Recently paid an astronomical amount of money to replace the water pump and timing belt... little more than a week later, I get slammed with a $495 bill for a dead battery and corroded battery cable replacement!
Oh, and lets not forget about the $65 tow bill to take it from the shopping center parking lot I was stranded in to the dealer three miles down the road.
Starting to look forward to seeing this car flattened to a pancake at a junk yard, or possibly cremated in my back yard.

... or maybe there's a Saturn fan here that's interested in buying this magnificent vehicle?

 

Should have shopped around.
That was $85 for the battery
$30 for the cables
$15 for the labor if you can see the battery

That's $130 estimated
The other $ 365 was you getting ripped off.
If you took it to the dealership, I'm not surprised one bit.

Andy, is the battery on an l series easily accessible?

 

 

"Shop around" Really? Stranded in a mall parking lot at 9:00 in the am. Not very practical advice there.
Try $126 for the battery... which I know is the going rate since I had to replace one in my Silverado last year and it was a bit higher than that.
It was the positive cable, not the pair, since the battery was leaking onto the cable, and - guess what!? - they don't make that part anymore. The mechanic had to fabricate one - $225.

At this point in time, I don't think it's the mechanic, or the dealer who ripped me off, but the salesman who sold me this piece of crap in the first place.

I haven't had any offers yet from you Saturn fans. Go ahead, make me an offer I can't refuse.

 

What's with the attitude? All we've done here is try to help you. We didn't talk you into buying it. Go take it out on the salesman.

 

Angry? Yes. Attitude? No.
Was I wrong in assuming you guys are Saturn fans?
As far as making me an offer, I wasn't entirely serious. Sorry I didn't put a "smilie", or a "winkie" at the end of my comment

 

OK [BEGIN NOVEL]

a)) I am guilty of quoting approximate part and labor costs for a car I have never touched.
I did not understand the complexities involved with replacing the entire cable.
My apologies.

b) But given the complexity of the cable, I have doubts about whether he fabricated/replaced the entire cable.-- it's a little hairy.
It would have been simpler, faster, cheaper and equally effective to cut only the actual corroded portion off of your cable (+ the terminal)off -- prob about 3 inches -- assuming there was enough slack.
Then strip back the insulation, mount a new side-mount terminal to the end, and reattach it to the battery.

He would have had to do the same for the other lead that attaches to the side terminal end.

Battery cables get corroded by battery acid getting wicked up into them. Deposits get created at the terminal as it is actually a chemical reaction going on when the copper cables get hit with the sulfuric acid of the battery.
Incorporating a battery terminal check in your maintenance routine will help you avoid being stranded in any vehicle.

Over the approx 15 years I've been modding this forum, I have been told multiple times that I come off as holier than though, arrogant (most popular), a know it all (far from the truth), as well as many other profanity-laden phrases we need not discuss.

People mistake my passion for arrogance--which reflects my inability to communicate my passion for wanting to help without it sounding like a lecture..
Of course, sometimes I am purposely arrogant (of topic)
People such as yourself seem to realize what I post is a good faith attempt to be helpful.
----------------
What I meant by "shop around" was that instead of immediately taking your car to one and only one place-------call around and see what your options are while waiting for the tow truck driver.
Are there Tire and Battery stores nearby? Not that they will necessarily be cheaper, but they may have the parts,

but it's more of a mindset adjustment from one of anger and frustration (yes, valid, let it out) to a "slow down, take a breath, and weigh your options before picking one." You CAN do the second one after the first. The more you learn about auto repair, the more it empowers you to realize your options in semi-real time, and sift through ridiculous quotes for minor repairs, and of course the totally absurd quotes including things that aren't broken, to select the repair that is needed AND who will do it for how much.

The following is Monday morning quarterbacking but is done to make a point. It is NOT done to criticize you or your choices.

The full pos battery cable NEW OEM GM part for your car is 21019682. It is available on Ebay for $60
Dealers do not source off of Ebay in general because to them they are usually buying a second-hand part from a non-GM distributor and thus they will not give the GM warranty on it

Independent mechanics source their parts from wherever they like.
Some source cheap crap and mark it up, and hope when breaks in 2 months the customer is too pissed of to spend another $ with him.
Some source better stuff because they keep the time and cost of rework/free warranty replacement. etc down. Time is money
Some will offer you a choice between OEM and generally lower grade parts. You pay a bit more, the part fits, the quality is usually good, your car stays on the road, and his mechanic bay is open to work on another car

Then stop and think about the true urgency and associated timeline of the necessary repair/resolving the situation.

More likely than not, you could have just gotten a new battery and replaced the entire cable later for a lot less money, unless the cable was entirely eaten through, which is doubtful if you drive the car that morning.

Again I am NOT criticizing your choices -- i am simply digging down a bit into the details to demonstrate that you DO have options --even in a "stranded situation" -- AND after the tow--as to what is fixed, how, and what can wait.

Keeping this kind of stuff in mind will save you $$ on auto repairs, and it will help avoid the situations that anger you so.



Unsavory mechanics (not saying you went to one) suck panicked people dry $$ wise because the avg freaked out customer will authorize just about any repair that is presented to them as required or a safety issue.

Hell, you know about timing belts and coolant leak diagnosis / water pumps and that a written estimate is binding ---you're already out ahead of 85% of the public

It's a learning process. You're well on your way.

Oh --- the Saturn fans comment. there is saturnfans.com saturnforum. It has well over 15000 registered users. No one knows how many are active, because the mod never cleans up the user database.
You can post there during the day and watch as your post gets pushed down onto the 4th page of new posts within half an hour. If you're lucky, your question intrigues one of the 5 people that know what they are talking about and you get a correct answer. Or you get 5 answers, 2 of which match, another 2that match each other but are different, plus a fifth answer that doesn;t relate to what yoo asked.

Whereas here, you get 5 or 6 dedicated regulars who have amassed different amounts of experience with the different models.
The ones none of us know about, we put our heads together and do our best

Andy is the L series expert. I should have let him answer.

Again, apologies. When I make a mistake, I admit it.
-----------------
As for used cars: The goal of a used car salesman is to get you to look at the CAR, not as a collection parts in varying states of disrepair. To be fairish -- they usually don't know the service history either, so it's a gamble. You are inheriting someone else's well kept former vehicle, or someone's neglected hoopdie that the dealership detailed to look shiny, or somewhere in between. That's where your mechabic's review come is handy.

Peace

Derf
[/END NOVEL]

 

Derf, apology appreciated, but not necessary.
I know you guys are trying to be helpful and I appreciate that. too and the effort you made to help me understand your motives. 8-)
And yes I did freak out when I found myself stranded in a parking lot.

I'm not stupid and I'm far from helpless. But sometimes that doesn't matter.