I drove my 2004 I35 for the appointment at Firestone in Lenoir City with Nick on 7/17/25 at 7:30 AM to get the alternator replaced. I was told the new part would be there at midday and would take 2 hours. I called at 2:30 and it hadn't been worked on yet. I called at 4 and was told it is next in line. At 5 they called and said it would be done at 5:45. I showed up and paid the $866.00 bill and was handed the keys by Peter, I went out and started the car and it stalled a few seconds later and would not restart, Peter and I looked and found a disconnected wire next to the alternator. He told me he would have them look at first thing in the morning since all the techs had already left for the day. The next morning Nick called and said the car started and drove perfectly around the building, but later he took it for a longer drive and it stalled and would not restart, they told me they could diagnose it for another $150.00. around 3 PM, Adam called and said I have good news and bad news, the good news is, it starts and idles but will not accelerate because it went in to "limp mode" because of all the problems and told me even if they did all the work, it might not fix the problem.
Including. ENGINE SENSORS 462.18
CODES COME UP FOR CAM POSITION SENSORS AND THROTTLE BODY SENSORS. TECH WIGGLED WIRING HARD ON DRIVER SIDE FRONT OF ENGINE AND VEHICLE WILL START AND RUN. CODES FOR CAM POS GONE BUT THROTTLE CODES RETURN. REC TAKING TO ELECTRICAL SPECIALTY SHOP
CPS0008 CAM POSITION SENSOR 1 202.99 0.00
REMOVE & REPLACE CAMSHAFT 1 0.00 61.60
ANGLE/POSITION SENSOR - ONE SU6480 CAMSHAFT / CRANKSHAFT PO
1
135.99
0.00
REMOVE & REPLACE CAMSHAFT 1 0.00 61.60
ANGLE/POSITION SENSOR - ONE
Preventive Maintenance - Suggested ==================================================
462.18 462.18
Since I could not drive it home at idle to try to see what was causing it not to go past idle. I went out the next day and bought a new car. A coworker has a car trailer and offered me $500.00 since the car was not drivable to take it. After the coworker got the car home, he opened the fuse box and found the 15 amp throttle motor fuse missing. He took the headlight fuse and put it in the throttle motor position and the car started and drove perfectly, and there was no check engine light or codes. He sent me pictures of the missing fuse and fuse box cover. I called Nick and told him about the missing throttle motor fuse and he told me they never went into the fuse box but he will check with the techs the next day. Nick called me back and said the techs were in the fuse box to remove relays but never touched the fuses. Nick asked what I wanted to remedy the problem, so I said since I sold the car based on it not driving with needing a throttle body, cam sensor and crankshaft position sensor and maybe a wiring harness and is in "limp mode"
And the only problem was that somebody removed a fuse that would not let the throttle motor function and keeping the car at idle caused me to sell it at a $3500 loss. He said he would file a claim with corporate, and I would be hearing from them. I was called by Leon in Nashville, and told him the exact story, and emailed him the pictures of the missing fuse and the car running with no check engine light on. He said he would look into it and get back to me. The next day he called and said they are denying the claim because I didn't have them do the work or take it to an electrical place they recommended, and just because I drove the car in with it accelerating fine with the fuse, I can't prove they removed it. For me at best it was carelessness and at worst it was deception and gross incompetence. I have worked on cars all my life and was still misled because I trusted them to be honest and own their mistake. read more