I managed to get a new alternattor for my wifes car and installed it yesterday. One problem down. I was a happy man at the auto parts store when the old alternator was tested and the big red letters failed test appeared on the computer screen of the tester. I was actually happy to spend the 160.00 for the new alternator. QWhat's wrong with that oicture?
I went to work today. I called the shop that has my truck to make sure they would get it going for me.The truck will start with a shot of starting fluid and then die after the fumes of the fluid burn off. That tells me that gas isn't getting to the engine. The Chiltons repair manual states that if the engine turns over but doesn't start it's a fuel problem. Check to make sure the fuel pump is working. If not it may have a faulty fuel pump or modules. I checked the fuel pump and it works fine. The next thing to do going by the repair manual is to replace the fuel filter. Ok, The nuts holding the fuel filter on were so tight and needed a wrench that I did not have so I had the truck towed to a service station. Today I was told that they would mcheck for the problem and change the fuel pump. So, getting back to me calling the repair shop. I finally got hold of someone around 9:30 AM. The owner told me that they were getting ready to push it into the shop and if there would be any problems he would give me a call.
Quitting time rolled around so I headed over to the service station figuring all was repaired. Yeah, right. The mechanic couldn't get the fuel filter off. He said he tried vice grips and everything, lol. There isn't enough room around the fuel lines and the drive shaft to even turn vice grips. I know this because I tried it myself Saturday. He then told me that he had tested the fuel line and that the fuel system wasn't the problem. He then went into how the truck had never ever had a tune up. All the coil wires were shot. The rotor was shot, the spark plugs all needed changing because the gaps on them were all to big and also that he had tested for a spark and that the spark was real slow. Ok, stop the bus.......
I am not a mechanic by any means but I have always done what ever repairs I have had to do to keep our vehicles running. I don't know very much about fuel injection systems and wouldn't know where to start with working on one. Give me a V8 with a carburator on top with a distributor, coil wires and spark plugs and I can go to town. What I do know is that any electrical problem on my wifes car, check engine lights and service engine lights start blinking and flashing giving the driver plenty of warning way in advance of a break down. Seems that with every coil wire and spark plug and rotor needing replacing, atleast one warning light should have lit up. The truck was running and just died and couldn't be started again.
The next question would be why will the engine start up when a blast of starting fluid is shot into it? Seems that if everything electrical is needing replacing then why will it start period?
I think the guy knows that I need the truck pretty bad. He also knows that I had to pay to get it towed there. He told me that before he can even try to figure out why it can't start he wants to do a $500.00 tune up. the little Chevy Blazer only cost $300.00 when it was purchased from a friend.
If anyone out there has any expierience mechanically and can let me know weather I am right or wrong regarding my intuition on being set up for a rip off or that the mechanic is being straight with me, I would appreciate your input.
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