garage rather than let them touch any car that I had.
 
Im not a mechanic at all bit can tell when an alternator is charging or not by simply putting multimeter on the battery when running. If they did that and found the voltage low it may have genuinely been the alternator. When batteries go completely dead however ive heard it can knack them and reduces their life span. Similar with our lasses. Battery wasnt quite old. She left lights on for ages. Within a few weeks it was dead again but alternator was charging fine
 
BlackOps said:
Im not a mechanic at all bit can tell when an alternator is charging or not by simply putting multimeter on the battery when running. If they did that and found the voltage low it may have genuinely been the alternator. When batteries go completely dead however ive heard it can knack them and reduces their life span. Similar with our lasses. Battery wasnt quite old. She left lights on for ages. Within a few weeks it was dead again but alternator was charging fine
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You are spot on marra.

Fwiw, to those who don't work in the trade I've seen batteries and alternators pass diagnostic tests, including using the proper equipment and still fail to charge when hot or a battery not put enough amps out cold to start a motor.

As easy as it seems and probably should be, you can caught out by starting/charging circuits, trust me ;):lol:
 
JohnKay said:
You are spot on marra.

Fwiw, to those who don't work in the trade I've seen batteries and alternators pass diagnostic tests, including using the proper equipment and still fail to charge when hot or a battery not put enough amps out cold to start a motor.

As easy as it seems and probably should be, you can caught out by starting/charging circuits, trust me ;):lol:
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Think they have just been unlucky. Maybe tried to keep costs down for driver by just replacing alt but turns out battery is ferked. Oh well, new alternator and battery has been needed. No garage will replace an alternator for nowt
 

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