SOS - battery dead

quad_red

It's half eleven on friday night.

Car battery is dead. What do you think are the chances of getting a taxi to jump start my car if I offer one 20 quid?

Barr

Do you have breakdown assist with your insurance ?

Darragh29

quad_red wrote: »

It's half eleven on friday night.

Car battery is dead. What do you think are the chances of getting a taxi to jump start my car if I offer one 20 quid?

Any half decent neighbour or taxi would offer you a free jumpstart. In the case of a taxi, I'd throw him a tenner for a pint. Are you living in a rural place or in a town/city??? There are still decent people out there who will do you a good turn!

omb0wyn5ehpij9

If you have your own jumper cables, you will find somebody easily enough to do it for you!

quad_red

Well, so much for pack and early to bed before trip tomorrow morning.

The joys of living in faceless apartment ville in Dublin city - we don't know any of our neighbours. And cos our apartment doesn't have parking, I park in work ten minutes away.

Stopped around ten taxi's before one agreed to help me. Cost me twenty quid but to be honest, was worth it. So drove out the road towards the N7 (revving like a loony at lights, terrified of stalling it ). Drove out to Naas to recharge the battery and stopped for petrol on the way back in the road cos the tank was empty. Jumped out of the car and left it running at two place but drove on cos they didn't sell jump leads. Found station with jump leads eventually so was happy enough to turn the engine off and refuel knowing that I had the ability to restart manually. But no bother, she started and is running fine now.

I am wrecked. But I met some funny class folks tonight. And after starting out as a stressful embarrassing experience, it's ended up being a little ode to people's geniality.

Saruman

I had my own battery ordeal yesterday. Came out of work and the battery was dead. In fairness it had been on the way out for a while and I had to make regular use of my battery booster pack but it was beyond rescue yesterday. One of the guys had a spare car he does not use so he let me have it (lives near work). I decided I did not want to drive his car and would rather sort mine so I went to Halfords and got a battery and when I got back to the car spent 40 mins in vain trying to take my battery out. I did not have the tools (has to be a rachet set, spanner does not work due to room). This time I took the gamble that Tesco in flinglas might have a cheap tool box. It did thank God so back I went and swapped out the battery quickly and the car started straight away.

My battery was probably old, its a 02 car so could be just age. Then again, the reason I have the booster is I left my lights on for an hour while sitting in the car and eating lunch (so no warning beep). Luckily it was outside an Argos so I got the booster and was grand. I did not know that I had to take the battery out and recharge it, I thought the alternator did that but I found out recently that it can only top up a full battery.
So while it could be age, it could also be that it was not charged up again. Either way, charge up your battery but be prepared to get a new one as sometimes they do not recover after going flat from what I have heard recently.

I was pretty pissed off for a while but it was all good in the end as we went for dinner at TGI Fridays.

Del2005

Saruman wrote: »

My battery was probably old, its a 02 car so could be just age. Then again, the reason I have the booster is I left my lights on for an hour while sitting in the car and eating lunch (so no warning beep). Luckily it was outside an Argos so I got the booster and was grand. I did not know that I had to take the battery out and recharge it, I thought the alternator did that but I found out recently that it can only top up a full battery.
So while it could be age, it could also be that it was not charged up again. Either way, charge up your battery but be prepared to get a new one as sometimes they do not recover after going flat from what I have heard recently.

If the car is working correctly the alternator will recharge the battery, we've had plenty of cars with flat battiers jumped and never put near a charger. The thing is too make sure and drive/run a petrol car for a least 10 min after a jump and a diesel for longer, just jumping it and stopping the engine does no good as next time you try to start it won't have enough charge in the battery.

Saruman

Then it was probably just age. The battery would have been 7 years old.