Anthracite SC

Argh..the headaches of an old car.

This is not all entirely related to the car's age and mileage, but it all came at the same time.

I had to replace all 4 tires..(got new yokohama dbs to replace my cheap *** toyos)...$$$

I just had my 150K service which also included replacing my cracked radiator which smoked up my engine bay the day I was replacing the tires....$$$

And recently I had weak starts and I thought it was my battery so I had intentionally drained/killed my battery to get a new replacement since it was under warranty.

I put in the new battery this Sat...and everything was fine..STRONG starts and the car sounded like it was itself again..drove it all day..had fun.

This morning before work my car had juice..but NO ignition. The starter went dead $$$

Anyone know how much starters SHOULD go for, and if replacing it on our SC's is a lot of work? Could I do it myself?

It's been an expensive month. =(

SMARK

I would be sure it's the starter before I replaced it. I wouldn't think that "weak starts" would be a symptom of a bad starter. There is a known issue with starter/battery cables. I realize this isn't the exact same symptom as yours, but I had a problem that forced me to turn the key many times before the starter would come on. Replacing the ground cable seems to have resolved it.

BTW - how would draining your battery get a new one under warranty? It seems to me a competent check would determine it's simply discharged. Besides that, a bad battery would be pro-rated under warranty anyway.

Anthracite SC

To further clarify...

I replaced the stock battery w/a battery from kragen. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that I had weak starts.

So to eliminate possiblilties, I decided to kill that batter since kragen will replace a dead battery if it dies within 8 months of purchase. I had it for 5 months. So I let the lights on and let the batt die.

They tried reviving it at the store and to no avail. So they supplied me w/a new battery under warranty free of charge.

So I installed that battery on sat..and my starts were right on, and very strong.

I checked the engine bay this morning, after I couldn't start and I highly doubt it's the connection cable. The battery connections were all solid.

I just don't hear anything when I turn it on anymore. There is juice..the lights and things work..so the batt is fine..the only thing it could be now is the starter.

How hard is it to replace?

Taka

once a while I have starting problem. All the lights are working but the engine doesn't start. It might be the starter but my problem might be the connection btwn the key and ignition switch.
I let the key stay on "start" for like 5 sec, and the engine starts.
Sometimes I have to repeat this for 2,3 times to start.

I looked at the starter replacement on the manual before, oh boy, it seemed lots of work for me. But I remember someone changed it in 2 hrs. It's challenge but you can do it.

Anthracite SC

I wiggled the battery main connectors and found the positive connector to be loose.

I tightened it up a bit and the car starts strong again..no problem.

Sort of a false alarm, but thanks for all the input from you guys.

SMARK

So now you're going to do the right thing and pay Kragen's for the battery you ripped-off?

Anthracite SC

The entire story is that the original kragen bought battery was shoddy to begin with.

W/out me doing anything..this battery died after I got my 150K service. The dealer tried to recharge it but it was still weak.

I just bled the battery so it would totally die instead of it slowly dying later on when i'm on the road somewhere.

It was going to need to be replaced under warranty anyway.

So NO..I don't owe Kragen anything when it's under warranty.

AND they tested and verified it.

SMARK

A rationalization of a fraud (" ... I had intentionally drained/killed my battery to get a new replacement since it was under warranty.") Not only that, such action probably voided the warranty.

What people normally do is take what they believe to be a failing battery back and have it load tested. If the battery is bad the seller will replace/prorate it under applicable warranty.

Anthracite SC

Call it what you want to SMARK, but I needed to make sure I wasn't stranded at some parking lot cuz my battery died(which died the first time).

Anthracite SC

ANYWAY...

THE POINT..of the thread was to discuss costs of maintenance on this car..

And that the tires, 150k service, and stuff like that can add up.

Yes..Lexuses are less to maintain than german cars..but you still have to pay up when the time comes. =)

VSsc400

iTrader: (1)

SMARK must work for a battery company.