Batteries Are the Most Dramatic Object
Since I bought Stella in 2009 I have had occasion to take her into a service shop. Sometimes these occasions were not her fault. My brakes rusting can be blamed on the salted VT roads. Her new spark plugs were because a mouse ate the other ones. Sometimes it was because of general wear and tear. I've been pretty hard on Stella, driving her across the country several times since purchasing her, and I've put a lot of miles on her. This causes parts to get sad and need fixing.
Stella however, has always started. No matter what was wrong I could still drive her. Last winter when we had two solid weeks of temperatures that refused to go higher than 0 degrees Fahrenheit, she started each morning like a trooper. Thus, I have always thought of her as a good little car.
The day after I got back to VT I put the key in the ignition and turned it and... click....nothing. It took me a few attempts to start her up. So I decided I would mention that to the people at the dealership since I was taking her there anyway. After all, she had been sitting in a driveway without being driven for about six weeks.
Well, the dealership said they'd test the battery, but they told me the voltage was up. The girl said, "but if it keeps doing it, you might want to get a new battery." This response sort of irritated me because I didn't want to get a battery once I was stranded somewhere, I wanted to get a battery while this one had life left in it to take me to a place to purchase a battery.
Well, after one freezing cold Saturday night it took me 15 minutes to start her up for church Sunday morning. As I drove to church I thought I might need a jump to get home, and then Monday it would be time to call AAA and get a new battery. Stella however, did not agree with this plan.
After a good hour of trying to get her started after church I had to accept that it wasn't happening. It is such a disheartening feeling to leave your car parked somewhere and go home without it. I thought about her all Sunday afternoon and evening. Since I bought her in May 2009 Stella has never not started. Never given up the ghost. I turned over horrifying thoughts about her in my mind all Sunday. What if it wasn't just the battery? What if it took days/weeks to fix? What if it would be cheaper for me to just buy another car? What if, what if, what if...
Fortunately, I towed her to a shop on Monday, they put in a new battery and she drove me home beautifully. She may be ten years old and have some troubles, but I'm not ready to give the old girl up just yet. She is my first car after all. I hope she never just not starts on me ever again.
Stella however, has always started. No matter what was wrong I could still drive her. Last winter when we had two solid weeks of temperatures that refused to go higher than 0 degrees Fahrenheit, she started each morning like a trooper. Thus, I have always thought of her as a good little car.
The day after I got back to VT I put the key in the ignition and turned it and... click....nothing. It took me a few attempts to start her up. So I decided I would mention that to the people at the dealership since I was taking her there anyway. After all, she had been sitting in a driveway without being driven for about six weeks.
Well, the dealership said they'd test the battery, but they told me the voltage was up. The girl said, "but if it keeps doing it, you might want to get a new battery." This response sort of irritated me because I didn't want to get a battery once I was stranded somewhere, I wanted to get a battery while this one had life left in it to take me to a place to purchase a battery.
Well, after one freezing cold Saturday night it took me 15 minutes to start her up for church Sunday morning. As I drove to church I thought I might need a jump to get home, and then Monday it would be time to call AAA and get a new battery. Stella however, did not agree with this plan.
After a good hour of trying to get her started after church I had to accept that it wasn't happening. It is such a disheartening feeling to leave your car parked somewhere and go home without it. I thought about her all Sunday afternoon and evening. Since I bought her in May 2009 Stella has never not started. Never given up the ghost. I turned over horrifying thoughts about her in my mind all Sunday. What if it wasn't just the battery? What if it took days/weeks to fix? What if it would be cheaper for me to just buy another car? What if, what if, what if...
Fortunately, I towed her to a shop on Monday, they put in a new battery and she drove me home beautifully. She may be ten years old and have some troubles, but I'm not ready to give the old girl up just yet. She is my first car after all. I hope she never just not starts on me ever again.
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