D S & J Truck & Auto

My friend's car died while he was driving down the road, and he called me for help. While we were waiting for a tow truck, Dewey stopped by to help. I felt that this was a good gesture on his part, as he certainly didn't have to stop, but he did, and he offered his services, saying he had a shop just down the street. I decided to use Dewey's services based on the fact that he was kind enough to stop and help. After towing the car to Dewey's shop, we found that the (after-market) car alarm kept going off while he was trying to diagnose it. A few days later when he reported to us the car was fixed, it was because when he disconnected the alarm, the car started right up. He decided that the alarm was causing a problem, and he removed it. As a result, the keyless entry system that the car had, no longer functions. However the car appeared to run fine. The shop also replaced some unspecified switches and relays in the electrical system, and also replaced an engine mount (torque strut) which was loose. I was bothered by the fact that at no time did Dewey call and offer an estimate of work to be done or expected cost. It was only after calling back that we learned what was done and what it would cost. The next day, while driving the car, it died again, on the road. After calling Dewey again, he was very concerned, and even sent a mechanic over to see if he could fix the problem on the side of the road. And if it could not be fixed, he would tow it back to the shop. I was angry that the problem was not fixed, but appreciated the concern and offer of needed assistance. The mechanic unfortunately couldn't find the problem on the road, so the car was towed back at their expense. A few days later, the car was again reported fixed, the culprit being blamed on a faulty Brake Light Switch. The theory was that the after-market tail lights that had been installed were shorting out the Switch and invoking safety features which prevented the car from starting. After he replaced the switch, the car then started up again. There was no charge for the second repair, which I found gratifying. The day after, the car died again while driving. We did not take the car back to Dewey's shop again. I had done some reading on the Brake Light Switch, and learned that one of its functions is to turn on the Brake Lights when the brake pedal is pressed. I found that pressing the pedal did indeed turn on the lights, so I do not believe Dewey's diagnosis was correct; the engine was failing for a different reason. I do sincerely believe that Dewey had a strong desire to help, and tried his best to do so, but unfortunately he was not able to help us.