Summary
I took my truck to Pep Boys in Cathedral City to diagnose and repair a problem with the charging system. They did a 'diagnosis' of the charging problem and told me that the alternator was not putting out the proper charge. I authorized replacement. Replacement included installation of a separate regulator. This is normally a four-hour job. It took them three days because they installed a regulator that was not compatible with the alternator; over and over again.
My complaints include the following:
They took three days to fix the charging system problem that according to them is normally a four-hour job.
Since I was from out of town, their incompetence caused me to incur two extra days of motel and restaurant meal costs.
A mechanics negligence in the repair caused yet another problem that resulted in a very dangerous situation on the highway when all the fan belts disintegrated or slipped off their pulleys less than 30 minutes after leaving the facility for the last time.
They presented bills that included parts and labor that were either duplicate or never done.
They replaced the alternator three times, but later they admitted the original was working properly.
They replaced batteries they thought were faulty, but the new batteries made no difference to the charging system.
The complaint is a bit complex and not easily boiled down to bullet points. A more detailed explanation is below.
DAY 1
I had flown in from Kentucky to Palm Springs, bought a truck, and noticed that the battery light and voltmeter showed that there was a problem with the charging system. I took the truck to Pep Boys in Cathedral City to determine the problem and fix it. They were to do a charging system test to include battery function, alternator output, and regulator function. After the test I was told that the alternator was not charging the batteries and that the alternator and regulator had to be replaced, which I authorized. They replaced the alternator and regulator, but the repair didn't solve the problem; the system was still not charging. So, thinking that the alternator was possibly defective, they replaced it, but that didn't fix the problem. Then they replaced the regulator, and told me that said the system was now charging. I was given a bill that included two alternators as well as labor and parts for a fuel filter replacement that was never done; I had asked if they could replace the filter and was told they couldn't. The original bill was in the neighborhood of $380 if I remember correctly they threw it away; when I asked about the extraneous charges the bill was revised to $218.69, deleting the fuel filter charges and the extra alternator charge. I was instructed to drive the vehicle at highway speeds for a while to ensure that the alternator would charge the batteries, but the battery light never went out and the voltmeter showed that the system was still not charging. I returned to Pep Boys where they replaced the alternator yet again, but that didn't fix the problem. So I took a cab back to the motel where I had stayed the night before.
DAY 2
The service managers and mechanics couldn't figure out what the problem was with my vehicle and went round and round, assigning new mechanics and doing various tests during the day. They decided to do a battery test (which was supposedly done as part of the overall charging system test when I brought the vehicle in for repair) and this time I was told that the batteries were the problem and that they needed to be replaced. I authorized the battery replacement, but the charging system still didn't work. Time had run out and I had to stay overnight in Palm Springs again.
DAY 3
While they were replacing the batteries, I asked a clerk to show me some information about the alternator and regulator they had installed in the vehicle. I found that they had repeatedly installed a regulator that was not rated for use with a 100-ampere alternato
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