Overheard a guy at the auto parts store say something about alternator testing that stuck with me

I was standing in line at AutoZone last month and this older mechanic in front of me told the cashier that most people replace alternators when the battery light flickers, but really it's just a bad ground wire 9 times out of 10. I've dropped out of college and been working on cars for a few years now, so I took that comment to heart. Next time my buddy's truck wouldn't start, I checked the ground first instead of throwing parts at it. Sure enough, a rusty bolt fixed the whole thing for free. Saved him about $150 for a new alternator and labor. Now I always start with grounds before anything else when electrical stuff acts up. Has anyone else found a simple shortcut that saved you money?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellas5627d ago

Ground wires fix way more problems than people give em credit for honestly.

quinnbailey27d ago

Ground wires matter but @stellas56 you're acting like they're magic or somethin.