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Last post on May 20, 2013 at 3:46 AM
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#27369 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [stickguy]
by tjc78
Sep 19, 2012 (1:40 pm)
Ouch! Hopefully its not a wallet buster. A new RDX and a bathroom redo probably has you in the poor house as it is.
I'm three weeks from the wedding so I feel your pain. About to get the final bill from the venue.
#27370 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [stickguy]
by michaell
Sep 19, 2012 (1:41 pm)
Uh oh.
Could be the BCM, which was $600 to replace on my Saturn L300.
This might be the death knell for the Acura.
#27371 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [michaell]
by stickguy
Sep 19, 2012 (1:47 pm)
he almost made it to the dealer. a few red lights did him in. But he could see it from the taco bell parking lot where it died. Considering they just took money and sent him on his way yesterday, they should feel guilty enough to go down and retrieve it! Most likely they can jump it off a box, and get it to at least limp in.
does not sound like they really checked anything else out. The new battery just seemed to cure the problem, since it had plenty of juice to run on for a while.
I really don't want to have to deal with it being dead. No money for a replacement (well, I do have a minivan I don't need, but I want the money out of that!).
so, even if it needed an alternator ($$?) or BCM, most likely I would just bite the bullet and do it, hoping that was the end of it.
#27372 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [stickguy]
by xwesx
Sep 19, 2012 (2:06 pm)
My money's on the alternator, sir! Depending on the cost of that itself, I wouldn't think more than $300 out-the-door. I agree that they should get it to their shop from the TB location down the street as a courtesy given the limited diagnostics the first time around.
#27373 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [stickguy]
by isellhondas
Sep 19, 2012 (2:48 pm)
When I was young and broke, there was a "shop" nearby that sold "rebuilt" alternators, starters and generators (remember those?) for much less money that a quality rebuild.
They would hire whatever they could find off the street to "rebuild" these units on a makeshift assembly line of sorts. I got the grand tour one day when they tried to hire me!
Had they hired me, I would have worked shoulder to shoulder in a FILTHY enviroment with non English speaking people, what looked like tattooed ex cons and winos. The loud language that I heard would have made my Army Drill Sergeants in Basic Training look like nuns.
Much of the cursing was in Spanish but, thanks to some of my friends, I already knew the meanings of these words.
The "rebuilds" consisted of ONLY replacing the actual parts that were actually bad. They even grabbed parts from piles of used parts when they could.
The starters would turn and the alternators would charge! The jobs were finished up with a quick spray of spiffy black or silver paint and into a box they would go!
If I remember correctly, alternatorrs and generators were 10.00 and starters were 15.00. They had (I think) a 90 day guarantee.
Sometimes you would get lucky and other times not so lucky.
The small used cars loved this place along with the filthy dump that sold reclaimed motor oil. Fill up the crankcase, throw on a couple of recapped tires and they were set to go!
#27374 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [isellhondas]
by steve_ HOST
Sep 19, 2012 (3:24 pm)
I knew an older guy in my teens who rebuilt starters and generators. Had a little shop in back of his garage. He had made most of his jigs and tools, including a hydraulic press. Elmer something or other. He knew his stuff but wound up turning away most work because a couple of trucking companies got wind of his work and he had so much work with them he could barely keep up.
Elmer could do it all, including rewinding if needed.
#27375 of 32331 Re: dead acura update [isellhondas]
by benjaminh
Sep 20, 2012 (3:19 am)
isell: That's an interesting story about your failed alternator in your 89 Buick, because I had the exact same thing happen to me in our 1988 Olds 98. Seems like GM put some bad alternators in their cars for a while. It was scary to have the car die like that right in the middle of the road.
#27376 of 32331 BMW Story
by tjc78
Sep 20, 2012 (5:25 am)
Good friends of mine picked up a new 335 about a week ago. Driving home from the dealer the steering wheel completely locked up in a straight ahead posistion. They had no control over the car whatsoever.
They had no choice but to stop the car in the middle of the highway (Stick, RT42 right around Deptford mall). Called the dealer they immediately sent out a tow and loaner vehicle.
Turns out the part was on some sort of backorder and was going to take over a month to get. Dealer put them in a different car with Xdrive with more equipment for same price. I thought that was good service.
He said it was a scary experience being able to do nothing to stop the car. His wife and daughter were pretty shaken up.
#27377 of 32331 Re: BMW Story [tjc78]
by stickguy
Sep 20, 2012 (5:32 am)
no, that is not a place I would want to get stranded right in the middle of the highway.
but pretty close to Turnersville if that is where they bought it from!
#27378 of 32331 Re: BMW Story [stickguy]
by tjc78
Sep 20, 2012 (5:39 am)
Yeah they were literally on the way home from the dealer. I'd have probably lost my mind!
Car had less than 20 miles on it.