AUTO MECHANIC PROBLEMS (AGAIN)

[sistersue]

Hello again,
I told you what happened to me a few years ago with Mike in Pahoa telling me the problems with my car were because the transmission was going out, so I paid $235. to Transmission Technology only to find out that the transmission was fine. Well, now it's happened again, only with my granddaughter. Her mechanic put in the wrong alternator and she paid him $600. Her car was still running terrible so she had a diagnosis done at Lex Brodie and they said the wrong alternator was installed and a wire was missing. Of course, she paid for the diagnosis at Lex Brodie.
I think her mechanic should buy the right alternator and install it for free.  I also think he should pay for the Lex Brodie diagnosis, which my granddaughter should not have had to have done.  Please tell me what you think and what you would do if this happened to you. Mahalo

[Obie]

I think she should have taken it back to the first mechanic.

I fail to see how an alternator would make a car run badly. If the alternator isn't working the battery would go dead and the car won't start.

[sistersue]

I think she should have taken it back to the first mechanic.

I fail to see how an alternator would make a car run badly. If the alternator isn't working the battery would go dead and the car won't start.

The battery did go dead and she bought a new one.  After the mechanic installed the wrong alternator, the car runs but stalls out frequently. The mechanic told her there's something else wrong but he couldn't figure it out. That's why she went to Lex Brodie to have the car diagnosed.  So now it all depends on the mechanic doing the right thing and putting the correct alternator in the car for free. If this doesn't happen I don't know what we'll do. Is this problem the mechanic's fault or the fault of Napa Auto Parts store? Thanks for your opinions.

[terracore]

Some alternators have additional features like voltage regulators or variable output control. Installing an incompatible alternator might cause issues with these features or interfere with other car systems. Obie's right- the original mechanic should fix this problem. And without any additional costs (JMHO). Since you didn't take the car back to them to make it right, it is unlikely they will pay your Lex Brodie's bill. But the answer is always no until you ask. From my personal experiences, I don't trust Lex Brodies to evaluate a tire much less get deeper into the vehicle.

[My 2 cents]

There is a whole thread on “The Lex Brodie Effect”:

https://punaweb.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=23090&page=2&highlight=Lex+Brodie%27s

Lex Brodie’s could not have a worse reputation, and it’s nothing new.  They tried the “we can’t let you leave” crap on me 40 years ago.  How they can possibly stay in business all these years with the same m.o. is beyond me.

Therefore, I would not trust that the “wrong alternator” diagnosis is correct.  Maybe it is, but I highly doubt it.  Obie’s points are valid.  Wrong alternator making the car run badly doesn’t make much sense.

One thing she could do to clean up the alternator question would be to get the identification numbers off of the alternator and see for herself if it matches up with her car.  She could do it herself online or call one of the parts stores.

I would definitely make sure before accusing the mechanic of screwing up based on what the scammers at Lex Brodie said.

[loffelkopffl]

Hello again,
I told you what happened to me a few years ago with Mike in Pahoa telling me the problems with my car were because the transmission was going out, so I paid $235. to Transmission Technology only to find out that the transmission was fine. Well, now it's happened again, only with my granddaughter. Her mechanic put in the wrong alternator and she paid him $600. Her car was still running terrible so she had a diagnosis done at Lex Brodie and they said the wrong alternator was installed and a wire was missing. Of course, she paid for the diagnosis at Lex Brodie.
I think her mechanic should buy the right alternator and install it for free.  I also think he should pay for the Lex Brodie diagnosis, which my granddaughter should not have had to have done.  Please tell me what you think and what you would do if this happened to you. Mahalo

$600 to install an alternator is insane, I've installed many over the years takes about 45 minutes(or less).

[leilanidude]

$600 to install an alternator is insane, I've installed many over the years takes about 45 minutes(or less).
----------
Depends upon the vehicle and the location of the alternator. Some of these newer alternators are 200+ amps and cost $200-$300 then the labor might be 2-3 hours.

[terracore]

I've installed maybe 10 alternators in my day and it's not as easy as it used to be. We had one car where one practically had to remove the engine to even access it. I didn't want to spend an entire day underneath the car trying to do the job myself (with no guarantee of success) so I charged the battery and drove it to Curlees and had them do it.

More recently I installed one in an Impala. It took a lot longer than I thought it would and I had sticker shock when I called around to price the replacement. It was at least $300 after trade-in. It did come with a "lifetime" warranty (10 years) and it was one of those times when one takes care to save receipts and paperwork.

[sistersue]

I've installed maybe 10 alternators in my day and it's not as easy as it used to be.  We had one car where one practically had to remove the engine to even access it.  I didn't want to spend an entire day underneath the car trying to do the job myself (with no guarantee of success) so I charged the battery and drove it to Curlees and had them do it.

More recently I installed one in an Impala.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would and I had sticker shock when I called around to price the replacement.  It was at least $300 after trade-in.  It did come with a "lifetime" warranty (10 years) and it was one of those times when one takes care to save receipts and paperwork.

Hi Terracore,

Is Curlee's still in business or back in business?
Thank you.

[kalianna]

Curleeʻs has been closed for the last few years.