Just venting...4 days a go I broke down on the road...with some help I got to a dealership

[HereSince1628]

,not where I bought the car, (I was 40 miles from home) where in a compromised condition I acceeded to $168 for diagnosing the trouble and replacing the battery. The technician assured me and the customer service rep that all else was good including the alternator which to me seemed to be a highly likely source of the trouble.

Today I went out to get a brake light for the SO's Corolla, you know trying to save a few bucks by DIY. About a mile down the way, the car dies, starter clicks but won't crank. Now it was a $75 tow to our "family mechanic" and a $550 bill for replacing the alternator and moreover, he insists on replacing a 4 day old battery which they claim has absolutely no remaining life.

So, considering the 30% drop in my TIAA retirement,$1700 in this year's dental bills, $4500 in repairing flooding damage and installing various pumps and batter back-ups, and $1000 deductible on skin cancer treatment for the SO, I can say this year is a formal loss. It's July and my regular bills and "unusual expenses" now equal my earnings.

If I were a corporation my board of directors would consider liquidating me.

[CreekDog]

1. i would fight the dealer on the $168 diagnostic

the whole point of that test (way overpriced) is to see if your charging system is working (i.e. alternator), which they didn't catch. it supposed to make sure you don't put a new battery with an alternator that won't charge it.

fight that. what a ripoff. :rant: