Pardon this lengthy rave.... but I NEED to do this!
OK, boys and girls... here is the latest installment of the trials and
tribulations of "Lucky" Eric (yes, Scotty, start laughing now... you
bugger!).
A beautiful autumn day, mid seventies and clear blue skies. I have
taken a day off work for some driving "instruction" through the hills of
Adelaide (South Australia). Wonderful fast winding roads through
fantastic scenery. The car has been running really well but this
morning starts badly and runs sluggishly... darn! I am hoping that when
it warms up from the chilly night it will get its act together, but no,
she is lacking in power and feeling really strange. 60 miles out and I
smell the dreaded 'bad eggs' sulphur smell of a boiling battery. A
quick stop at a friendly country garage shows that the battery is indeed
bubbling and fuming... and is being charged at over 16 volts!
I am also fuming as I have just spent a few hundred dollars on getting
the voltage regulator (control box) replaced... along with half of my
bulbs, lamp holders and switches that it burnt out just a couple of
weeks earlier. I limp back to the auto-electrician who did the work and
indicate that they really should have a good hard look at their
handiwork and FIX IT... PRONTO! I have my instructor (who, as he
should, charges an arm and a leg, and who is just sitting around
drinking a cold drink and waiting for these guys to start moving their
backsides).
Here is the rub... yes the control box (4TR) is shot! My last receipt
shows that I paid $AU45 for a new one just two weeks ago... yet when I
look at the unit it certainly doesn't look new (I was later told that
they would have had a hard time finding a NEW 4TR unit). They won't let
me take the old unit away with me because they need to trade this
'faulty' one for another from their supplier. Guess what fellas... it
only took me a few hours for the light to go on... but I think I was
ripped off. They 'graciously' replaced the faulty control box with
another (cheaper) unit at no charge... but of course they would because
I don't think they installed a new one that they charged me for in the
first place. And now I have a half boiled battery and a ruined day.
Yes, I want to go and report them to some authorities... but they are
family of one of the bosses at work (which is why I went to them) and
have a good reputation around town.
Should I 'front' them with my thoughts on this? I am still feeling very
p*ssed off at the moment... maybe I should cool down and think about it
in the morning! They have fixed the work and the car runs fine now,
but....
Eric
'68MGB MkII
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