Potentially the longest thread in history...

[hikaricloud]

Speaking of car stuff, I'm gonna break some dealership people's faces today.

Back in September, I was having an intermittent problem starting the car...I would turn the key and it would just sit there. No turn over, no nothing. The lights came on, but that's about it. So I took it to the dealership since everyone else in town seems to be a bunch of kooks. They said I needed to replace the starter, so they did. Then I needed to replace the EGR valve, so they did. 1000 bucks in one month.

Guess what? SAME ****ING PROBLEM AGAIN.

It doesn't happen when the engine is bone cold, it seems to happen after I've driven the car for about 10 minutes, then had it turned off for 10 minutes. If I let it sit for a while longer, it will turn on. The time I have to wait varies. It's not overheating, my fluids seem normal, the battery cables are on good. No clue what the **** is going on.

Any ideas before I trust the dealership again?

It's a 2001 Saturn SL1 by the way.

 

[Hefemeister]

I would take it back with the receipts and say wtf? Three months on a starter? cant be that. Get them to fix their stuff for free or file a report with the bbb.

 

[hikaricloud]

I would take it back with the receipts and say wtf? Three months on a starter? cant be that. Get them to fix their stuff for free or file a report with the bbb.

Yeah, they're going to be working on this for free or we're going to have a problem, lol.

I have a feeling the starter wasn't the problem at all, and it was something that probably could have been fixed in a few minutes, like replacing some form of cable that had a short in it, or something. Since the repair, I've replaced the spark plugs/cables, fuel filter, i think that battery cables too...most everything on the stupid "recommended service" list they gave me. I bet my starter was fine and they're just full of ****.

 

[Hefemeister]

Well if you live somewhere cold 8 years is not too bad for a starter. I bet your right when they put the starter in they temp fixed a short or something and now it is back.

 

[hikaricloud]

Well if you live somewhere cold 8 years is not too bad for a starter. I bet your right when they put the starter in they temp fixed a short or something and now it is back.

Well, it can get cold here, but it's not like the far north where I used to live, lol.

I'm not sure if the starter had been replaced before I owned it, to be honest. But either way, it obviously didn't fix my problem, so they didn't do a good enough job at faking knowing what the **** they are talking about.

Man I'm so angry. I got starred out words everywhere, rofl.

 

[Hefemeister]

At least you are getting stars for the right reasons.

I love it when you get something like:

So have you read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens?

Edit: wow they changed that.

 

[hikaricloud]

ROFL. That's great. I needed a laugh this morning.

So what are you up to, eh?

 

[ricanflow]

Speaking of car stuff, I'm gonna break some dealership people's faces today.

Back in September, I was having an intermittent problem starting the car...I would turn the key and it would just sit there. No turn over, no nothing. The lights came on, but that's about it. So I took it to the dealership since everyone else in town seems to be a bunch of kooks. They said I needed to replace the starter, so they did. Then I needed to replace the EGR valve, so they did. 1000 bucks in one month.

Guess what? SAME ****ING PROBLEM AGAIN.

It doesn't happen when the engine is bone cold, it seems to happen after I've driven the car for about 10 minutes, then had it turned off for 10 minutes. If I let it sit for a while longer, it will turn on. The time I have to wait varies. It's not overheating, my fluids seem normal, the battery cables are on good. No clue what the **** is going on.

Any ideas before I trust the dealership again?

It's a 2001 Saturn SL1 by the way.

Alternator...

 

[hikaricloud]

Alternator...

Really? I thought if the alternator was going bad, it would happen a lot more often. As it stands, it happens once in a while. Like, maybe 3 times this week.

Well, if it's that, looks like I'm getting a free alternator.

 

[lancec2c30]

If you let the car sit for a while does it start? Because if so , the alternator would not be the problem.

The alternator charges your battery and keeps voltage above 12v while driving, if the alternator had went out, you would be able to start the vehicle fine, but after driving some time. The headlights, ignition system, and climate control would run the batter dead and eventually the coil would not get enough juice to keep spark in the combustion chambers. Then your battery would be dead.

I honestly don't know, could be a starter. I know a friend had similar troubles due to the + wire to the started laying on the exhaust manifold, it melted through the insulation and would short out once in a while when it touched it.