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05-11-2009, 01:41 PM
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11 posts, read 96,402 times
Reputation: 16
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I drive a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 38,000 miles. And this is the following frustrating story... need your advice and expertise.
Sarurday - Driving around from 9:00am until 4:00pm when it dies outside the store. I was in there 15 min or so. I come out and "click" the car won't start. Across the street a Just Tires... I run across and borrow a battery charger. I connect it "click" still won't start. Left car in parking lot overnight.
Sunday - Go back try to start with two different keys... "click" wont start. I call a tow truck they bring it to closest dealer (1 mi. and they are charging me $130  ... I digress.)
Monday - Service Advisor will not give me straight answers and finally calls back and says it started fine!! It could use a new starter though. I say how much $250... I do not ask if this includes labor  ... realize this after I hang up phone.
Should I get the starter?
Is this a good price?
Thanks for any and all advice I can get! |
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05-11-2009, 01:45 PM
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Location: Earth
4,237 posts, read 23,868,906 times
Reputation: 2265
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Dunno if it's a good price but let me tell you this....there's a reason why they're called a stealership....they steal your money. Or they mark up all the prices of parts by 200%.
My suggestion is call around and see if you can get a new one for less. And don't get one of the rebuilt ones from Autozone or Advance or OReillys unless you want to change it again soon. Get a new one if you can.
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05-11-2009, 01:50 PM
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11 posts, read 96,402 times
Reputation: 16
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Yeah, I'm waiting on a quote from a couple of different places... thanks for the advice!
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05-11-2009, 01:52 PM
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Location: Eastern Washington
16,408 posts, read 53,590,377 times
Reputation: 16802
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No way should you need a new starter at such low mileage. This sounds more like a battery or even battery clamp issue.
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05-11-2009, 02:07 PM
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Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
8,376 posts, read 29,547,090 times
Reputation: 4711
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Should be easily accessible underneath. Take a hammer to it a few times all around the starter casing.
BTW, does this Jeep not have the Chrysler 7 year - 70k powertrain warranty??
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05-11-2009, 02:28 PM
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11 posts, read 96,402 times
Reputation: 16
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Nooo... that came after 2005. Sadly.
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05-11-2009, 04:12 PM
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Location: I think my user name clarifies that.
8,292 posts, read 25,653,323 times
Reputation: 3913
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I'm with Mitch here. You should NEVER have a starter go out at 38,000 miles. In addition, the "click" you mention sounds like a solenoid issue, not necessarily a starter issue.
All connections need to be checked.
That said, the price of the starter through OReilly's is about $125.00, depending on whether your Jeep has a V6 or V8. So yeah, I can imagine that $250 is what the dealership wants to charge you for just the starter. They'll probably want to soak you for another $250-$300 to install it.
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05-11-2009, 04:20 PM
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Location: Kansas
3,855 posts, read 12,810,571 times
Reputation: 1733
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The last starter I bought was $85. Labor was $35/hr and it took an hour. This is a job I could have done myself had the starter quit on me in my driveway.....but it didn't. Thankfully the mechanic was reasonable and charged me a reasonable price for a starter.
That said....Dealers charge TOP DOLLAR for OEM parts. Something that costs $85 at Pep Boys will cost $200 at a dealership....and it's not necessarily a better part.
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05-11-2009, 04:24 PM
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Location: I think my user name clarifies that.
8,292 posts, read 25,653,323 times
Reputation: 3913
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drjones96
The last starter I bought was $85. Labor was $35/hr and it took an hour. This is a job I could have done myself had the starter quit on me in my driveway.....but it didn't. Thankfully the mechanic was reasonable and charged me a reasonable price for a starter.
That said....Dealers charge TOP DOLLAR for OEM parts. Something that costs $85 at Pep Boys will cost $200 at a dealership....and it's not necessarily a better part.
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It strikes me odd that sometimes re-manufactured parts have a better warranty than new parts. |
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05-11-2009, 04:49 PM
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Location: Eastern Washington
16,408 posts, read 53,590,377 times
Reputation: 16802
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Gettin' back to basics here though - *first* you need to figure out what is actually wrong with the car - this could be a battery, battery cable, ignition switch, transmission/clutch pedal interlock switch, solenoid, or starter issue. And of these, I would say the starter is the least likely suspect.
Like I'm always sayin' don't "Easter Egg". That is, change one part, then another, hoping to finally hit on the actual problem.
With so few miles on the car, was it stored for awhile? Do you drive it several times a week now, usually? How old is the battery?
You can check/clean the battery terminals for free. White fuzzy corrosion is *not* a normal conditon for battery clamps, if they are not tight and bright, make them that way.
Use proper eye protection whilst futzing with the battery. Take the negative (ground) lead off first.
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