I recently took my car to an auto shop to get a smog done, since it was lowered it made it difficult to get onto the dyno, but once it was on it was fine. After getting it on a worker named Eric told us to go outside and have a wait, which we did. After waiting out there he came out and asked us to go buy him ciggerettes across the street for him.... we ( my friend and I) did since we had nothing better to do.

After coming back i saw that my car was off the dyno and now parked in front of the shop, So I'm thinking cool it's over. But then Eric tries to move the car but it won't start. I've been having trouble with the starter sometimes so I just thought this was one of those times again, but even with my remote start it would read " remote start error" and it's never done that before so I figured the starters dead completely. The shop quoted me 200 to fix it and have it done in 2 hours. Why not right? ( it's 12 at the time) 5:30 rolls by they call and say the cars done.

Once I get there I'm informed of two problems, 1,I can't get it out of Park to Reverse unless I use my key to unlock the shifter, and 2, When put in Drive, there is no power or very minimal ( doesn't even inch forward when the brake is let off). At first I didn't know what he was talking about until I drove off. After driving home, hoping it would auto correct itself somehow, I give him a call and tell him " my car wasn't like this before i dropped it off what happened?" He tells me it's not his shops fault, BUT he would check it out for me anyways. So since I was the last customer(fool actually) the shop closed and I had no choice but to keep the car with me. I was fiddling around with the car and after about 3-5minutes AFTER i got the car home, it died on me. I needed a jump start to get it running again.

So i leave it for the morning, jump it, and start driving to the shop, half way driving it dies on me again, this time with a jump, it doesn't even stay charged for more than a minute. Call AAA got a tow and dumped the car there. 2 days later they give me a call and say my alternators dead and it'll be 200 to fix.. and that doesn't even solve my transmission problem. Any idea guys? Am I even responsible for paying them to fix the alternator? Can't I sue ? I do intend on filing a complain with the better business bureau. My car was working perfectly fine before I dropped it off there. And now 3 major things are going bad after one visit? It wasn't even a real smog check since I had a CEL.. so how can all this be happening to me!

 

ur brake switch is bad. so it not letting the tranny switch out of park. check ur crankshaft alternator pulley to see if its loose. i mean broken off the crankshaft. mine alternator one broke loose. if not then its ur pulley. about losing power, there are many things that can go wrong. so i cant help you one that one.

 

The shifter sounds like a brake switch problem, but the other problems came after the starter was replaced so maybe they damage a sensor/wire or left it disconnected in the process of changing the starter.

 

Thanks guys turns out you were right, it was the brake switch cable.. Fixed up now and going to pick it up tomorrow hopefully everything checks out okay..