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  • Report:  #1170153

Complaint Review: Just Brakes - Internet

Reported By:
Jamie - Mesa, Arizona,
Submitted:
Updated:

Just Brakes
Internet, USA
Web:
http://www.justbrakes.com/
Categories:
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In the past, I have always had great service from Just Brakes. They have always honored my warranties and have even worked double time to make sure other warranties that they had nothing to do with were honored by other businesses. The store managers never treated me like a 'stupid woman' before and they always acknowledged that for a non mechanic, I knew my way around my own van and kept up with the maintenance. They always showed me what the issue was.

 

Recently, the store I have always used, in Chandler, was put under new management and this team does not do that. I took my van in because the battery cable was wearing out and shorting out while driving. The cable was very short and barely reached the battery post, so all the moving around was causing wear on the cable where the connector attached. I asked them to replace the cable. Cutting it would not do as it was already barely long enough to reach. I also had some other maintenance done, including an alignment, which they charged me for, even though I have a life time, and yes, I have the receipt for when I purchased the lifetime last year but they tell me it isn't in the system so I have to pay for it again. When I picked up the van, all seemed well. Nothing was shorting out anymore. The battery cable was covered with a shiny new plastic cover, so I did not know that under it was the same cable I came in with, wrapped up with electrical tape or something and then covered. Several days ago, I was driving home from work when my van stalled right in the middle of a busy intersection, black smoke was coming out of the engine. I couldn't even get the hood open because the release handle came right off in my hand, It had been broken and then just set back on Fortunately, several people stopped to help and we got me off the road and with pliers, was finally able to get the hood open.

 

The damage was clear, the shorts in the original cable got so hot, it burned up the tape and cover that they had put on the cable, burned a hole through the top of the battery and burned the handle for the battery also. Once we got the charred stuff off, it was pretty obvious that the original cable was still there, even though I paid to have it replaced. The cable runs under the battery platform, so that has to be removed in order to replace the cable. They are the old original bolts, so they are dirty and a bit rusted and clearly haven't been removed since it rolled of the assembly line. I apparently paid $60 bucks plus labor for tape...heck, I could have done that myself, but even I am smart enough to know that will not resolve a shorting issue.

 

I have been told several times that someone would be in touch with me but that has never happened, so I have been without transportation for a week now.



3 Updates & Rebuttals

Jamie

Mesa,
Arizona,
Update

#2Author of original report

Sat, August 16, 2014

Thank you for your comments, and I too beleived that this was a simple enough job that even a woman could do. ;-)

I got everything apart and discovered that, no, it isn't that easy. Unfortunately, it is a Dodge Grand Caravan and I knew this when I purchased it years ago but didn't think enough to realize that the battery cable was included in the issue. Please forgive my lack of terminology, I work in IT, not mechanics, lol. The Caravan has one huge design flaw, on purpose I presume. All of the electrical runs to one...part...When electrical issues happen, I guess you can't detach the wiring and replace, you either have to splice, or replace the entire thing, which runs in to major dollars. So now, I am working on that, but it's freaking hot out, so I needed a break.

In my mind, this in no way lets Just Brakes off the hook. They were either aware of this and did not tell me, or they didn't know, which is still bad, because really? I'm not a mechanic and I figured it out...eventually. They did not explain this to me, offer to splice instead of repair, or even give me options on cost to replace the whole...part. They still charged me for work on my cable that was not done and let me go on my merry way, fully aware (how could they not be) that this arcing (thanks for the clarification on that term. ;-)) was a potential fire hazard.

I'm going to have this darn van back on the road this weekend!!!

Even with this huge design flaw, I still love my van. I have had it for years, thought I would have replaced it by now, but it has been so reliable, makes a great tent for camping, surprises the heck out of people when they see the crazy mountain roads that I take it on and it hauls stuff...lots of stuff. So wish me luck that I can do a trustworthy slice job, because Labor Day weekend is quickly upon us and me and my van have a date with the high desert mountains.


Ken

Colorado,
It does look like they ddin't do the job you paid them to...

#3Consumer Comment

Sat, August 16, 2014

However, this is NOT A short.  It is a connection that will arc when current flow through it, due to a bad connection.  That makes it very hot and as you've seen can cause further damage.  Whoever did the work does NOT understand how this can happen.  Just Brakes, Meineke, and others do NOT have certified mechanics working for them and you get what you pay for.

You are right in thinking the cable MUST be replaced to solve the problem.  Good luck in getting it properly fixed.

Most mechanics classify electrical problems as "shorts" so you didn't do too bad.


Tyg

Pahrump,
Nevada,
This...

#4General Comment

Sat, August 16, 2014

 This is an easy fix, even for a woman lol. All joking aside, its pretty much just removing bolts and putting them back on in this case. There is normally a single bolt on the battery cable where it attaches to the engine, and a single battery terminal. The battery terminal takes a pair of pliers or a ratchet set. Unhook your battery and remove it. Remove the battery tray. Follow the cable you wish to replace back to the engine. Remove bolt. Instalation is literally the reverse of this. Hopefully that will help you get back on the road. This job should take less then two hours, and that's doing it by yourself. If you have trouble lifting out the battery, im sure a neighbor can help you out with it. Good Luck

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