Jump to content
Chapala.com Webboard

Local specialist for automotive electronics?


Karina G

Recommended Posts

Is there anyone local who is knowledgeable in tracking and fixing an electrical short in your vehicle? I've had 2 recent problems and my normal garage hasn't been able to solve either one, though I've paid them repeatedly in hopes of fixing things. 

The first has to do with my automatic door locks, so less critical, but the most recent has the car refusing to start after running perfectly for days or weeks, then working fine again but stranding me somewhere inconvenient (especially being "high-risk" for Covid) as soon as I relax and venture beyond walking distance from home, 

I've already paid to replace a major part, only to encounter the exact same problem with the replacement (non-factory) part, leading me to believe that the problem is, in fact, an electrical short somewhere along the line. Now the garage wants me to wait a month for delivery on a factory replacement for the replacement, when I'm not convinced there was anything wrong with the original!

I'm at my wits' end and can't last much longer without a vehicle.. The last time, the garage guys insisted there was no problem, even though I tried many times to restart it and ended up having to leave it on the street. I think they're hoping now that I'll just stop calling and disappear, but I need this fixed! 

Any suggestions welcome, but need someone with English - I don't speak "car" in English, so no way I can explain all this in Spanish... Who would you call with a similar problem?    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Karina G said:

Is there anyone local who is knowledgeable in tracking and fixing an electrical short in your vehicle? I've had 2 recent problems and my normal garage hasn't been able to solve either one, though I've paid them repeatedly in hopes of fixing things. 

The first has to do with my automatic door locks, so less critical, but the most recent has the car refusing to start after running perfectly for days or weeks, then working fine again but stranding me somewhere inconvenient (especially being "high-risk" for Covid) as soon as I relax and venture beyond walking distance from home, 

I've already paid to replace a major part, only to encounter the exact same problem with the replacement (non-factory) part, leading me to believe that the problem is, in fact, an electrical short somewhere along the line. Now the garage wants me to wait a month for delivery on a factory replacement for the replacement, when I'm not convinced there was anything wrong with the original!

I'm at my wits' end and can't last much longer without a vehicle.. The last time, the garage guys insisted there was no problem, even though I tried many times to restart it and ended up having to leave it on the street. I think they're hoping now that I'll just stop calling and disappear, but I need this fixed! 

Any suggestions welcome, but need someone with English - I don't speak "car" in English, so no way I can explain all this in Spanish... Who would you call with a similar problem?    

On the lateral in Riberas. Moy has been my mechanic for several years and his specialty is electronics. Yes he speaks English.

moy's #.jpg

IMG_1244.jpg

IMG_1245.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Karina G said:

Is there anyone local who is knowledgeable in tracking and fixing an electrical short in your vehicle? I've had 2 recent problems and my normal garage hasn't been able to solve either one, though I've paid them repeatedly in hopes of fixing things. 

The first has to do with my automatic door locks, so less critical, but the most recent has the car refusing to start after running perfectly for days or weeks, then working fine again but stranding me somewhere inconvenient (especially being "high-risk" for Covid) as soon as I relax and venture beyond walking distance from home, 

I've already paid to replace a major part, only to encounter the exact same problem with the replacement (non-factory) part, leading me to believe that the problem is, in fact, an electrical short somewhere along the line. Now the garage wants me to wait a month for delivery on a factory replacement for the replacement, when I'm not convinced there was anything wrong with the original!

I'm at my wits' end and can't last much longer without a vehicle.. The last time, the garage guys insisted there was no problem, even though I tried many times to restart it and ended up having to leave it on the street. I think they're hoping now that I'll just stop calling and disappear, but I need this fixed! 

Any suggestions welcome, but need someone with English - I don't speak "car" in English, so no way I can explain all this in Spanish... Who would you call with a similar problem?    

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Friday, last week, I took a VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo, by appointment, over to Moy to check/fix the charging system.  This was my first time at his business.  (My testing indicated a bad alternator.)

Moy called me later in the afternoon and said that the alternator was in fact, bad and a replacement alternator is  "about 6,000p", and labor of 2,000p.  The cost for the alternator seemed WAY too much to me, but I needed it done and said yes.  He also said the alternator belt was old and should be replaced. I agreed.

He called me on Saturday and said the car was ready to pick up, and that he took it for a test drive to see if it was working.  (A test drive isn't necessary to confirm an alternator is working.)  He told he got a discount from the parts supplier so the total ends up less than he'd quoted.
                    
He complimented the model of my car, the power/acceleration of and driving fun the car gives.  And he asked me how much I wanted for it.  Easy to understand his interest, but I said it's not for sale.  

As I live some distance from his shop, I said I would come in Monday before noon to pay and pick it up.  He offered to drive it out to me, which sounds nice, but I didn't need it that and frankly, didn't want him taking it for a joy ride.  We agreed on Monday.

Monday while I'm driving to his shop he called and asked me if I was coming.  I said yes, I'm west of San Juan Cosala and should be there in a half hour or so.  "Fine.  I have an errand to run and will be back in 30 minutes."

When I arrived at his shop, he wasn't there and neither was my car.  He took my car for this second drive, without asking or informing me, even though we were on the phone just minutes before he left.

He told me he'd had trouble starting the car, and so he took it for a drive to make sure it was running correctly.  Then he told me the car's computer had three error codes, two indicating a possible bad Cam Position Sensor and one indicating a bad Wheel sensor.  And handed me his bill, with the invoice from Autozone for the Alternator and the Belt and his company invoice.  

My co-driver spoke fluent Spanish and discussed everything with him, the changed belt, did he exchange the alternator. He said yes.  To be certain, she asked him a second time and again he said yes, he had exchanged the alternator.  They also talked about the two sensors and oil changes.

I have some auto mechanic training, and asked him to explain to me the function of these two sensors in English, but he really could not explain them at all.  Nothing he was saying about the sensors made any sense to me at all.  Asking the price of the Cam sensor, he said 6,000p and, "you can expect to replace it every six months".  A routine $300 USD part every six months?  Doesn't sound good!

Unwilling to go further at the moment, I paid him the total on the bill and went home.

I decided to look the bill over again and thus come to the conclusion that he has padded the bill by almost 100%!

With an alternator replacement, as with many other parts, it is common to exchange your old part, or, you pay a refundable deposit which you get back if you take them the part later.  

The Autozone invoice indicated the Alternator had a sale price (costo) of 2,519.10 and an exchange deposit (casco) of 1,800p.  It showed a sale price of 386.10 for the belt.  It's total is 4,705.2p.  That means this invoice does not show the return of the old Alternator.  Often, that will be done on a later visit to the store.

Attached was his company invoice which listed three items.  The first line listed the Alternator 4,705p.  This amount is the total of the Autozone invoice, which includes the price of the alternator, the belt and the exchange deposit, 2,519, 386.10 and 1,800.

The next line of his invoice is for the belt, 386.10.  Note, this amount is already included in the first line of his invoice for the Alternator.  (double billing?).

The last line was for his labor charge of 2,250p (not the 2,000p he told me). His company invoice was for 7,340p.

So, it appears he's charging me the 1,800p exchange deposit, money he woulds receive back from Autozone unpon exchanging my old Alternator, and he's already said twice he exchanged it (meaning, he'd have received the deposit back).  He's charging me twice for the price of the Belt, and extra 250p labor.

In order to take off and replace the Alternator, it is necessary to remove and reinstall the belt, it's not an extra service, rather it's a part of his initial 2,000p Labor charge.

In my view, he's over charged me 1,800p and 386.10p and 250p for a total of 2,436.10p.  When subtracting these items from the other numbers, the actual bill should have been 4,905.10 but he billed me for 7,340p.

The bill was almost exactly twice the proper amount.

 

I returned to his shop on Wednesday to discuss this with him, he spent quite a while trying to convince me he didn't exchange the old alternator because "it didn't work, they wouldn't take it."  But that's the whole point of the exchange; it doesn't work, you give it to them, they have someone else rebuilt it and then resell it as a rebuilt part.  I didn't accept this answer.

He "noticed" that he had double billed me for the belt and was willing to give me 386 back, but, if he paid me the 1,800, he'd lose money on the deal.  He said the extra 250 of labor was because he had to install the belt, which again, is just a part of changing out Alternators regardless of a new belt of putting on the old one.

In the end, I walked away having been paid back 1,800p, tired of the interaction and willing to let him keep the other 636p just to be done and on my way.  That still gives him a 24% bonus.

At no time was I or was he, unpleasant or disrespectful or threatening.  He didn’t always look me in the eye.

As follow up, I stopped at Orma to check the price for the Cam Position Sensor, strangely, it wasn't even close to the 6,000p he told me, it was right at 500p.  Quite a difference.

To those of you who are very satisfied with him, with his work, you might consider taking a closer look at his invoices/charges in the future.  Or, maybe, this is just a one-time thing, all a big mistake?

I don't expect to use his services again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/8/2020 at 12:36 PM, Dough said:

I second the Jamie Hernandez 333 137 5977 suggestion ... he's move to Chapala but really is great at solving electrical problems.  Have been happy with his services for a number of years now. 

I think he has returned to his brothers garage next to SuperLake, from Chapala I think he went to the beach but now full circle back with Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, AlongTheWay said:

Friday, last week, I took a VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo, by appointment, over to Moy to check/fix the charging system.  This was my first time at his business.  (My testing indicated a bad alternator.)

Moy called me later in the afternoon and said that the alternator was in fact, bad and a replacement alternator is  "about 6,000p", and labor of 2,000p.  The cost for the alternator seemed WAY too much to me, but I needed it done and said yes.  He also said the alternator belt was old and should be replaced. I agreed.

He called me on Saturday and said the car was ready to pick up, and that he took it for a test drive to see if it was working.  (A test drive isn't necessary to confirm an alternator is working.)  He told he got a discount from the parts supplier so the total ends up less than he'd quoted.
                    
He complimented the model of my car, the power/acceleration of and driving fun the car gives.  And he asked me how much I wanted for it.  Easy to understand his interest, but I said it's not for sale.  

As I live some distance from his shop, I said I would come in Monday before noon to pay and pick it up.  He offered to drive it out to me, which sounds nice, but I didn't need it that and frankly, didn't want him taking it for a joy ride.  We agreed on Monday.

Monday while I'm driving to his shop he called and asked me if I was coming.  I said yes, I'm west of San Juan Cosala and should be there in a half hour or so.  "Fine.  I have an errand to run and will be back in 30 minutes."

When I arrived at his shop, he wasn't there and neither was my car.  He took my car for this second drive, without asking or informing me, even though we were on the phone just minutes before he left.

He told me he'd had trouble starting the car, and so he took it for a drive to make sure it was running correctly.  Then he told me the car's computer had three error codes, two indicating a possible bad Cam Position Sensor and one indicating a bad Wheel sensor.  And handed me his bill, with the invoice from Autozone for the Alternator and the Belt and his company invoice.  

My co-driver spoke fluent Spanish and discussed everything with him, the changed belt, did he exchange the alternator. He said yes.  To be certain, she asked him a second time and again he said yes, he had exchanged the alternator.  They also talked about the two sensors and oil changes.

I have some auto mechanic training, and asked him to explain to me the function of these two sensors in English, but he really could not explain them at all.  Nothing he was saying about the sensors made any sense to me at all.  Asking the price of the Cam sensor, he said 6,000p and, "you can expect to replace it every six months".  A routine $300 USD part every six months?  Doesn't sound good!

Unwilling to go further at the moment, I paid him the total on the bill and went home.

I decided to look the bill over again and thus come to the conclusion that he has padded the bill by almost 100%!

With an alternator replacement, as with many other parts, it is common to exchange your old part, or, you pay a refundable deposit which you get back if you take them the part later.  

The Autozone invoice indicated the Alternator had a sale price (costo) of 2,519.10 and an exchange deposit (casco) of 1,800p.  It showed a sale price of 386.10 for the belt.  It's total is 4,705.2p.  That means this invoice does not show the return of the old Alternator.  Often, that will be done on a later visit to the store.

Attached was his company invoice which listed three items.  The first line listed the Alternator 4,705p.  This amount is the total of the Autozone invoice, which includes the price of the alternator, the belt and the exchange deposit, 2,519, 386.10 and 1,800.

The next line of his invoice is for the belt, 386.10.  Note, this amount is already included in the first line of his invoice for the Alternator.  (double billing?).

The last line was for his labor charge of 2,250p (not the 2,000p he told me). His company invoice was for 7,340p.

So, it appears he's charging me the 1,800p exchange deposit, money he woulds receive back from Autozone unpon exchanging my old Alternator, and he's already said twice he exchanged it (meaning, he'd have received the deposit back).  He's charging me twice for the price of the Belt, and extra 250p labor.

In order to take off and replace the Alternator, it is necessary to remove and reinstall the belt, it's not an extra service, rather it's a part of his initial 2,000p Labor charge.

In my view, he's over charged me 1,800p and 386.10p and 250p for a total of 2,436.10p.  When subtracting these items from the other numbers, the actual bill should have been 4,905.10 but he billed me for 7,340p.

The bill was almost exactly twice the proper amount.

 

I returned to his shop on Wednesday to discuss this with him, he spent quite a while trying to convince me he didn't exchange the old alternator because "it didn't work, they wouldn't take it."  But that's the whole point of the exchange; it doesn't work, you give it to them, they have someone else rebuilt it and then resell it as a rebuilt part.  I didn't accept this answer.

He "noticed" that he had double billed me for the belt and was willing to give me 386 back, but, if he paid me the 1,800, he'd lose money on the deal.  He said the extra 250 of labor was because he had to install the belt, which again, is just a part of changing out Alternators regardless of a new belt of putting on the old one.

In the end, I walked away having been paid back 1,800p, tired of the interaction and willing to let him keep the other 636p just to be done and on my way.  That still gives him a 24% bonus.

At no time was I or was he, unpleasant or disrespectful or threatening.  He didn’t always look me in the eye.

As follow up, I stopped at Orma to check the price for the Cam Position Sensor, strangely, it wasn't even close to the 6,000p he told me, it was right at 500p.  Quite a difference.

To those of you who are very satisfied with him, with his work, you might consider taking a closer look at his invoices/charges in the future.  Or, maybe, this is just a one-time thing, all a big mistake?

I don't expect to use his services again.

This is not the moy I know and recommemnded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...