Late Night After Work Car Problems

[GabyKeepsMeWarm]

Son of a bitch…

Finished work tonight, and on the 4 mile drive home, the battery light goes on, then the RPM’s seem to behave a bit strangely, the radio starts to say **** it I’m out, the airbag light goes on, the ABS light goes on, the headlights dim, and I park the car at the house, and the driver’s side window won’t go up. Pull the keys, put the keys back in to try to get the window down, and now it works.

Car has been running like a top with barely any problems ever. Alternator was checked a few months ago and was fine. Battery is only about 16 months old. Was going to get the timing belt changed in a few weeks when the next service is due. Just got back from driving back and forth to KC and now this? What the hell man?

Hallelujah, and holy shit. Where’s the Tylenol?

[MagicHef]

Before you go too crazy replacing stuff, try cleaning the battery posts and connectors with a wirebrush

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Before you go too crazy replacing stuff, try cleaning the battery posts and connectors with a wirebrush

Nevermind

[Peter Gibbons]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Prestone or Quaker State?

It doesn't matter because it's all ball bearings these days!

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Bro, when's the last time you had to buy an alternator?

Yeah, little on the low side with that estimate. Just multiply everything by 2 and you'll be in the ballpark.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by GabyKeepsMeWarm

Well, 600 bucks later, I’ve got a new alternator and all is right in the world. Gonna self pull and take a nap.

Sweet jesus, it cost HOW much?!?!?!

An alternator swap - especially if you have a top mount - is a 20 minute job. I shit you not.

And on a reasonably modern car, you can just get on O'reilly's website and enter year/make/model and it'll just tell you what to buy.

Yikes bro. That's stout.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Otter

Yeah, little on the low side with that estimate. Just multiply everything by 2 and you'll be in the ballpark.

I'd have figured $150 in parts if you do it yourself; $200 tops (go ahead and replace the belt while you're at it).

Hour worth of labor if you have the mechanic do it. I figured $100-$150/hr with a 1 hour minimum for a reasonable shop rate and you're looking at $250-$350 tops.

$600 seems brutal unless he has a car that's just a bitch to get to the alternator.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Got a Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit diesel which until now had never given me any problems. Drove home from work last week, seemed to be running fine as always, turned it off in my garage and heard coolant bubbling. Looked at the gauge and it was fairly hot. Checked underneath the coolant reservoir and saw OIL dripping out pretty badly. Oil cooler malfunctioned and sent oil throughout my entire cooling system. Needed new oil cooler, thermostat, o-ring, all rubber hoses in the coolant system needed to be replaced, and needed a new radiator because oil had settled, coagulated and couldn't be flushed out. Total financial damage? $9,166.78. Warranty expired 5k miles ago. New President of OUCHtown - JohnnyHammersticks.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Otter

Yeah, little on the low side with that estimate. Just multiply everything by 2 and you'll be in the ballpark.

I remember putting an alternator I bought at a parts store into a 1998 Pontiac Transport. This was about 20 years ago. And even then it was about 3 times what you're saying. It was imported from France so maybe that was part of it. I just couldn't believe how expensive they had become.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

****ing money pits man. I'm taking mine in to get the brakes looked at and it needs the A/C fixed.

Had to have my 2011 Kia AC compressor replaced. He did the serpentine belt while he was at it. All told it was $1150. I knew it was going to be expensive going in but that still sucks.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Had to have my 2011 Kia AC compressor replaced. He did the serpentine belt while he was at it. All told it was $1150. I knew it was going to be expensive going in but that still sucks.

For the record, there's nothing in the world easier than changing a serpentine belt (and why I do it anytime anything else needs working on).

You probably have a simple spring tensioner with a slot for a 3/8 inch ratchet (I use a breaker bar; not everyone has one).

Just draw a little diagram with big and little circles representing the respective wheels (roughly where they would be on the motor) then draw your belt in - over, under, over, under - done.

Take the tension off, remove the belt, remove the tension again, put the new one on in the same way your little diagram shows and you're done.

If you're really paranoid (I always am) take a couple pictures just as a double-check of your diagram.

Serpentine belts are super easy and the number of people you hear driving around with worn belts makes no sense to me. Fellas, if that thing lets go it's not exactly a disaster like a timing belt failing, but it ain't a lot of fun trying to limp that thing home without that belt and if you're extremely unlucky it can wrap around stuff after it breaks and wreak all sorts of havoc.

[crayzkirk]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

For the record, there's nothing in the world easier than changing a serpentine belt (and why I do it anytime anything else needs working on).

You probably have a simple spring tensioner with a slot for a 3/8 inch ratchet (I use a breaker bar; not everyone has one).

Just draw a little diagram with big and little circles representing the respective wheels (roughly where they would be on the motor) then draw your belt in - over, under, over, under - done.

Take the tension off, remove the belt, remove the tension again, put the new one on in the same way your little diagram shows and you're done.

If you're really paranoid (I always am) take a couple pictures just as a double-check of your diagram.

Serpentine belts are super easy and the number of people you hear driving around with worn belts makes no sense to me. Fellas, if that thing lets go it's not exactly a disaster like a timing belt failing, but it ain't a lot of fun trying to limp that thing home without that belt and if you're extremely unlucky it can wrap around stuff after it breaks and wreak all sorts of havoc.

I agree to a point... The issue with a lot of vehicles with the transverse mounted engine is that the components are really difficult to get to if you don't have a lift and the belt tensioner is shoehorned in where you might need a special tool and really small hands to get the new belt in place. They really don't seem to have put a lot of thought into repairs.

Brakes are usually fairly easy, most people neglect replacing the brake fluid every few years. It's hydroscopic and will cause severe damage to the components if allowed to remain in the system too long. Most shops will do this for a pretty minimal fee. I usually do it when I get my vehicles inspected.

Yeah, sounds like the alternator or voltage regulator on the original vehicle.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I'd have figured $150 in parts if you do it yourself; $200 tops (go ahead and replace the belt while you're at it).

Hour worth of labor if you have the mechanic do it. I figured $100-$150/hr with a 1 hour minimum for a reasonable shop rate and you're looking at $250-$350 tops.

$600 seems brutal unless he has a car that's just a bitch to get to the alternator.

Agreed, that's pretty steep for an alternator swap. I would have guessed $300 on the high end.


Yikes!

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Had to have my 2011 Kia AC compressor replaced. He did the serpentine belt while he was at it. All told it was $1150. I knew it was going to be expensive going in but that still sucks.

I just priced some alternators for my 2023 Tacoma on Amazon and the average was about $115 dollars (napkin math). I would have swapped it out myself however.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=2023+taco...ref=nb_sb_noss

[poolboy]

AAA

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Before you go too crazy replacing stuff, try cleaning the battery posts and connectors with a wirebrush

I've done this before when the car wouldn't start. And it fixed it right up.

But the symptoms he's describing were definitely the alternator.