We see this so often… a customer comes in to have a major routine service done on their car. We replace the belts and other items that are recommended by that car’s manufacture… and then a week later…..
“Um Hello – can I speak to a manager? I was just in and spent a lot of money at your shop…. a week later (“the same noise”) started up again”. They set an appointment and then lose faith in us and take it to the dealer. The dealer tells them that the Water Pump is bad. (This could happen to any part that runs off of belts or tensioners, ie: AC compressor, Water pump, Alternator or a Power Steering pump.)
First off…. NEVER take your car to another shop right after you get a major service done. Give the shop a chance to see if a part failed or something else went wrong. As soon as you take your car somewhere else… the shop has considered that they have lost you as a customer. Yes, this means that they have already lost you and have no reason to bend over backwards to try to keep you. While this seems cruel… this is business. On the other hand, if you keep your appointment and it is a bad part, the shop takes care of it. If it is a new problem they have the opportunity to keep you as a customer. You still have to spend more money, however, it is a win/win for everyone.
Now… the reason the (AC compressor, Water pump, Alternator or a Power Steering pump) is suddenly acting up and making noise.
Now that there are new belts and tensioners in the car… the belts and tensioners are working properly and pulling/tensioning as they should… any part that has been running off of sloppy belts and tensioners has had to work overtime to keep working properly. Suddenly throw in something that is working correctly… and that part ( AC compressor, Water pump, Alternator or a Power Steering pump) can’t keep up. Cars are just big mechanical entities that all work together on the inside. A person can’t expect that when something is now new… that it won’t affect things that are not working at full capacity. (This is the reason there is Physical Therapy for people who have surgical repairs done on a heart, knee, hip etc. – It is not that the new part is bad… you have to get all the parts to work together).. As car owners typical physical therapy after mechanical work is this — put the pedal to the medal and drive like you normally do.
Keep in mind that when you left the shop after that major service all things were working, no noises, the car drove great, and so on…. Within a week to 2 weeks after a car has this type of service is when the weak parts start to reveal themselves. Be patient with your mechanic and your local shop. We work on cars because we have a passion for the way things work. If it is not broken… we can’t fix it…. that does not mean that your car will not need future work. Cars cost money to maintain.
**One more note… When a mechanic inspects your car and/or is working on your car they are constantly scanning for things that are not working properly. It must be said that it is impossible to predict the future of a mechanical part (ie: AC compressor, Water pump, Alternator or a Power Steering pump) just by looking at it. The things that break are within those parts. If they are not making noise, leaking or otherwise showing outward signs of distress, then the life of that part is unpredictable.
Here at European Motor Cars, we encourage all of our customers to maintain regular service. Don’t let parts of your vehicle (engine, tires, body) get worn down….. this WILL cost you money down the road.