Re: 45K mile service, exploding batteries, et al.

[Elliott Potter <epotter@abraxis.com>]

paul rogers wrote:
> 
> Elliott Potter wrote:
> 
> > OK, I have a few questions/rants.
> >
> > [...]
> 
>    Elliott,
>      Sounds like you need a good shot of common sense in your dealings
> with independent
> repair facilities, what are you saving by taking your car to a
> non-dealership facility, if your
> suffering through all this non-appropriate repairs and service.
>      If you know what is to happen on a 45,000mi service, then insist
> upon it being done
> properly. Of course they said they'd cover the 45k service, they only
> did the cheap
> parts of the service for you.
>      As far as the battery, your original bill of sale for the batttery
> is your proof of purchase
> for warrenty matters. Pro-rated means this, full replacement warrenty of
> the item for the
> first year or 15,000 mi., and after that, you would have to pay the
> difference between
> the purchase price and the remaining warrenty value in increments of
> 1/12th for every
> month remaining starting with 60months remaining. Any Audi/VW dealer has
> a copy
> of the 72 month pro-rated value form in the parts dept.
>       If you've been to the dealer, and they seem to think you A/C
> problem is not the
> hi-pressure sw., then sounds like you should give them a try, especially
> if this independent
> shop has replaced it how many times???????.
>      Your alternator is probably over-charging, check the regulator on
> the back of the
> alternator for worn brushes, or maybe you have the wrong battery fitment
> for your
> vehicle.
>       The best preventive medicine for vehicle maintance usually is just
> plain old common
> sense, not to be influenced by trying to save a buck in the wallet.
>      Hope this helps you in your car maintance problems.

Actually, the car has never been anywhere but the dealer.  This car had
the Audi Advantage, so we took it to the dealer for every single
service, and still do.  I refuse to have my car in an independant
garage.  I'd do the service myself, first.  Anyway, it's the dealer
that's replaced the high-pressure switch 4 times.

If anything, I think that the alternator was *undercharging* just a
little bit, but the dealer checked the charging system and said it was
fine.  That's what worried me--it seems that this is not exceptionally
uncommon.

I would go to another dealer that might be ever so slightly more
competent, but we've actually got a nice relationship with this dealer;
we've bought 2 Audis from them and have serviced them at this dealer for
about 6-8 years.  Oh well.

Elliott