Garage trying to pull a fast one or my paranoia?

[shouldbworking]

99 Puma 1.7, past few days the alternator has been overcharging, I put the dash into diagnostic mode and it showed the voltage mostly normal, but frequently bouncing around sometimes all the way to 17v, with accompanying dodgy behaviour from the rest of the car (lights brightening, dash warning lights, radio crackling). It would do this maybe 3 times during a 50 minute journey.

It went into the garage today for them to have a look at it, I explain what I've seen, expecting them to say the voltage regulator has gone south and its new alternator time.

Sure enough, I get the phone call - it needs a new alternator, but they can't get one till tomorrow. Somehow they get the impression during this phone call that I'm leaving the car with them overnight. (I'm not)

I go and pick up the car, and I'm getting a bit of an air of frustration / hostility from the guy. I appreciate, he didn't expect this, but it's made no difference to his plans - he's just had to walk 2 metres to get the keys. I initially didn't think anything more of this.

Having picked the car up I've made 2 more journeys of about 50 minutes this evening, and the problem hasn't happened once. I put the dash into diagnostic mode again, and the voltage is spot on and staying there, varying from 13.9 to 14.3 volts.

So, have they actually found some other simple problem and fixed it, and are planning to bill me for a new alternator for sts and giggles, or am I paranoid?

[JREwing]

It's possible. Have you used this garage before?

[AF1]

I'd imagine if they were trying to have your pants down they'd invent some spurious time consuming electrical repair rather than hope you wouldn't spot the alternator wasn't new.

[anonymous-user]

Percussive maintenance

[Rubin215]

Have you already told them to order the part in (i.e. agreed to them doing the job)?

Have you paid them anything yet?

Do they know where you live...?


You could always just "forget" to go back tomorrow to have the job done and see if the fault comes back; if it does you have lost nothing except the goodwill of the garage, if it doesn't then you've just saved yourself the cost of a new alternator plus fitting...

[McSam]

The Spruce goose said:

Percussive maintenance

This is what I thought too.

Devil's Advocaat says they fixed it with a hammer, then realising that as hitting the alternator made it work, replacing the alternator will not stop it working, so they do that to get paid.

[TinyCappo]

Go back in with a box of biscuits and say it seems to be ok and your going to chance it. thank them for their time and say if it changes you will be straight back.

[shouldbworking]

JREwing said:

It's possible. Have you used this garage before?

Yes, they did a cambelt change on the same car previously, and spent some time trying to run down what I thought was an exhaust blow - it was just the exhaust resonating at a specific rpm. They didn't charge anything for searching for the exhaust non-issue, and I'm happy with the cambelt change they did.

Haven't paid them anything as yet, but they've ordered the new alternator and they know where I work.

Assuming the fault doesn't recur tomorrow morning I'll mention that the voltage has been rock steady when I drop it in... at least then they have the opportunity to say 'hmm. thats surprising, ill chat to bob. Oh, bob says he found a loose gubbinsery and tightened it up. If youre happy we will just charge you the labour time'

I'd rather be spending the money on some new suspension bushings rather than an already fixed electrical fault

[JREwing]

If they've ordered the part on your behalf then it's at least fair to chat to them about it and see if you can make a compromise. Otherwise if you have to take it in in future then they're more likely to want to rip you off.

Or stty cushions.....

[shouldbworking]

And the follow up... taking it to the garage this morning it started playing up again. New alternator fitted. Paranoia wins this round.

[Rubin215]

Paranoia is good; it keeps you on your toes.

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that people aren't out to get you...

[ridds]

Most garages have a free returns service, hell I have it with my local motor factors. Providing it's not been installed then there's no real issue.