blatantsilence
Member
i do a delievey route weekly that forces me to load my car up with newspaper.. its probably close to 700lbs.. if not more depending on the size of the paper.
so one afternoon during my delivery route my battery light came on, my route is about 35miles from home. this being only about 6 weeks after battery was put in.. so i kept going on the route, and the stereo shut off.. pulled into a parking stall and the car died.. tried to start it after i dropped off the papers, no crank.. i let the car sit for about 10 minutes and it cranked over.. i just threw it in reverse and got out of where i was *downtown, small city*. i right turned on red lights and did parking lot turns, rolling stops and whatever else i had too.. the whole time my airbag light was flashing, dash lights flickering, the car jerking and stuttering the whole time. i came up to another major intersection and was forced to stop.. i parked the car and got on the phone and called my dad up to get out to help me..
at the intersection i was blocking traffic, a police officer pulled up behind me and offered to give me a push through the intersection, just to get me out of the way, yeah, he scuffed up my bumper a little bit, ahem, it's a "bumper". he pushed down a hill and i wound up in front of a suburu dealership. i got on the phone and called up 2 different mazda dealers in my area, neither could get me in that day *friday*, or anytime sooner then tuesday. and the cost would be $400.
the first dealer told me easiest way to do the alternator was through the bottom.. pulling part of the axel. that aint happening. i called the 2nd dealer and he said it was easier from the bottom, but it was possible through the top.. i restated what he said, and he confirmed.. i hung up the phone and busted out my socket set..
i started unbolting and dismantling everything above the alternator *cruise control, strut brace, and something else, loosened up the a/c lines* my father arrived and helped me verbally with removing the alternator. i had done 1 previously on an old 87 lincoln towncar i owned, but this was 6 yrs ago if not longer.. i had a extremely hard time getting the pivot bolt out out of the mazda, but i got it. with it off the hinge, its just a matter of twisting and rolling the alternator up through the narrow area.
alternator out, to the part store. hooked it up and tested.. FAIL. i was never so happy to see something fail as i was at that time.. $180 for a new alternator and we were one our way back.. got it put back together and its been running good ever since then.. except for my bearing problem..
so one afternoon during my delivery route my battery light came on, my route is about 35miles from home. this being only about 6 weeks after battery was put in.. so i kept going on the route, and the stereo shut off.. pulled into a parking stall and the car died.. tried to start it after i dropped off the papers, no crank.. i let the car sit for about 10 minutes and it cranked over.. i just threw it in reverse and got out of where i was *downtown, small city*. i right turned on red lights and did parking lot turns, rolling stops and whatever else i had too.. the whole time my airbag light was flashing, dash lights flickering, the car jerking and stuttering the whole time. i came up to another major intersection and was forced to stop.. i parked the car and got on the phone and called my dad up to get out to help me..
at the intersection i was blocking traffic, a police officer pulled up behind me and offered to give me a push through the intersection, just to get me out of the way, yeah, he scuffed up my bumper a little bit, ahem, it's a "bumper". he pushed down a hill and i wound up in front of a suburu dealership. i got on the phone and called up 2 different mazda dealers in my area, neither could get me in that day *friday*, or anytime sooner then tuesday. and the cost would be $400.
the first dealer told me easiest way to do the alternator was through the bottom.. pulling part of the axel. that aint happening. i called the 2nd dealer and he said it was easier from the bottom, but it was possible through the top.. i restated what he said, and he confirmed.. i hung up the phone and busted out my socket set..
i started unbolting and dismantling everything above the alternator *cruise control, strut brace, and something else, loosened up the a/c lines* my father arrived and helped me verbally with removing the alternator. i had done 1 previously on an old 87 lincoln towncar i owned, but this was 6 yrs ago if not longer.. i had a extremely hard time getting the pivot bolt out out of the mazda, but i got it. with it off the hinge, its just a matter of twisting and rolling the alternator up through the narrow area.
alternator out, to the part store. hooked it up and tested.. FAIL. i was never so happy to see something fail as i was at that time.. $180 for a new alternator and we were one our way back.. got it put back together and its been running good ever since then.. except for my bearing problem..