AUTO MECHANIC PROBLEMS (AGAIN)

[HiloJulie]

Are you sure it's not stuck in 3-cylinder mode when it's supposed to be in 6-cylinder mode?

That was/is a common issue with those models.

[Durian Fiend]

Hi, this is Sistersue -
I'm going to call our "mechanic" today and tell him he needs to buy back the junk alternator he put in her car plus pay her back for installing it.  If he doesn't want to do that then I'll tell him we'll have to go to court.  What do you think?   Honda says the alternator he installed is not the best one for the car and that it's defective and the wires are loose.

I think we're lacking in a bit of background information.  Has there been any dialogue at all with this man since taking the car to Brodie's and Honda?  

As the saying goes, don't shoot until you see the whites of his eyes.  Actually, don't shoot at all.  I see nothing good coming from a a threat of legal action, regardless of his response to your pending request to make things right.  If you end up having to take the alternator back to the parts store yourself with the receipt, so be it. 

He should be able to return the alternator for a refund.   That would be after the car is returned back to your property.  You probably don't want him "working" on it anymore, other than to get your money back for this part.  There are very few ways to screw up an alternator replacement and he managed two of them in one shot!  

I wouldn't take the car in to Honda for repair because they will charge you that insane price for a new alternator. Maybe check with them to confirm?  A parts store will likely have a non Denso replacement for around $200-$400. If you really want the Denso (nah!), it's gotta be cheaper than $1500 ordered online.

[sistersue]

If he doesn't want to do that then I'll tell him we'll have to go to court..

I'd be way shy of saying anything about court if the motive is to get them to cooperate. The threat could get them to do what you want, but I'd wager it's more likely they'll react negatively. So, until you're convinced all the other options are exhausted be careful.

You're right about not threatening him with court.  He's not answering his phone but I'll call him again today and leave a message.  I'm going to tell him that the Honda guy said the alternator was defective (loose wires) and that it's not "good enough" for this car, and it needs a different alternator.  Then I'll say I'm hoping he'll buy it back from us after they return it to us. If he keeps avoiding my calls then we'll to to see him after we get the alternator back from Honda. I'm going to be very pleasant but if he doesn't make this right I'll look into the court thing.  Thank you for your answer.

[terracore]

Are you sure it's not stuck in 3-cylinder mode when it's supposed to be in 6-cylinder mode?

That was/is a common issue with those models.

I've never heard that.  6 cylinders is the computer's "safe mode".  The car won't go into 3-cylinder mode if the check engine light is on or the computer detects any errors.  (It is common to hear that these models won't go into 3-cylinder mode).  The car isn't showing any errors, but I run it with the "current MPG" display running which also displays how many cylinders it's using.  So far it seems to match what it's supposed to look like.

[Durian Fiend]

So while we're at it...

2008 Impala with 29k miles (not a misprint) and vehicle weight certified by a weigh station, running rough or misfiring both at idle and while running.  Seems to be worse when its warmed up.  No check engine light and no codes showing up on scanner.

A quick internet search doesn't narrow anything down for me.

Hi, I’m new to posting here and I hope I did the reply thing correctly. This was exactly the situation with my beloved but difficult VW van. It would "normal" at first but got worse as it warmed up and after it was warm the idle could get so choppy it would stall on me at a stop or starting back up after a brief stop. My son told me to change the fuel filter before looking into the more expensive/involved other suspects like the mass air flow sensor. It sounded odd but didn’t cost much to try that so I asked the mechanic to do that and sure enough it solved the issue. Might be worth a try especially if you can do it yourself.

I was curious and looked this one up.  According to my search, the filter is located inside the fuel tank along with the fuel pump.   That's a real fun job, especially if the tank has to be removed from the car.

[terracore]

So while we're at it...

2008 Impala with 29k miles (not a misprint) and vehicle weight certified by a weigh station, running rough or misfiring both at idle and while running.  Seems to be worse when its warmed up.  No check engine light and no codes showing up on scanner.

A quick internet search doesn't narrow anything down for me.

Hi, I’m new to posting here and I hope I did the reply thing correctly. This was exactly the situation with my beloved but difficult VW van. It would "normal" at first but got worse as it warmed up and after it was warm the idle could get so choppy it would stall on me at a stop or starting back up after a brief stop. My son told me to change the fuel filter before looking into the more expensive/involved other suspects like the mass air flow sensor. It sounded odd but didn’t cost much to try that so I asked the mechanic to do that and sure enough it solved the issue. Might be worth a try especially if you can do it yourself.

I was curious and looked this one up.  According to my search, the filter is located inside the fuel tank along with the fuel pump.   That's a real fun job, especially if the tank has to be removed from the car.

I came to the same conclusion.  Fuel filter problems tend to be more consistent, so I'm praying thats not the case.  I haven't had time to attempt further diagnostics on the vehicle but hope to get some time next week.

[Durian Fiend]

If he doesn't want to do that then I'll tell him we'll have to go to court..

I'd be way shy of saying anything about court if the motive is to get them to cooperate. The threat could get them to do what you want, but I'd wager it's more likely they'll react negatively. So, until you're convinced all the other options are exhausted be careful.

You're right about not threatening him with court.  He's not answering his phone but I'll call him again today and leave a message.  I'm going to tell him that the Honda guy said the alternator was defective (loose wires) and that it's not "good enough" for this car, and it needs a different alternator.  Then I'll say I'm hoping he'll buy it back from us after they return it to us. If he keeps avoiding my calls then we'll to to see him after we get the alternator back from Honda. I'm going to be very pleasant but if he doesn't make this right I'll look into the court thing.  Thank you for your answer.

Is your CRV back in action now?

[leilanidude]

Are you sure it's not stuck in 3-cylinder mode when it's supposed to be in 6-cylinder mode?

That was/is a common issue with those models.

There has never been a 6 cylinder Honda CR-V.

[HiloJulie]

Are you sure it's not stuck in 3-cylinder mode when it's supposed to be in 6-cylinder mode?

That was/is a common issue with those models.

There has never been a 6 cylinder Honda CR-V.

Clearly, you have not read this thread.

[sistersue]

If he doesn't want to do that then I'll tell him we'll have to go to court..

I'd be way shy of saying anything about court if the motive is to get them to cooperate. The threat could get them to do what you want, but I'd wager it's more likely they'll react negatively. So, until you're convinced all the other options are exhausted be careful.

You're right about not threatening him with court.  He's not answering his phone but I'll call him again today and leave a message.  I'm going to tell him that the Honda guy said the alternator was defective (loose wires) and that it's not "good enough" for this car, and it needs a different alternator.  Then I'll say I'm hoping he'll buy it back from us after they return it to us. If he keeps avoiding my calls then we'll to to see him after we get the alternator back from Honda. I'm going to be very pleasant but if he doesn't make this right I'll look into the court thing.  Thank you for your answer.

Is your CRV back in action now?

No.  It's still sitting in the Honda dealer's parking lot while they wait for the parts to come in.  The good news is that our mechanic says he'll buy back the alternator he put in but we're suspicious of him because he doesn't give us the receipt.  He says he'll return it.  I don't know if he'll pay us back for his failed installation charge though.  We need a new car mechanic.  Since our friend and mechanic for 30 years died, we've been lost as far as our cars go.  Where do you take your car? Thanks for all the help.