Why you don't use Halfords.

[Concrete]

My father just called, pretty distraught. He took his Skoda Yeti to the local Halfords and paid 15 quid for the battery replacement service (normally the kind of thing I would do if it wasn't an emergency).

They connected the terminals round the wrong way, and now none of the electrics are working. Car starts, no lights/power steering/washers etc.

Sounds to me like they fried the ECU, but could it be a fuse(s)?

They are refusing to admit responsibility, he has a receipt with the service listed on it. He hasn't budged, its been 3 hours of them trying to fob him off now.

Idiots.

 

[Concrete]

How do you know they connected the terminals the wrong way?

Apparently the results were quite dramatic, guy who did it admitted it while soaked from the windscreen/light washers activated.

 

[Concrete]

Cheers guys, I have an update.

Eventually one of their mechanics (as opposed to the guy who “fitted” the battery) tested all the fuses which checked out. Then went “meh” and said that it would need to be investigated properly.

They agreed for our local indy (who my father should have used straight away) to tow it and diagnose it and then send them the bill for approval.

Will update as drama no doubt escalates.

 

[Concrete]

Oh and the guy who hooked up the battery claimed that the terminals were the opposite of what they were labled.

The RAC guy who recovered the car the night before didnt mention this though...

 

[Concrete]

https://www.youcanic.com/article/jump-started-installed-battery-wrong-way

Yeah that was my understanding, its a no-brainer that someone will connect things backwards at some point.

Its also unfortunate that some vehicles are well know to have deficiencies in this area, the one that immediately springs to my mind is the Ferrari 360. Im definitely not a VAG guy (lol gay jokes), so the Yeti might fall into the at risk category. Will do research this evening when I get home.

 

[Concrete]

I am a mechanic and there is no excuse for any thing like this.
Just check every thing...it might be me but I am crazy hot on double checking EVERY THING this might stem from when I used crank grinders and boring machines ETC ETC and if ya took 0.0005" off more than needed it was to much so I check EVERY THING.

Your messing with expensive things why are some people so damn slap happy and have the attitude

"its ok lets slap this together I think this is right not sure but I think it is(if ya not sure stop and check no harm in asking for advice or checking a damn manual get it right first time)"

I`m a fairly experienced “home mechanic” and everything gets checked twice/thrice when it comes to each step including tolerances (and hilariously the viability of each step in a manual) because you learn from painful experience how easily you can wreck expensive parts or undo hours of work with a single mistake but in my main job in software development its so common to encounter people who just dont think or check before commiting hugely damaging actions.

Idiots everywhere.

 

[Concrete]

Actually this reminds me of another time I was walking past a Halfords and the chap was single handed trying to refit some persons bonnet it was a big old car to and he was trying to fit it on his own.
no wing protectors nothing I giggled and thought poor owner he will have a load of damage to his car when he comes to pick that up

He may have managed to do it with out damaging it but thats the problem here

MAY HAVE

dont take risks check ya work and happy days

For me this falls under “the right tool for the job”, or maybe more accurately “an additional tool for the job”.

 

[Concrete]

Update for you all.

The garage has diagnosed the issues, which are a fried fuse board and alternator. Halfords have said they will pay for the work.

I have to say I find it strange what was damaged. I would never have thought the alternator would be taken out, I WOULD say a dying/dead alternator might have been the cause of the original battery failing though...

 

[Concrete]

Maybe his Dad is too old to be hefting batteries about.

Nailed it, 70 year old just doesn't need the hassle. (I know he did at least one engine swap when he was young)

 

[Concrete]

The lights and PAS are all built into the large fuse panel block that covers the battery. Also, don't forget, some modern cars (the Yeti probably included) may require the battery to be coded when replaced.

That block is probably what they were refering to when they said the fuse board had blown.

I haven't worked on cars newer than 2002 (I'm poor ) had no idea batteries had to be coded now!