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I posted about this about this a month ago, and we had the car taken in to the shop where we had the wiring harness repaired. It did NOT solve the problem, it has in fact worsened.
The car requires the battery to be charged daily before it’ll start. Sometime twice daily. I’ve removed the stereo, and am careful not to drive it at night so that I’m not using the headlights. If I do drive at night and have to use headlights and windshield wipers, the car loses juice.
The belts squeal a lot on this car, and I’ve had them all replaced – twice – with in the past 6 months. I was explicitly told that the squealing belts would have no impact on the car’s ability to hold a charge. That the pulleys are old and polished, but nothing to be concerned with. The battery is new. The alternator was replaced less than 2 years ago, and few miles have been put on it since as we drive the car about 8 miles/day (to work and home again).
The other day when I picked the car up at my husband’s work (I pick it up in the afternoon’s and drop mine off, so as to not drive the Old Volvo at night) it was dead. I charged it and it started. I drove it home, and parked it in the garage. I hadn’t pulled in far enough, so tried to start it to pull it farther in only *it would not start* - just after I had driven home!!! I tried to charge it, but it wouldn’t charge!!
We had it towed, again, to the same shop (VOLVO DEALERSHIP) and they told me that because they didn’t fix it right the 1st time there would be no charge for this repair.
I just got a call and the shop told me that they took it out for an extended test drive (something they should have done the first time I brought it in, dontcha think?!) and said that when they got it back, they noticed that the alternator belt – the NEW one THEY installed recently – was ‘smoking hot’. Their conclusion is that the alternator is not being properly charged as the alt belt is slipping on the pulley and that they need to replace the alternator. The pulleys are not available as the car is so old.
Also – they are going to charge us for this repair, should we decide to do it, contradicting their original promise.
What should we do?? This is B.S. to me. They should have done right the first time (that wiring harness repair was $$$$).
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