I had to spend over $300 to discover a $7 dollar fix

My sister wanted me to get rid of a car - if I could get it running, I could keep it.

Her husband had put the battery in backwards, and fried the electronics (so he thought).

I figured it might be an alternator problem, so I called NAPA a couple of weeks before to make sure they'd have a new alternator for that model car in stock when I got there. I thought I'd take the old one out, have it checked, and if it failed the check, I'd be able to buy the new one.

I get to the NAPA, and guess what? They DO have the new one in stock waiting for me... but they're missing the adapter which will allow me to test the old alternator to see if it's bad. I have to buy the new one.

We install the new alternator, and the battery is doornail dead. We take it to NAPA. They check it. "Yup, it's dead." It's "sort of" still under warranty, so we only have to pay 50 bucks instead of the $150.

Get it home, install it, and the car starts... but there's still a battery warning light. This time, I'm able to DRIVE it to NAPA, and the guy throws a gizmo on the car that tells us the alternator isn't charging.

I looked at him, and reminded him that he sold me a BRAND NEW ALTERNATOR that morning... and a BRAND NEW BATTERY 20 minutes ago. He shrugs his shoulders.

The store closes, and I'm stuck in a town 235 miles away from home.

I got online, and someone suggested to check the MAIN fuse, a 125 amp fuse. It was blown. I drove to a different auto parts store, found a 120 amp fuse that was pretty darn close in size... and paid 7 dollars for it.

THAT is what was needed. I sure wish I'd spent the 7 dollars before I'd spent the $230 for the alternator (which I still don't know if I actually needed or not).

Nevertheless, I now have a new-to-me car with just 100k miles, in great condition inside and out... and it gets 40mpg.

A frustrating weekend, but not a total loss!