OK, I have a ‘95 Nissan Sentra that seems to have some electrical problems with it. My question is should I take it to a local mechanic, or just go straight to the dealer (I bought it used in 98, no warranty remains). The main factor for me would be cost only, I can wait for my car if need be, but I dont’ want to pay more than I have to.
Basically the problem I’m having is a dead battery, but I’m not sure what’s causing it. There have also been some other very weird symptoms occuring (like power locks locking/unlocking at weird times, and some exterior lights turning on and staying on that shouldn’t be on) that make me think there is possibly a more complicated problem. I suspect that part of the problem is an aftermarket alarm that is installed (but I haven’t even used in like 2 years).
So, should I just take it to the dealer, where the guys probably work on tons of cars exactly like mine all the time? Or, should I take it to the local guy, who may be cheaper, but may not have experience with this kind of problem? Does this sound like a problem that any good mechanic could handle, or should I take it to the specifically Nissan guys?
Thanks for your help.
By the way, if anyone wants some more details about the problem(s), I can post a lot more specific eplaination of what’s been happening (just in case anyone has some suggestions as to what this problem may be). I realize that my discription is a bit vague.
Dealers get a bad rap, probably because their labor costs are higher than your average mechanic, and also perhaps because some have gained questionable reputations. That said, they possess specialized knowledge of your car and can probably fix the problem faster (though they will admittedly charge you the book rate anyway).
Have you considered taking it to an electrical specialist–someone whose area of expertise is the electrical systems of cars? It’s amazing how often a general car owner/mechanic will assume the problem can be easily diagnosed and fixed, only to see it take much longer.
I only use the dealer for warranty work. The price and inconvenience difference is just too much for anything else.I once had a battery go bad while the car was under warranty. I took it to the dealer 'cause I couldn’t be sure if it was the battery,or something else. It happened on a Monday, and they wouldn’t give me an appointment before Thurdsay (and they only worked by appointment) I have a very good mechanic,but some problems he just doesn’t handle (transmissions and some electrical work).Not that they don’t have the knowledge,they just are too busy. When that happens, he sends me to a place that specializes in those problems.
Generally, I don’t recomend going to a dealer for work. This is an exception.
Generally, labor charges come from a book, hence the term bookrate. You look up in the book the problem your car has and it says the number of hours to do it. For example, Clutch replacement: 3Hrs, Head removal: 4 hours, timing belt replacement, 2 hrs and so on. If you don’t have a specific problem they generally charge straight time. Electrical problems can be an absolute nightmare to track down and since they don’t know what the problem is, you’ll more than likely be charged straight time to find it. I’m not saying yours is going to be a massive problem, (it sounds to me like an intermittent grounding problem of some sort) but if it is, since the Nissan dealer has had more experience in working on specifically your model of car the problem will hopefully get tracked down faster, and hence a smaller bill. HOPEFULLY.
Normally I’d say not to go to the dealership, but my sister has a Nissan, and has a really hard time finding mechanics who can/will work on it. Feel free to check around, but be prepared to go to the dealership.
DOn’t assume that just because they see cars like yours all day long, they will be particularly clever. My Escort’s windshield wipers would conk out about half the time–I took it to any number of places, had the wndshield wiper motor replaced three times, and no one could find the problem or even make a good guess. I didn’t solve the problem until my alternator conked out. After it was replaced, everything worked fine-I am forced to conclude it was bad for months. Anyway, my point is that this is exactly the sort of obscure problem I expected the dealership to be able to solve. They were as totaly useless as everyone else. I second the motion that you find someone who specializes in electrical systems.
Agreed. The dealership is just as liable to hire a bad mechanic as anyone else. However:
Dealers usually get more experienced mechainics in my opinion (since they pay a bit more).
A dealer is more likely to have worked on 100 1995 Nissan Sentras than Fast Eddies’ repair shop down the road. And some of those Nissan Sentra’s almost certainly went in with an electrical problem.
Many (not all) Auto Electric outfits specialize more in Alternator and Starter rebuilds and re&re’s than anything else. They may not exactly be too interested in hunting through the vehicles wiring harness looking for a problem. Doesn’t hurt to ask though.
Normally, people will advise buyers to price compare to answer such a question. But that doesn’t work for dealerships, since they tend to charge for estimates. So I’ll just give you the answer: It’s never cheaper at the dealer. However, there are times I use one, such as when a rare part is involved, such as the computer that controls the instruments. All common parts, from brakes to body work, can be done better by others.
