Services · Battery & Charging
Usually the battery. Sometimes the alternator. I test before I replace.
A jump start gets you moving. It doesn't tell you why it died. Batteries, alternators, and starters fail in ways that look alike from the driver's seat, and swapping the wrong one is money you don't get back. I test the whole charging system where the vehicle sits and replace the part that's actually the problem.
Texas heat kills batteries faster than any winter does. If yours is four years old and starting to crank slow, it's telling you something.
Texting is best — I'm usually mid-job and can't pick up. Stranded or an emergency? Call.
- No fix, no fee diagnostics
- Quoted price is the final price
- 12 mo / 12,000 mi parts & labor
- I come to you
What it's doing, and what it usually is
The most common cause first. It's a guide, not a diagnosis. That's what the visit is for.
- Slow crank, worse on cold mornings
- A battery near the end of its life. The cold just shows it up.
- Dead again the morning after a jump
- Either the alternator isn't charging it, or something is draining it overnight. A new battery won't fix either.
- Battery light on while driving
- The alternator or its belt. Get it looked at today. When the battery runs down, the truck stops wherever it happens to be.
- Headlights dim at idle, brighten when you rev
- The alternator is struggling. It'll get worse.
- White or green crust on the terminals
- Corrosion. It can mimic a dead battery, and a clean-up sometimes fixes the whole thing.
- Electrical gremlins: flickering dash, radio resetting
- Often a battery that's failing internally, or a bad ground. Worth testing before chasing wiring.
What I do in your driveway
- Load test the battery, measure the alternator's output, and check the starter's draw. Ten minutes, and it tells us which one is lying.
- Test for a parasitic draw when something is flattening a good battery overnight.
- Replace the battery, with the correct type for the vehicle, and take the old one back for the core.
- Replace alternators and starters on most cars and trucks, on site.
- Clean or replace terminals, cables, and grounds. Belts and tensioners while I'm in there.
- Dual-battery diesel trucks, where one bad battery quietly pulls the other one down with it.
How the money works
- $150
- Flat, to diagnose it. It's separate from the repair. If I can't find what's wrong, you don't pay it.
- Quote
- Before anything comes apart. The price I give you is the price you pay. If I find something else, I stop and ask you first.
- 12 / 12k
- Months and miles, parts and labor. If the repair doesn't hold, I come back and fix it free.
Travel is free within 30 miles of Bastrop. Further out, there's a flat travel fee. The full warranty terms spell out what's covered.
“He came out after working his regular job and stayed until around 10 p.m. to make sure everything was taken care of… He kept us updated and explained what he was finding along the way instead of just replacing parts and leaving us guessing.”
Questions I get asked
How long should a battery last around here?
Three to five years. Heat is harder on a battery than cold, and a Bastrop summer is hard on everything. A battery that gets you through its fourth August has done well.
I put in a new battery and it died again. Why?
Because the battery wasn't the problem. Either the alternator isn't recharging it as you drive, or something is drawing current when the truck is off. Both are testable, and testing is where I start.
Can you really change an alternator in a driveway?
On most vehicles, yes. It's belts, a couple of bolts, and a wiring connector. A few are packed in tight enough to take longer, and I'll tell you if yours is one of them when I quote it.
What about the little red battery on the dash with a jump pack?
A jump pack is a good thing to keep in the truck. It'll get you going once. It won't fix an alternator, and if you're using it more than once a month, call me.
Do you take the old battery?
Yes. It goes back to the parts store for the core charge, so you don't pay it and it doesn't end up in your barn.
Often goes with this
All servicesRoadside & No-Start
Won't crank, won't start, or quit on you at the side of the road. I come to where it stopped, and often get it running the same visit.
Electrical
Lights out, fuses blowing, windows or accessories dead. Tracking down a short is what I do instead of guessing.
Diagnostics
Warning light on, odd noise, or something that just feels wrong. I find out what it is before anyone spends money on parts.
Based in Bastrop, free travel within 30 miles. Where I go, and what it costs further out.
Let's look at the battery & charging
Flat $150 to diagnose it, and you get a price before anything gets taken apart. Mon–Fri 9am – 6pm.
Stranded or an emergency? Call (512) 980-4368 — for anything else, a text gets to me faster.