Ok, here's another lesson I learnt about batteries and jump start cable. Remember I told you that I'd safe the drama for next time,... ok, I will reveal the drama.
It happened on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. I was all ready to go 1 Utama with mom and sister. I drove all the way to sister's place, only to learnt that she had gone to mom's as she had a haircut nearby mom's place. That was bummer #1 for the day. Positive me thinks that "That's fine... Mom's house is just nearby. Besides, I have to pick up my sister anyway." Bummer #2 was when I reached mom's place and found that she can't leave immeadiately, as she can't leave my niece at home alone. So we had to wait for our brother's return. Sister couldn't wait as she had to pick up her daughter from classes and so she reluctantly (and grumpily) volunteered out from our Saturday Shopping plans. (Bummer #3)
Just minutes after she left, brother came home and we thought we're back to business! We jumped into my car excitedly and were already making plans in our head on how to meet up with my sister for dinner later. Then bummer #4, a ghastly, terrible sound streamed into our ears-the sound of silence! When I turned the key, the beautiful sound reving of engine was replaced with total silence....Between "Oh-oh..." and "why didn't I top-up water sooner?!" thoughts, I tried to strategise on what I can do to salvage the beautiful Saturday afternoon.
There's a bottle of battery water in my car. I thought perhaps I could fill the battery with water, and ask someone to jumpstart my car, and then I could still drive to 1 Utama. I thought by the time I drive around, the battery would have recharged itself. So I called the nearest friend I could find, and lady luck was smiling at me (or so I thought), he had a jumpstart cable! And reluctantly, he came to my rescue.
"Wei, need your help. Could you help me, please?"
"What is it? If it's about borrowing money, forget it!"
"Ha, ha. No, it's just my car. I need someone to jumpstart!"
"Phew! I was a bit worried there. Anyhow, I am sick wor."
"I treat you to drinks when you are much better?"
"Ok lar, I'll be there in a minute. Will call you for directions when I am out."
Hmmm.... talk about the value of friendship, huh? (which usually need to be "bought" nowadays! But I give him the credit that he did come despite being genuinely sick and I have yet to buy him the drinks due to his busy schedule...)
Anyway, the drama continues. He came with his cable and we tried to start the car. Eh? Still the
sound of silence? How come? Made another call to B who faced the same situation and he said, "You have to wait 10 minutes to let the other car charge your flat battery." Waited for 10 minutes and Chevy still wont start (bummer #5 or was it #6... Too many bummers...I lost count...) . But the sound changed from silence to the sound of "relay clicking". (That's the picture of a relay on the right). Ok, improvement or so we thought. Let's wait another 10 minutes. He continued to run his engine with jumpstart cables connected to my Chevy Baby, hoping to revive Chevy Baby any minute now.
15 minutes passed. We tried again.
"Click - Click"
"Click - Click"
20 minutes passed. Still more Click-Click sound and that sound definitely does not sound close to the beautiful reving sound of a started engine.
Ok, I give up. Called mechanic uncle to bring batteries for a change. Didn't want to disturb him at first as he already got off work, but we didn't have a choice now. So my kind uncle returned back to his workshop (which is around 20km away from his home!) to find a battery for me. When he finally reached, like 20 minutes later, I felt like an injured person, seeing the arrival of paramedics. He took one look at what we're doing and laughed!
"This thin cables wont work!"
He took out the new battery and his cable. That cable's width was twice or tripple the size of the one we're currently using. Ok, lesson #1. we've learnt that to jumpstart we need thick cables. So dont waste money on thin cables.
Then another bummer. The batteries he brought is not meant for my car. Chevy is a little special, with the polars of the batteries in the opposite directions. Hmm ... I still want to go out for dinner as I don't have dinner at home and still need a car to drive home! Think think think!!!
And we came up with the darndest idea! Uncle would lend me his cables, and the new battery. So in case my car went dead, I would have to carry the battery (boy, I just found out how heavy it was that day!) from the boot to the front, attach the jumpstart cables to get it started! It was pretty manual but I still like the idea since I still get to eat dinner and drive home later!
It was a pretty good dinner at Cagayan (Centrepoint) with sister's family, mom and even cousin joining me, all laughing our heads off at my silly predicament! (Special note: Hey Cousin, next time, you needn't go out to buy a blouse just to have dinner with me, ok!) After dinner, the dreaded part of trying to restart the car came. My battery was totally out, as even though I had drove around for almost an hour, the batteries were not charged at all! We had to do the "manual jumpstart" at the car park. Luckily my brother in law was there to carry the battery in and out of the boot.
However, we didn't go home after dinner but adjourned to my sister's place for further chit-cha
t and gossips err.. catch up. And when it was time for me to go home, my brother in law had to help me with the batteries again.
Funny enough, the next morning, around 10, the car could start perfectly. So maybe batteries need some "cooling off period" to get the charges going. I don't know and hopefully, I won't have to learn it the hard way again....because uncle manage to find a "maintenance free" battery for me and changed it immediately.
Now, how would I know when to change a maintenance free battery? When my car goes dead again? Another lesson to be learnt some other time.. :)
It happened on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. I was all ready to go 1 Utama with mom and sister. I drove all the way to sister's place, only to learnt that she had gone to mom's as she had a haircut nearby mom's place. That was bummer #1 for the day. Positive me thinks that "That's fine... Mom's house is just nearby. Besides, I have to pick up my sister anyway." Bummer #2 was when I reached mom's place and found that she can't leave immeadiately, as she can't leave my niece at home alone. So we had to wait for our brother's return. Sister couldn't wait as she had to pick up her daughter from classes and so she reluctantly (and grumpily) volunteered out from our Saturday Shopping plans. (Bummer #3)
Just minutes after she left, brother came home and we thought we're back to business! We jumped into my car excitedly and were already making plans in our head on how to meet up with my sister for dinner later. Then bummer #4, a ghastly, terrible sound streamed into our ears-the sound of silence! When I turned the key, the beautiful sound reving of engine was replaced with total silence....Between "Oh-oh..." and "why didn't I top-up water sooner?!" thoughts, I tried to strategise on what I can do to salvage the beautiful Saturday afternoon.
There's a bottle of battery water in my car. I thought perhaps I could fill the battery with water, and ask someone to jumpstart my car, and then I could still drive to 1 Utama. I thought by the time I drive around, the battery would have recharged itself. So I called the nearest friend I could find, and lady luck was smiling at me (or so I thought), he had a jumpstart cable! And reluctantly, he came to my rescue."Wei, need your help. Could you help me, please?"
"What is it? If it's about borrowing money, forget it!"
"Ha, ha. No, it's just my car. I need someone to jumpstart!"
"Phew! I was a bit worried there. Anyhow, I am sick wor."
"I treat you to drinks when you are much better?"
"Ok lar, I'll be there in a minute. Will call you for directions when I am out."
Hmmm.... talk about the value of friendship, huh? (which usually need to be "bought" nowadays! But I give him the credit that he did come despite being genuinely sick and I have yet to buy him the drinks due to his busy schedule...)
Anyway, the drama continues. He came with his cable and we tried to start the car. Eh? Still the
sound of silence? How come? Made another call to B who faced the same situation and he said, "You have to wait 10 minutes to let the other car charge your flat battery." Waited for 10 minutes and Chevy still wont start (bummer #5 or was it #6... Too many bummers...I lost count...) . But the sound changed from silence to the sound of "relay clicking". (That's the picture of a relay on the right). Ok, improvement or so we thought. Let's wait another 10 minutes. He continued to run his engine with jumpstart cables connected to my Chevy Baby, hoping to revive Chevy Baby any minute now.15 minutes passed. We tried again.
"Click - Click"
"Click - Click"
20 minutes passed. Still more Click-Click sound and that sound definitely does not sound close to the beautiful reving sound of a started engine.
Ok, I give up. Called mechanic uncle to bring batteries for a change. Didn't want to disturb him at first as he already got off work, but we didn't have a choice now. So my kind uncle returned back to his workshop (which is around 20km away from his home!) to find a battery for me. When he finally reached, like 20 minutes later, I felt like an injured person, seeing the arrival of paramedics. He took one look at what we're doing and laughed!
"This thin cables wont work!"
He took out the new battery and his cable. That cable's width was twice or tripple the size of the one we're currently using. Ok, lesson #1. we've learnt that to jumpstart we need thick cables. So dont waste money on thin cables.Then another bummer. The batteries he brought is not meant for my car. Chevy is a little special, with the polars of the batteries in the opposite directions. Hmm ... I still want to go out for dinner as I don't have dinner at home and still need a car to drive home! Think think think!!!
And we came up with the darndest idea! Uncle would lend me his cables, and the new battery. So in case my car went dead, I would have to carry the battery (boy, I just found out how heavy it was that day!) from the boot to the front, attach the jumpstart cables to get it started! It was pretty manual but I still like the idea since I still get to eat dinner and drive home later!
It was a pretty good dinner at Cagayan (Centrepoint) with sister's family, mom and even cousin joining me, all laughing our heads off at my silly predicament! (Special note: Hey Cousin, next time, you needn't go out to buy a blouse just to have dinner with me, ok!) After dinner, the dreaded part of trying to restart the car came. My battery was totally out, as even though I had drove around for almost an hour, the batteries were not charged at all! We had to do the "manual jumpstart" at the car park. Luckily my brother in law was there to carry the battery in and out of the boot.
However, we didn't go home after dinner but adjourned to my sister's place for further chit-cha
t and gossips err.. catch up. And when it was time for me to go home, my brother in law had to help me with the batteries again.Funny enough, the next morning, around 10, the car could start perfectly. So maybe batteries need some "cooling off period" to get the charges going. I don't know and hopefully, I won't have to learn it the hard way again....because uncle manage to find a "maintenance free" battery for me and changed it immediately.
Now, how would I know when to change a maintenance free battery? When my car goes dead again? Another lesson to be learnt some other time.. :)
