So I purchased a 2003 Sprinter 2500 last year for my locksmithing business and I have had A LOT of maintenance issues. I am starting to question if my mechanic is capable of working on these vehicles and I want to know if he caused the following problem:
I noticed my fan belt squealing (progressively getting worse) so I brought it to my mechanic. He suggested a new belt and tensioner ($450 installed). After getting my van back from him I started hearing the squealing intermitently within a couple of days. The squealing got worse and worse over the next couple of days. I contacted my mechanic and made an appointment to review the problem. The next day the squealing stopped and was replaced by rattling. I also noticed a few drops of oil whenever I parked dripping off the bottom of the front of the oil pan. I also had trouble starting the van (like the battery was dead) and finally the A/C stopped working. This all happened within a day.
The day of my appointment with the mechanic the belt broke leaving me stranded.
When he reviewed the problem he said the alternator needed to be replaced because the "clutch" broke.
Frankly, the new belt was on about a week and I am not happy about another repair that seems related to his original repair. Is it possible that the alternator broke due to his poor installation? I have not tracked down where the oil is coming from, but is it possible that a fan belt replacement could causse an oil leak?
I want to be fair to my mechanic, but this just seems like bad workmanship. What do you all think.
I noticed my fan belt squealing (progressively getting worse) so I brought it to my mechanic. He suggested a new belt and tensioner ($450 installed). After getting my van back from him I started hearing the squealing intermitently within a couple of days. The squealing got worse and worse over the next couple of days. I contacted my mechanic and made an appointment to review the problem. The next day the squealing stopped and was replaced by rattling. I also noticed a few drops of oil whenever I parked dripping off the bottom of the front of the oil pan. I also had trouble starting the van (like the battery was dead) and finally the A/C stopped working. This all happened within a day.
The day of my appointment with the mechanic the belt broke leaving me stranded.
When he reviewed the problem he said the alternator needed to be replaced because the "clutch" broke.
Frankly, the new belt was on about a week and I am not happy about another repair that seems related to his original repair. Is it possible that the alternator broke due to his poor installation? I have not tracked down where the oil is coming from, but is it possible that a fan belt replacement could causse an oil leak?
I want to be fair to my mechanic, but this just seems like bad workmanship. What do you all think.