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No charge.
Aug. 26th, 2008 09:59 pmToday's workday ended as normal - go out to car, throw laptop and lunchbox in the trunk, get into car, insert key, start engine.
That's where the similarities ended. When I went to start the car, nothing. A couple of lights on the dashboard flickered weakly, and that was it. The battery was dead, utterly so. I popped open the hood, and what I saw wasn't good; both battery terminals were buried in piles of bluish powder, a clear sign of bad corrosion. With the help of a coworker with a toolkit available, I was able to get the terminals cleaned up, and he gave me a jump start. After about 10 minutes or so, the car had enough power to start, and I left the parking lot on my way home.
I didn't even make it a block before the shifting got sluggish and the engine started to die. Fortunately, another office building parking lot was a right turn away, and I was able to coast into a spot (or two - I came in at an angle). I tried calling my insurance company to see if my policy offered roadside assistance, but the after-hours crew were unable to help. Unfortunately, the dealer's roadside assistance ran out about 16,000 miles ago, so I went with the next best option - I called my dad. He came out to get me, and we took the dead battery to a nearby Walmart (yes, I know I'm no fan of the chain, but desperation makes for strange bedfellows). I dropped $75 on a new battery, and once it was installed, everything was copacetic. Dad tailed me on the way home to make sure that I made it back without problems, and, 2 hours later than normal, I was back in my house. A call to Walmart verified that the old battery was dead - it failed their hour-long battery test within the first 10 minutes - so it seems like that was the extent of my problem.
As frustrating as the situation was, I was blessed with friends and family who came to my aid and made the situation bearable, and I'm feeling very grateful tonight.
That's where the similarities ended. When I went to start the car, nothing. A couple of lights on the dashboard flickered weakly, and that was it. The battery was dead, utterly so. I popped open the hood, and what I saw wasn't good; both battery terminals were buried in piles of bluish powder, a clear sign of bad corrosion. With the help of a coworker with a toolkit available, I was able to get the terminals cleaned up, and he gave me a jump start. After about 10 minutes or so, the car had enough power to start, and I left the parking lot on my way home.
I didn't even make it a block before the shifting got sluggish and the engine started to die. Fortunately, another office building parking lot was a right turn away, and I was able to coast into a spot (or two - I came in at an angle). I tried calling my insurance company to see if my policy offered roadside assistance, but the after-hours crew were unable to help. Unfortunately, the dealer's roadside assistance ran out about 16,000 miles ago, so I went with the next best option - I called my dad. He came out to get me, and we took the dead battery to a nearby Walmart (yes, I know I'm no fan of the chain, but desperation makes for strange bedfellows). I dropped $75 on a new battery, and once it was installed, everything was copacetic. Dad tailed me on the way home to make sure that I made it back without problems, and, 2 hours later than normal, I was back in my house. A call to Walmart verified that the old battery was dead - it failed their hour-long battery test within the first 10 minutes - so it seems like that was the extent of my problem.
As frustrating as the situation was, I was blessed with friends and family who came to my aid and made the situation bearable, and I'm feeling very grateful tonight.
