Chrysler Repair: 98 Sebring 2.5L v-6: battery and alternator


Question
I have replaced the battery and alternator twice in my car in 5 months.  The second time was yesterday.  It was making a low droning noise.  The battery light came on, on the expressway.  20 minutes later, it died while driving.  I had to have it towed.  All of the battery cells were completed dead.  He said it needed a pigtail.  I have already spent $1300.  I don't know if this is going to fix the problem or if its something else.  The dealer does not have that part.

Answer
Hi Julie,
A am not clear as to what is this "pigtail". I believe that a competent shop can devise a substitute for it as it sounds like nothing other than a simple electrical connecting device. Can you describe it or tell me where it is connected to the charging system? The shop should be able to get one used from a wrecking yard if the part is no longer available from Chrysler but it any case they should be able to fix this quite easily.
I would question whether the shop(s) that did the work on the alternator did a poor job on it and so should not charge you for this present problem. Most repair shops give a 90-day warranty on their repair work and because the problem is about the charging system, and the alternator was replaced in the last 90 days then the last shop should take responsibility for repairing this for free. Other than the alternator there is very little else involved that a competent mechanic should have noticed was wrong when that job was done earlier.  If the broken part is part of the charging system I believe they are responsible for this situation. $1300 sounds like an unusual amount to have spent so far on this. Can you give me a break down of what charges were for what services/parts?
Be firm in demanding that the charging system be repaired at no cost and that the warranty be extended another 90 days.
Small claims court may be your last resort, so mention that if they seem uncooperative.
Roland