It Pays To Shop Around

It Pays To Shop Around

How many of you have pulled into a truck stop to get a repair done?EVERY one of us....WELL?Last night I hit one for a Dot inspection for all the equipment and smelled rotten eggs when I got out of the truck...Bad news was 2 batteries were swollen and STANKIN....The cause was an alternator who's regulator was allowing my system to charge at over 15 volts....I knew what the cause and cure was,BUT(?),at a truck stop,could I afford it?The costs there were 2 batteries at $180.00 per,and $380.00 plus 2 hours labor(at$120.00 per hour) $240.00,plus environmental fee's and another $100.00?That's $1080.00 plus sales tax....For 2 batteries and an alternator???

Here's what I did,Disconnected the battery lead from the alternator,disconnected the SMALL wire from the same post(exciter wire that tells the alternator to work),disconnected the bad batteries...Started the Carrier generator to charge the 2 batteries that were left OK....Waited until this am and started a search for alternator repair,and lucked out.They had the needed new regulator,and whole sale batteries....The savings?$45.00 for the regulator,$82.00 per for the two batteries and $65.00 for the labor,that's $274.00 for the same repair....

IT PAYS TO SHOP AROUND!       ( From our driver Skip )