Story goes that I needed to get new rear discs and pads for my car, and during fitting, it ended up needing a couple of new brake pipes too along with a new rear caliper because the old one was seized. Okay I thought, the guy seemed really nice and genuine and has all 5 star reviews on Google.
Now, 1 week after getting the car back (I've only done about 30 miles on it since), the battery light comes on! Managed to drive about another 10 miles with the light on before the battery goes flat (almost made it home), it seems like the alternator has died!
Was it just really bad luck or not, what do you think?!
How long will a car run just on the battery? I've been Googling and its making me think that something was maybe done so that I will need to go back and spend more money (looking like a few hundred pounds!) getting that fixed now.
I’m going to side with the garage here
No idea about the garage but mine did over 100miles with no alternator.
25 miles to Edinburgh, wouldn't start after a refuel, jump started, got as far as Spean Bridge before it conked out, popped in the new battery purchased just after the jump start, finished trip to Fort William. Came home on a breakdown truck.
Transit, has double battery, which helps.
None of that sounds like work that would harm the alternator, I'm going with bad luck.
Only thing I've seen kill an alternator (other than wear and tear) is welding without disconnecting it!
Bad luck I'm afraid.
Alternators are like batteries, one minute they are working the next they are dead. My old Fiesta's alternator worked perfectly getting on the channel tunnel and decided to die somewhere under the water. Got as far down as Reims before it ran out of juice. Fitted a new battery thinking it was that (it was 8 years old and the garage's tester said it was dead) and all seemed well until I got to Dijon where I lost all electrical power without any warning! The car had been given a full health check by the AA 6 weeks before the trip as part of my breakdown cover and they only flagged up a worn tyre with a nail in it and that the coolant was getting old.
Why would you even think the garage was dodgy.
Oh wait any one in the motor trade must be a little bit slow and dishonest.
I've spent 20yrs in the trade and the amount of crap people try and blame on you after you've only even sat in their car is unbelievable.
If it went flat within 30 miles, you had an issue before it went into the garage.
The battery light comes on when the battery is no longer charging, not when it is nearly empty. The alternator failed the same moment the light came on.
Rachel
1 star review then: "They fixed my rear brakes and a week later my battery/alternator failed". That'll show 'em.
As my boss in Australia used to say
” your car’s a piece of crap I don’t know what you’re worried about”
Wally Benson, king of customer service.
You need a new car.
Yep thats just bad luck.
The battery light means that your battery is not charging - usually because of an alternator fault but not always. It doesnt mean you have a flat battery - but it almost always leads to a flat battery after a few miles of driving with lights on,radio on, fan on etc etc
as others, I don't think this has anything to do with the garage. With that said, there is a chance. If you don't disconnect a battery whilst welding then the increased voltages flowing around can (by all accounts) mess up ECUs and alternators. I guess there's a chance he welded the brake lines (slim) and forgot to undo the battery (slimmer still) and that caused the alternator to be ok when you drove it out, but fail 10 miles later (slimmest)
have you tried whacking the alternator with a big hammer? sometimes giggles it into life
Sort of reminds me of my neighbours response when I pointed out that his front tyre looked a bit flat. I put a gauge on it and there was a whole 13 PSI in it. His response?
"That's strange as I only had it MOT'd 2 months ago."
Story goes that I needed to get new rear discs and pads for my car, and during fitting, it ended up needing a couple of new brake pipes too along with a new rear caliper because the old one was seized.
That is not uncommon (piston corroded as discs/pads worn down and over extended or torn dust seal). If a brake line connection does not come apart due to corrosion etc you end up chasing the line (I have ended up back at the master cylinder before, just changing a flexi). Personally as soon as there is an issue beyond the estimated work I would phone the customer and explain options/ask how they wish to proceed, also advise there may be complications in the first instance on an older car due to corrosion.
the battery light comes on! Managed to drive about another 10 miles with the light on before the battery goes flat (almost made it home), it seems like the alternator has died!
Was it just really bad luck or not, what do you think?!
How long will a car run just on the battery?
Just bad luck.
Depends on the car, electrical load and battery size/condition.
<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">That is not uncommon (piston corroded as discs/pads worn down and over extended or torn dust seal). If a brake line connection does not come apart due to corrosion etc you end up chasing the line (I have ended up back at the master cylinder before, just changing a flexi). Personally as soon as there is an issue beyond the estimated work I would phone the customer and explain options/ask how they wish to proceed, also advise there may be complications in the first instance on an older car due to corrosion.</span>
There's also the chance that the old rubber pipes had expanded, which closes up the bore, so each time you put the brakes on fluid is forced through but cant return, which causes the brakes to stick on slightly, wearing them out. Which is why you needed new pads and disks.
I had to do my alternator at the same time as my pads and disks, did them myself on the drive, I'm well dodgy apparently. I'm even going to have to take it back to myself to get a new battery as the alternator buggered that up but couldn't spare the ££ at the time to replace that as well.