Halfords Fitting

rayo51

Hi. Just looking for some advice on this issue that has happened today.
My girlfriend has been having a few problems with the battery on her car recently. The battery light would come on and the car would cut out. This afternoon, she went to Halfords to buy a new battery and paid to have it fitted. I wasn't there, but she told me the lad doing the work was ragging the battery about to try and get it out. When he put the new one in, the car wouldn't start. He then removed that and put the old battery in; still wouldn't start. He then suggested that it might be that the car has no petrol, as he had been revving it quite a bit trying to get it started, so she had to buy a petrol can and walk to a petrol station to buy petrol to put in the car. It still didn't work. It is now that they start to try shifting the blame elsewhere and start saying "it could be something bigger, with your engine". She has had to leave the car there overnight and get a taxi home. I'm going to go in the morning and see what is happening, as she is in work. The car drove in there, and it is only since their lad messed with it that it is now not starting.
I'm just wondering what my possibilities are here. I'm expecting them to fix it with no cost, as like I said, it drove in, so it should be driving back out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

hairymonkey

rayo51 wrote: »

Hi. Just looking for some advice on this issue that has happened today.
My girlfriend has been having a few problems with the battery on her car recently. The battery light would come on and the car would cut out. This afternoon, she went to Halfords to buy a new battery and paid to have it fitted. I wasn't there, but she told me the lad doing the work was ragging the battery about to try and get it out. When he put the new one in, the car wouldn't start. He then removed that and put the old battery in; still wouldn't start. He then suggested that it might be that the car has no petrol, as he had been revving it quite a bit trying to get it started, so she had to buy a petrol can and walk to a petrol station to buy petrol to put in the car. It still didn't work. It is now that they start to try shifting the blame elsewhere and start saying "it could be something bigger, with your engine". She has had to leave the car there overnight and get a taxi home. I'm going to go in the morning and see what is happening, as she is in work. The car drove in there, and it is only since their lad messed with it that it is now not starting.
I'm just wondering what my possibilities are here. I'm expecting them to fix it with no cost, as like I said, it drove in, so it should be driving back out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can only offer technicel advice.

Why would they "rag it" to remove a battery? You do not have to even turn the ignition on, let alone turn the engine on.

What car is it? Some are more involved than others. You also need to give a better description of the fault. Does it try to start? Does it turn over but not fire? You need to be detailed.

If I am honest, I would assume they have either damaged a wire (displaced it) and now the car has an earth problem, or that they have upset something else when they have tried to remove the battery.

It could be something simple like they have knocked a sensor out of the way, or it could be that they have damaged the ECU (car's computer brain) doing something terrible.

HOWEVER - Halfords employees are not mechanics! I spent 4 years in the army as a vehicle mechanic, and I wouldn't take people's money to fix their cars!!! Your only chance of getting this sorted, is t have it towed to a trusted garage and get them to diagnose the problem and write a report.

rayo51

I meant pulling the battery aggressively to get it out. That's what I meant by ragging the battery. The car is a Y reg corsa 1.2 sxi. I'm aware that ill have to take it to a garage but what I want to know is, what are my rights here on covering the cost? As it is clearly something they have done.

hairymonkey

rayo51 wrote: »

I meant pulling the battery aggressively to get it out. That's what I meant by ragging the battery. The car is a Y reg corsa 1.2 sxi. I'm aware that ill have to take it to a garage but what I want to know is, what are my rights here on covering the cost? As it is clearly something they have done.

Umm - well I'd still need to know what you mean by not starting to give any informed guess.

My first stab in the dark, is to say he has damaged the loom. Which should be an easy and cheap fix.

However - your rights as I know them, come down to negligence. You need to get a report and then ask for their insurance information. I can't see you having too much of a drama.

In regards to pulling and tugging at the battery... Well surely he disconected the battery and the securing bracket, and then just lifted it out? I am really trying to struggle to see what sort of mong can damage a car changing a battery.

If you have a multimeter, you can use it to check the continuity... This will tell you if the loom is damaged. Message me back if you need any help. This website has been good to me, and i want to give something back.

rayo51

Well it was turning over, as I could hear it when I was on the phone, so it's clearly not the battery, as if the battery was flat, it wouldn't even turn over. That's all I can give you on it not starting I'm afraid as I wasn't there.

hairymonkey

rayo51 wrote: »

Well it was turning over, as I could hear it when I was on the phone, so it's clearly not the battery, as if the battery was flat, it wouldn't even turn over. That's all I can give you on it not starting I'm afraid as I wasn't there.

Thats not true. A flat battery can just cause a slow turn over...

Like I said. Get it recovered. Ask for the manager and say you believe his staff have caused damage to your vehicle.

I have heard before than Halfords have been pretty good like this. One guy I know's gf decided to get a new radio in her car when he was away, and they damaged a seat. They payed for it to be repaired properly.

rayo51

Oh yes I know that, but it sounded like it was turning over fine. It didn't seem slow in any way. The manager was actually out there, and he seemed to be trying to shift the blame. I'll be going tomorrow though, so we'll see.

hairymonkey

rayo51 wrote: »

Oh yes I know that, but it sounded like it was turning over fine. It didn't seem slow in any way. The manager was actually out there, and he seemed to be trying to shift the blame. I'll be going tomorrow though, so we'll see.

See now that confuses me. I'm probably going to over complicate the problem now. But if it's turning over fine then it's not related to the battery...

Why would she need to get more fuel, if she drove in with fuel? I assumed by ragging it you meant he had revved the tits of it, and used the fuel.

Ultimately you need to find out what the problem is. If the fitter or whatever they are called has damaged something then they are responsible. I'm just trying to think what he could have done to cause the problem. Do you have access to an OBD reader? And do you know your way around an engine?

If she went in on fumes it's possible although not likely that she maybe could just put another 5 litres in and it will fire up... I'm not sure how much she put in when she got the can. Can you not check the fuel lines to see if fuel is being injected? If you take a spark plug out you should be able to smell if fuel has recently been injected.

Also importantly, do you have any sort of break down cover? The AA or RAC would be abe to do everything I have suggested, and if it is something simple should fix it at the roadside.

Good luck with it all mate.

rayo51

She must have gone in on fumes, as she said the petrol light started flashing when he was revving the engine. She said the petrol light only came on as she was driving in though, so I find it hard to believe that all that fuel has been wasted just by revving the engine a bit. You usually have quite a bit left when the petrol light comes on. It only started flashing when he was revving it. I'm not sure how much fuel she put in, but I'd imagine she would have filled the can up. I can't get to the car right now, so I can't do any checks on it at all. Will just have to see what happens tomorrow. Like I say, the car drove in, so it should be driving back out.

hairymonkey

rayo51 wrote: »

She must have gone in on fumes, as she said the petrol light started flashing when he was revving the engine. She said the petrol light only came on as she was driving in though, so I find it hard to believe that all that fuel has been wasted just by revving the engine a bit. You usually have quite a bit left when the petrol light comes on. It only started flashing when he was revving it. I'm not sure how much fuel she put in, but I'd imagine she would have filled the can up. I can't get to the car right now, so I can't do any checks on it at all. Will just have to see what happens tomorrow. Like I say, the car drove in, so it should be driving back out.

I completely agree. But why/how was he revving the engine? Did he try and start it before he changed the battery? I'm not sure what this clown has done but it doesnt sound great.

If he was really ragging the engine about when reving it then it could possible have causes some damage... And you are right. I'd imagine there is atleast a gallon of fuel in the tank if the light has just come on.

Please keep me informed. My argument would be that the car was working and now it isn't. I'd want to know what qualifications the fitter has to be changing the battery. I'd be asking why he felt the need to rev my engine, why he felt the need to yank and pull to remove a battery... I would not be happy.

EDIT - the only reason I could see for him to try and start the engine would be to test the old battery. This does not require revving, unless you are checking the alternator and then you only rev it if you cannot get an output from the alternator at idle. I'd be amazed if this guy knows how to test a battery anyway.

thatlemming

The battery in one of those age corsa sxis is a !!!!! to get out tbh, I could take my battery out easy peasy of my old R reg, but my newer 54 plate sxi, no bloody way, it's ridiculous, my bf who works full time as a mechanic had issues with it, so no doubt the halfords lad has broken something, it's not just a simple lift out and change battery.