the Cost of General Auto Repair

I had recently needed a new alternator for my car. I have an older car so it was supposedly difficult to find a used one, say from a junk yard. And the mechanic I used said a rebuilt one was about the same for a new one.

Of course labor cost more then the actual part with alot of auto repairs it seems, but if you are in need of a new alternator, or any car part for that matter, make sure you ask about a reconditioned part, have your mechanic check the prices between new and rebuilt and make sure the part will fit your car. In my car the alternator was not quite the right one, my battery was still draining, and my father fixed the trouble in the end with the help of another mechanic.

This was after checking the fuses, replacing fuses as well as taking the dome lights out, unhooking the car radio, checking the electric windows, door locks, trying to find out where this drain was coming from with a new alternator and for some reason it was after the replacing of the alternator. Not saying the first mechanics did something, but it was weird how after the replacing of the alternator and it not being the correct part for my car, I was having my car battery jumped as it was dead after hours of draining and sitting over night.

As I stated, ask your mechanic about the prices for a rebuilt part junkyard and new part, and warranties that may or may not come with the part/service, as well as the full cost of labor to install these parts.

Also if your car battery is still draining after a 'new' alternator has been put on, like in my case. You MAY have to have your car battery modified and have the terminals cut off and moved so that when you park your car for more then an hour, you have to physically take your connection ( the positive ) out of the loop totally so it cannot drain while attached. Like a kill switch.

Make sure your mechanics check the other sources for what may be causing the drain on your battery if the alternator is charging and putting out the amps. Fuses, door locks, inside dome lights and inside trunk lights.

While it is not fun standing under my hood in the pouring rain to put the terminal together to go anywhere in my car, my car now starts up every single time, with a full battery charge and I know I can let my car sit for about 45 minutes or so while inside a store and not worry about the battery draining on me.

I unhook the terminal when I am home or if I am going to be longer then an hour inside a store and I know my car will start and not walk out to a dead battery as I had done many times before!