Hi, Noob here but got a question for you.
Im not much into the mechanics of things but I will try to explain it the best I can.

I was driving home from work yesterday, when my engine started running really ruff. I look at my gagues and they were all dead. I tried my power window it was dead also. I pulled into a parking lot and it died.

I checked all oil, transfluid and other fluid levels. all were good.

I tried restarting it, starter cranked with loud noise, so I though my battery had died. I got a jump and it started, drove a few more miles towards home and same thing happened but this time with a lot of grey smoke coming from the rear bottom of engine. I noticed no eletrical systems worked before shutting it off, and when I stepped on breaks it made sputtering worst. I think due to the eletronic fuel injectors.

I called for a flatbed tow to a garage who i'm waiting to hear from now.

I think my electrical system went down due to a bad alternator not throwing a proper charge. I know the battery has been fine but it could probally be replaced to.

What should I expect to hear from them beside the high tow fee..lol
Has any of you experienced similar problems?

Thanks in advance.

 

Very well could be the alternator. These new vehicles depend so much on the computer to make everything run good, that a bad ground, bad alternator not putting out enough or too much, will cause the puter to freak out and not work right, then not sending the right signals to the engine and components, making it run like garbage.

 

Well the garage called, it has been fixed. It was the alternator.
I got billed.. get this.. $534.13 damn near dropped the phone..lol

anyhow I'll be working quite a bit more to help pay that off.

 

LOL Yea they aren't cheap anymore. I replaced the alternator in my old Bronco for $70. I am dreading having to do the same for my F150.

 

Um, I'm a bit flabberghasted about that price. Now I don't know anything about the six cylinder engines in the F-150's, but I just changed my alternator out this weekend for my '99 4.6L. Total time, if I had not been BS'ing to friends, should have been around 30 minutes. I'm sure I could have done it in less if I were racing for some big prize, but as it was I was taking a lazy day to just tinker on, tune-up and explore the Ford.

The rebuilt 130 Amp alternator from the store was $140. An all-new parts alternator was somewhere around $170 or $180.

Now I would understand a diagnostic cost of $60, then a small labor charge, but beyond that I am at a loss for the hole in your wallet.

 

535 for an alternator, thats insane!!

 

Mechanics are the most unfair, wallet robbers there are...

 

What!!! Samething happend to me 97 with a 4.2 with the bill with tow was $240.00.Sorry but you got hosed.

 

Yup big time, it was $80.00 for the tow, 200 for the alt, and $254 for the labor.
I told the garage it would be the last time I delt with them.

My old garage got too busy and work took a few days to get done, but I guess a good garage is very busy..lol I'll be going back to my old mechanic next time if not fixing it myself.

 

That sucks...