One day while driving, I received a red error message referencing my alternator. There was a strange smell and sound. I don't drive much as I take Uber to work, so it sat there for a few weeks. I admit I should have gotten it looked at sooner but I put it off. I eventually I moved it as I didn't want to get a ticket, I park on the street outside my apartment. I was moved it twice within a month and half. Then it eventually did not start up anymore. At one point I saw that a garage about a street over left business cards on everyone's car. I called the mechanic to come over to take a look. He hooked a jumper to it to try to start it and it did not work. It was a Bosch handheld unit, it looked somewhat fancy but the battery may have been too far gone by that point. It had been sitting there for 3 weeks since the last time I was able to move it. He had a large torque wrench and tried spinning the crankshaft, it would only move backwards. I had saw a video on Youtube on how to pop the panel on the shifter off to shift it into neutral. I wanted to push it over one spot to not get a ticket. The car would not budge.
Eventually I gave up and gave him the keys to get it towed while I was at work, I work a 9-5 office job. 2 days later he was able to tow it to his shop while I was at work. How did he move it? After working with him the next 3 weeks, trying to get him to replace the alternator, I felt something was wrong with the mechanic. He started talking about needing to get a new engine because it would not turn forwards. I am now in a position where he says he put a new alternator in after weeks of back and forth over text, and he says it doesn't work. I asked hm to keep the old alternator to show me but he said he had to trade it in with the purchase of the rebuilt one. I was furious, I asked him why he would not buy a brand new one and what auto part distributor would ask for the old one. Nothing made sense. I know I am at fault for being complacent about it but after reading my explanation, what sounds like is wrong with the car. The car is very old and I didn't think much of it. Maybe only using the part before the mechanic enters the picture.
Would the Electronic Ignition System not allow the car to move even in neutral, without battery power? Would the strange smell and sounds, point to a belt or something else?
Hindsight being 20/20, I had wished I had not used this mechanic. He seems to being diagnosing the car using a very faulty method. I am wondering if I should get it towed to another shop close by, that I have worked with. Please help!!
Eventually I gave up and gave him the keys to get it towed while I was at work, I work a 9-5 office job. 2 days later he was able to tow it to his shop while I was at work. How did he move it? After working with him the next 3 weeks, trying to get him to replace the alternator, I felt something was wrong with the mechanic. He started talking about needing to get a new engine because it would not turn forwards. I am now in a position where he says he put a new alternator in after weeks of back and forth over text, and he says it doesn't work. I asked hm to keep the old alternator to show me but he said he had to trade it in with the purchase of the rebuilt one. I was furious, I asked him why he would not buy a brand new one and what auto part distributor would ask for the old one. Nothing made sense. I know I am at fault for being complacent about it but after reading my explanation, what sounds like is wrong with the car. The car is very old and I didn't think much of it. Maybe only using the part before the mechanic enters the picture.
Would the Electronic Ignition System not allow the car to move even in neutral, without battery power? Would the strange smell and sounds, point to a belt or something else?
Hindsight being 20/20, I had wished I had not used this mechanic. He seems to being diagnosing the car using a very faulty method. I am wondering if I should get it towed to another shop close by, that I have worked with. Please help!!
