Midnight_Rider's progress log

[Midnight_Rider]

That’s almost as much as I paid for my car.

Yes, for a car that sits idle as much as it does, there is a lot of upkeep.

[thomas_w]

That’s almost as much as I paid for my car.

David's car is worth the treat though.

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks for the compliment! Several employees at the dealership approached me with positive comments while I was there so I'm sure the car appreciated being in the spotlight.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

Very nice, new parts for the win!

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks again. After reading on the org about brake parts availability concerns, I began to wonder if I should source the Mopar parts before they were all gone. This is why I decided to make brakes my project for this year.

[Midnight_Rider]

Went to start the SRT today and found the battery dead. Will call the dealership on Monday to order a new one.

I was certainly surprised as I have kept it disconnected while the car sits in the garage.

[04rebel]

OH my! What age bracket is that battery in? I hope it didn't get done in from Covid!

[Midnight_Rider]

I think that it was replaced 9 years ago. Since I haven't driven it very much this year, I shouldn't be surprised.

[occasional demons]

Parts show two different batteries.

5031147AB $92.10

2005 Dodge Neon SE, SRT-4, SXT 2.0L L4 - Gas, 2.4L L4 - Gas

BB26R001AA $111.36

2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser Classic 2.4L L4 - Gas
2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser LX, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, LX, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, GT, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, GT, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, GT, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2005 Dodge Neon SE, SRT-4, SXT 2.0L L4 - Gas, 2.4L L4 - Gas
2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, GT, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base, GT, Limited, Touring 2.4L L4 - Gas
2003 Dodge Neon R/T, SE, SRT-4, SXT 2.0L L4 - Gas, 2.4L L4 - Gas
2002 Dodge Neon ACR, Base, ES, R/T, SE 2.0L L4 - Gas
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base




Depending on which sites you look, some say "Not For Sale".

Could just be that they do not want to ship, which I doubt you would be getting one shipped anyways.

[Midnight_Rider]

I presently have a BB26R510AA but that number has been superseded many times over the years.

BB26R001AA $111.36

I just got off the phone with the dealership- around $140 plus a core charge. I'll have to remove the strut brace so that I can take the old battery with me to avoid the core charge I have a 10% discount coupon so I'll save some there. I appreciate your taking the time to look up that information. That vintage battery photo is great!

I'm definitely going to buy a battery charger so that this doesn't happen again:

https://www.amazon.com/Associated-Equip ... hargers-20

[occasional demons]

Didn't you buy a battery tender a while back?

Not that even that would help a 9 year old battery.

I would replace it every 7 years, regardless if it seems weak or not. Your alternator may thank you, and the risk of it randomly dying somewhere away from home will be lower.

That HD battery charger won't help when you are away from home.

As long as you have a company vehicle, a set of long jumper cables will start the SRT.

If it were me, I would get a cheaper battery charger, and one of those portable jump start units. At least that you can toss in the trunk, just in case you need it away from home.

[Midnight_Rider]

Yes, I bought a battery tender a few years ago but returned it to Amazon as I felt very uncomfortable about using it. I checked out Battery Tenders on Amazon last night- look at the reviews!
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-0 ... 74&sr=8-10

Battery Tender's website says that this model is better than their own trickle chargers so I decided to skip it. Besides, they are made in China. The charger that I linked to earlier is made in USA.

Your suggestion about jumper cables and my company vehicle is a good one. The problem would be having the time to immediately take the car on a long enough drive to get the alternator to do its thing.

I had to get a jump from my next door neighbor a few weeks ago as I had left the refrigerator in my company car plugged in overnight and found the battery dead when I started for work the next afternoon. I didn't shut the vehicle off for almost 2 1/2 hours, waiting until the second stop on my route to ensure that the battery was completely recharged. Pretty stupid on my part as the work vehicle is less than a month old (Nissan Rogue). I would get written up at work for being late due to a dead battery resulting from leaving the refrigerator plugged in.

[occasional demons]

The one I got is from Sears, Sears brand. I have had it for over 10 years now.

Probably made in China, but it owes me nothing.

I recently bought a newer one, only because I need one that will charge AGM/Gel batteries. It also does a nice job of bringing back batteries that have been discharged fully for an extended period of time.

Given I keep a few batteries around for use in the event of power failures, etc, it's nice to keep them charged and ready. A car battery works well for a 12 volt to 5 volt USB charger.

And AGM batteries stay clean, so there is no issue with bringing it in the house if need be.

To be honest, I'll probably never buy another lead acid battery if I don't have to.

The AGM battery I have in my lawnmower is probably 15 years old, it was in the gasoline powered floor sweeper at work, and was going to get tossed when they bought a new sweeper. It cranks better than the new lead acid battery that came with the mower.

[Midnight_Rider]

Well, for everyone on this site that chides me for not working my my car myself and always going to a dealership for service... While trying to remove the front strut brace so that I could get the dead battery out, one of the two passenger-side suspension screws fell down inside somewhere (not on the garage floor- I looked with my trouble light) so tomorrow I'll have to get a jump from my next door neighbor and drive the car to the dealership to have the batteries swapped and the screw replaced (labor charge!). I sure hope that I don't lose my suspension during the 60 mile drive to the dealership.

[occasional demons]

I take it the coilovers don't have spline'd studs in the top of the strut mounts?

Or someone beat them out/tossed them to install the strut brace?

It would be odd for those to fall out, if they were like the normal strut mounts, which I thought oem SRT coilovers used the same strut mount as the normal struts.

As long as you have one left in place, it shouldn't go anywhere, as long as you keep the front tires on the pavement, and don't do any hard cornering/braking acceleration.

But the main thing is: No Dukes of Hazzard stuff!

[Midnight_Rider]

I take it the coilovers don't have spline'd studs in the top of the strut mounts?

Or someone beat them out/tossed them to install the strut brace?

It would be odd for those to fall out, if they were like the normal strut mounts, which I thought oem SRT coilovers used the same strut mount as the normal struts.

As long as you have one left in place, it shouldn't go anywhere, as long as you keep the front tires on the pavement, and don't do any hard cornering/braking acceleration.

But the main thing is: No Dukes of Hazzard stuff!

Struts are Mopar Performance ones, installed by a Chrysler mechanic in his personal garage. I installed the strut brace myself at one of chipdogg's meets. I'm very nervous about driving it that distance with the missing screw (bolt? I get the two confused).

[occasional demons]

A bolt has a nut on the end. It goes through a hole that has no threads in it, using the nut to thread into, and create the clamping force.

A screw goes into the threaded hole in the body of whatever the part is clamped against.

So the same part can be a screw, or a bolt, depending on how it used.

Possibly you just dropped the nuts?

If that is the case, you could get a couple of M8x1.25 nuts from the hardware, and washers if needed, and put them on until you get the Mopar ones to replace them.

[occasional demons]

Didn't KW make the SRT-4/Mopar Performance coilovers? If so, then they use the standard strut mount, which should have the pressed in studs, and the nut on the top.

KW's generally get knocked because they don't come with the top mount/camber plates, and re use the factory mount. But for a simple bolt in mod, that Chrysler wouldn't have to worry about warranty isuues....

Or you are not looking fro a drastic drop, they are perfect.

If you are using 4 adjustable rear lateral arms, then camber plates would be kind of a waste. You would only need the front in that situation, if dropping it to the weeds.

I'm not thinking that would be an issue here!

[occasional demons]

[Midnight_Rider]

No, no rear camber plates. All I know is that the bolts are Belvidere ones from Chrysler, installed when the car was built. To my knowledge, they were never replaced with non-OEM ones.

The car will be flatbed towed to the dealership tomorrow, no need for a jump. As for the bolts, I have two new ones waiting for me and I'll ask the tech if the driver's side ones should be replaced as well (those will have to be ordered as the dealership just has two in stock).

The bolt just fell through into the inner fender (I guess) when I removed the nut. I can't find it anywhere on the floor in my garage so I'm guessing that the tech will have to remove the wheel and inner fender to find it.

[Midnight_Rider]

I found the bolt when the car was moved from my garage this morning.

Well, I wish that I had skipped the flatbed towing. $323. But the front bumper on my SRT was damaged during unloading! The body shop estimate is $715.77. I can't win for losing.

New Mopar battery- made in Mexico, unfortunately.

[occasional demons]

Whether or not the towing company says they are not responsible, I would still go after them for damages. The driver could have easily put some short boards down for the tires to roll over so the front fascia would not scrape. (If that is what happened)

It's not like that situation would be unavoidable. That would be pure laziness and a driver not doing his job.

I would turn it into my insurance, and let them go after the towing company for repairs. It's what you pay them for. If it is not your fault, any deductible should not apply.

You paid them $323 to deliver your car safely. That didn't happen.

More and more "Mopar" is made in Mexico or China since Daimler and everyone after took control. Even more so since FCA/Stellantis.

I found a part I bought quite a while back, still new in the Mopar bag. "Made in China".

Probably why I don't feel too bad going with non Mopar stuff. There are a lot more jobs supported by not going to the dealer.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

^Exactly. Everything should be paid for in my opinion, even the tow. You saw on my log how my front fascia was flexing when they towed my neon out of the garage. Luckily nothing was damaged. Just 2 boards would of fixed that. I need to get some cheap boards and have them in the back of my Neon, just In case. Most tow trucks don't have boards, well the ones that have towed mine in the past.

Glad you found the bolt though. I don't even run my front strut brace. I am messing around with stuff in the engine bay all the time and it would just be a hassle to have to remove all the time. Maybe going to a car show or something I would put it on.

[occasional demons]

The general belief is the front doesn't do near as much as the rear brace anyways.

And like said, if you are under the hood a lot, it is more of a pain than a benefit.



But I'm sure that is more than evident at the moment... :/

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks, guys... I really value your opinions and it feels better knowing that I am not alone in this.

I had mentioned to the tow driver that I was concerned about my car being low in the front before it was moved out of my garage so he knew about this before the car was moved onto the flatbed (I also told him that I did NOT have an aftermarket suspension, but that it is a Mopar part that does lower the front just slightly more than OEM). I also mentioned using boards but he said that the problem would be eliminated by towing the car backwards. Well, after he backed his vehicle towards my garage and lowered the flatbed, he put down two metal legs onto my concrete driveway (supports, I guess). He then pulled his truck forward slightly, dragging those two metal legs- This left two gouge marks in my driveway (really noticeable when I got home from the dealership yesterday). I haven't told the tow company about this damage yet.

When we got to the Dodge dealership, he backed up to a space in the dealer's "bullpen" and lowered the bed. I had asked him to unload the car next to the garage door for the shop area but he wouldn't. I told him that they would have boards in the shop for us to use but he went directly to the bullpen. He then removed the front chains and loosened the rear ones. Then he told me to get in the driver's seat, take the car out of gear, apply the brakes and let off the parking brake. I had the front windows rolled down to hear his orders as to what to do. He kept telling me to inch it forward, inch it forward and then CRUNCH! I let the car coast into the parking spot, put it in gear, applied the parking brake and rolled up the front windows. I then hurried to check the front bumper and, sure enough, the crunch sound wasn't the air dam but the bumper itself, gouged all across and from front to back. I yelled at the driver about the damage but he just climbed into his vehicle and drove off. The service writer suggested that I call the tow company immediately and I did. I was told that someone would call me back. When I got the call back, I gave the lady my email address so that she could email her contact information to me. Nothing when I got home hours later and still nothing this morning so I called the tow company back. Well, the lady had sent her contact information to an incorrect email address (how anyone could misspell "reagan" in "reagan.com" is beyond me, especially since I had given her my email address on the phone letter by letter within 30 minutes of the damage being done. Oh well.

I then went to the body shop next door and got an estimate. The CSR took photos of my car and gave me an estimate. Since I didn't yet have the contact information from the tow company, he emailed this to me. I called the tow company this morning, got her contact information and forwarded the email from the body shop CSR. She then emailed back and said that only the estimate came with the forwarded email. I put everything into a zip file and sent this to her and she wrote back to say that the company will not pay for this damage and that my car is 15 years old (!).

I then contacted my insurance agent and he is going to check into whether or not I should have Hagerty contact the tow company. He said that there are other options so I'll see what needs to be done.

I know that the front strut brace is largely for looks but, since I don't normally have my trunk open at car meets, I like to show off the front one. I won't lie- this is the main reason why I wanted one. Call me vain...

The good thing that came from having my tech do the work on my car (he owns two SRT-4s, by the way) is that he went over my car for any other things that might need attention. He found that my A/C lines are leaking green dye so we're going to replace the gaskets and recharge the system next spring. And I'm going to have him replace all of the shock tower bolts with longer ones (he already did this with the missing one). OD, I think that you had asked if the existing ones had been cut or something... My tech said that guys usually use longer bolts after going with the Mopar coilovers and front strut braces. There isn't much of the threads left after screwing the nuts back on when the stock ones are retained.

[occasional demons]

So if a car is older than say 7 years, that absolves them of any liability?

What a weak answer. Maybe they should only stick to towing new cars. That will be a booming business.

Best of luck getting this resolved....

I asked if the studs were removed from the strut mount, as I figured the stock ones are a bit short to be adding stuff, and the nuts still being on enough.

Probably the replacement studs are not as snug as the originals, so they dropped out. My worry would be that they would spin, if the nut decided to corrode to the stud. Then it would get ugly. The dremel and cut off wheel would need to come out.

I would have the studs tack welded to the mount when they are all replaced, if the fit is not a press fit. Some paint over the welds, and good to go. no one is ever going to see it.

May as well get a new set of mounts, while Mopar still sells them while you're at it. Another ~$120, but....

[Midnight_Rider]

Yes, I was pretty p****d off about that "15 years old" comment. Of course, it's "just a Neon."

My insurance agent is looking into this. I hope to know more soon. Waiting for the charge to leave pending status on my VISA and then I will dispute the towing charge until this is resolved.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

What a headache all due to an old bad battery Hope everything gets resolved quickly and in your favor. Good luck!

[Midnight_Rider]

Thanks. I just spoke with Chase Bank and they are sending a dispute form in the mail. Too bad since my card cycles on Tuesday and then interest will begin to accumulate if I don't pay the towing fee.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

Thanks. I just spoke with Chase Bank and they are sending a dispute form in the mail. Too bad since my card cycles on Tuesday and then interest will begin to accumulate if I don't pay the towing fee.

Do what my brother does and move your credit to an interest free card. He does that all the time and he never has to pay ANY interest on his credit card debt.