(no subject)

[xifeng]

Okay, so I put the charger on the battery and it started like a dream last night. I drove around for about an hour to make sure it stayed charged, then came home, and this morning it was a little stuttery but started up without much trouble. Nonetheless, I drove to and from work (even coming home from lunch), then decided to do errands, on the grounds that driving to and from Mt. Vernon (about an hour away) ought to do the trick. Again, a little stuttery, but no trouble actually starting the car or driving once it did start.

I thought I might go for a walk, but there was some kind of athletic persiflage at the high school and they were using the track, so I opted against it and got back into the car--whereupon the ignition stuttered and stuttered and stuttered, but didn't start. No more than a minute or so had elapsed between the time I got out, saw the athletes, and decided to head home and the time I tried to start the car. I turned it off, figuring I'd try again; the dash lights came on, the radio and A/C were on, but the car wouldn't start. I was getting desperate at this point but decided I'd give it another try; two more times like this elapsed, and finally I was able to start it, though it stuttered for what seemed a small eternity before it finally kicked in. The high school is only a couple-three blocks from my house, so it wouldn't have been the end of the world; I could have walked home safely, and I'm glad this happened a few blocks from the house and not in Mt. Vernon, where I would have been screwed x at least 100. So I put the charger back on once I got home and will check on things in an hour or two.

If I can just nurse the current battery until I drop it at the dealership on Monday morning, I will be happy. Scratch that: I will feel as if this is a personal triumph and now I can die happy.

I have accomplished v. little this week and feel drained, although I have absolutely no business feeling this way.

[EDIT: Car now refuses to start. This fucking blows.]

Comments

[tara]

Fingers crossed that when you try tomorrow it's working again :(

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

It did work, in the sense that it started and got me to work, but the drive to work is only 10-15 minutes at the outside and that's not long enough to get the battery charged, so by halfway through my shift, there was enough power to get the dash lights going but not to start the engine. I wound up having to call a wrecker to come out and jump me, and now the car is charging in my driveway. It did start this morning when I checked.

Now all I have to worry about is getting it started so we can go to the shop and get the battery replaced tomorrow *g*

[tara]

Ugh, that sounds like such a damn pest :( My mother's car is dead in the driveway ATM because it hasn't been driven in months, but hopefully that'll just need a jump rather than a new battery.

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

'Twas. D: I finally got the battery replaced yesterday morning, though, so YAY. Hopefully I won't have to go through this again for another 3-4 years. @_@ I would not recommend the ordeal of the past week to anyone and hope it's much easier to get your mum's car started. *g*

[tara]

Well, if it doesn't work, we'll just get them to put a new battery in. Our roadside assist club comes bearing batteries!

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

YAY ROADSIDE ASSIST! I really need to buy myself an AAA membership--I let the old one lapse years ago. It would be worth it for times like these.

[tara]

When you have an 18yo car like Pietro AND have a habit for leaving your lights on, it's something one just has to build into yearly expenses ;)