anybody else having some problem with your starter? it doesn't happen alot but it's just in some random days it makes that wierd whinning sound ...

also is there anybody else getting charge for warranty work in your vehicles? well, about two weeks ago i went to this ONE dealer to have my cv boots check because i told them that its torn. they said that "yeah we'll look at it, but if there is nothing wrong with it we have to charge you $150 for it ..just to look at it."

i also wanted them to check my alternator and they told me the same thing another $150 to check if there is nothing wrong. but i thought that yeah it doesn't happen all the time so i told them forget it.

i'm like "wtf?" is this something new or is it just this ONE dealer.

now its just getting annoying plus my car i still under warranty 26,xxx miles on 03'
i'd rather have them take care of this before my car goes out of warranty.



chris

 

pretty sure the alternator SHOULD be covered to check it. i am not too sure about the cv boot may not be covered under warranty bcuz its a wear and tear item- what made you think that the cv boots are torn? is it making a clunking noise going slow around turns? or did you see it actually torn? as for the $150 charge i am not sure about that(never had to go in for service yet only for recalls- i do all the diagnoising myself)
but you should check the warranty manual see what is covered(if you still have the maunal). not really sure about a whinning noise when starting it...... never had that b4...... does it happen usually in first start(like in the mornings) when the car is cooled off(cold start)? and if it is then there are not going to find anything wrong if you drive it in when the car is alrealy hot and driven around since its a cold starting isssue.

let me know if this helps.

 

thanks for the quick reply, it's just been buggin me for a couple of weeks

btw 'starter', but i'm sure you meant that. i don't think theres nothing wrong with my alternator that i know of. all i know is my battery has been dying on me like everyday so i had to buy a new battery, thats fixed

that's what i'm thinking, if there is something wrong with it then warranty should cover it. my car is stock don't see why it wont be covered.

one reason i haven't get them checked it yet its because maybe be it's normal?? i dont want to pay them $150 to check the starter and tell me oh yea, its like that sometimes (since it doesn't happen often). maybe i'll try a diff dealer, well see what they say about the "$150 charge"

like what i said it happens randomly. sometimes in the morning (coldstart) and sometimes even if my car if fully warmed up.

the whinning sound is like ...say you car is started up and running and you tried to turn in it on again and it makes that loud whinning sound.

the dealer replaced my cv boots, i noticed a large amount of grease leak around my wheel on my front passenger side while changing oil and it's covered underwarranty. didn't have to pay a penny.


chris

 

The sound you are describing from the starter may be the drive mechanism hanging up occasionally. Unfortunately unless the dealer can duplicate the problem they probably won't be able to do anything about it. They aren't going to replace the starter unless they hear it themselves. This is definitely not normal, and if it happens often enough the result can be damage to the ring gear on the flywheel requiring the flywheel to be replaced as well.

 

Dunno. I think most dealers suck. Some of them a little, some of them a lot. I used to take mine in for dealer servicing while the care was under warranty, just because it makes claims easier. Now its over 60k, I take it to Kevin at AHQ.

My car has the cold fuel rail leak problem. In winter in the Sierras, the car pisses fuel out of the injector rail onto the engine. Funnily enough, Redwood City doesn't often get snow or freezing temperatures, so Carlsen said they wouldn't do the TSB under warranty because they couldn't reproduce the problem. They offered to check the fuel tank for $80 to make sure it wasn't leaking. I wasn't very impressed.

 

thats true, if you can't show the problem to the dealer or if they can't find what's malfunctioning then they'll just tell you to lay of the crack. i guess that when you go there you have to have a proof that its there, oh well i'll call carlsen subaru tomorrow and see what they say ..

btw this would be the first time for my car in carlsen, i've heard good things about them fyi



chris

 

Working at dealers for over 10 years, I'll tell you, many dealers make their own rules and regulations. Some dealers feel that they have to charge you for diagnosis, even if they don't find anything wrong with your vehicle, because that is the technician's time, and of course they have to get paid for spending time in your car. But if your vehicle is under warranty and they find a problem then, they can't charge you.

For example, the dealer I work for in FL, charges one flat fee to check any concerns you have, if the vehicle is out of warranty. Now, if you bring us your vehicle and it is still under the warranty period will check and try to verify your complaint. But if we cannot duplicated, we don't charge the customer for the diagnosis.

Remember, if they cannot duplicate your concern, there won't be a repair. But at least it will be on record that you have complaint about it before the warranty had expired. Just remember to ALWAYS get a receipt/invoice to keep for your records.

But I would definetly suggest going to a more easy going dealer. $150.00 DAMN!!!! That's more like a BMW dealer price.

Where do you live?

 

i live san jose/santa clara area ...there's only one dealer around here so i guess if you not from around here then you wont know which one it is =)

i had my 1st and 3rd gears replaced with the same dealer and they didn't mentioned anything about any fees, and this wasn't too long ago. so this must be a new policy or something for them. just wanted to see if anyone had the same experience at a different dealer

 

I have the same issue now i think. Last night it was having difficulty firing. It would turn over a few times and then start up. However, this morning nothing. Tried it a couple of times and nothing. Then I gave it a little gass while turning it over and it started. Drove it for about 10 minutes and had to start it again. Started up ok. Not sure what the problem is but I hope I get it fixed soon so i don't get stuck somewhere. Let me know what happened with yours.

 

This sounds typical of a starter when it begins to go bad. The problem is what I used to call the starter Bendix gear; it's a worm gear that engages with the engine flywheel to crank the engine. Then you turn on the starter, the centripetal force from the starter motor turning forces the gear along the shaft until it engages the engine. A couple of things can make the Bendix malfunction: lack of lubrication, worn return spring, or the gear worn from normal wear or bad starts ("grinding" the starter when the engine is already running). Insufficient 12-volt power to the starter can keep it from turning fast enough to move the Bendix gear, too. The time to get it fixed is when you can't start the car reliably. Also, a malfunctioning starter can damage the flywheel gears, as Mulder mentioned.