No charge.
Aug. 26th, 2008 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nockergeekToday'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.
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no subject
on 2008-08-30 07:20 pm (UTC)I have to recommend to you to have your electrical system checked on your car. true you got a new battery and got home ok. but the truth is, once a car has been started, the only function the battery preforms is being a big chunk of wire in the system. when a car dies while running, that usually is a sign of other problems in the electical system, like an alternator (which are not cheep) A brand new battery can bandaid this problem for a while, but the drain on the battery can cause this new battery to fail exceedingly fast.
Your battery was bad, your replaced it, this IS good, you didn't waste your money or anything. the possible problem with the charging system contributes to the battery failing. the problem might be small at the moment and not even cause you immediate problems. but I would strongly recommend it.
there is the possibility that the battery's corrosion or the fact that the battery was just so shot that it couldn't keep the electrical system in a closed circuit.