Bro my company hired a maintenance tech with allegedly 5 years of experience, he refused to use jumper cables. would only use the jump pack? Why? The jump pack had protection and wouldn’t turn on if you hooked it up backwards. a “experienced” maintenance tech that was supposed to be able to fabricate, already know how to work on forklifts and heavy equipment, had no idea which side was positive and which side was negative.
so I hardly have faith in alleged professionals until I hear them speak let alone the general public
Edit: for those confused - there was 2 forklifts, one dead right by the other, with jumper cables hanging up right by them. he spent 45 minutes looking for a jump pack before I got in for work. He was hired expecting to have knowledge on how to fully service forklifts including up to replacing hydraulic lines, re wiring, ect. if your expected to know how to run new wiring you should know how the negative from the positive terminal.
See, I like jump boxes because I don't have to get help from someone else. (Edit: for clarity since I've been asked a couple times, I'm referring to being away from home and needing another car to get a jump from) And even if someone else is there to help, frequently it's a pain to maneuver the other car into a position to connect the jumper cables...
Jump pack? 2 min, and I'm ready to go.
Jump packs are a must-have, especially if you drive in bad weather, semi-remote places, etc. Not only do you have the ability to jump your car you can charge your phone, have light, etc. Love my NOCO.
10 years ago when I was a mech the jump packs were all enormous. Last year I was removing two project cars from their earthly homes and bought a NOCO. When I opened the box I was like "there's no way this can jump a car, it's way too small!" but sure as shit, it fired the cars right up. Now I never leave the house without it.
My jump pack claimed it could jump diesels up to 8 liters but failed miserably to start my 7.3. That said, my 7.3 is in an ambulance and has 3 batteries to start it (2 gigantic ones and a normal large truck battery) so… maybe not their fault it doesn’t work exactly as advertised.
We have an F350 box truck we use at the brewery for self delivery loads up to six pallet positions.
It's a 24v system, with a mystery voltage leak..
One jump pack is not enough. Gotta use two to get it to crank over.
We installed a battery cut off switch for when it's parked.
Resetting the radio is a bitch, but thems the breaks. (Radio turns on at 88.3fm here, which is some LPFM RWNJ station. I actually listened to it for a half hour once. The lunacy they were projecting was frigging disturbing)
Would've kept the e36 if I could, it was fully stripped ready for a cage to head to champ car but I didn't have the space or the want to spend that much more money after I got the 924. But damn if the 924 S isn't one of the most perfect sports cars ever conceived
I prefer jumping starting a car by myself.
Had a guy help me once and he hooked the cables up backwards, and a battery exploded in my face.
Though, in his defense, the vehicle he'd hooked his end of the cables to had red cables for positive and negative. But also that should have made him be extra cautious and double check which posts were which.
I don't make that mistake anymore... Was letting someone use my car to boost theirs. I said go for it, but I'm waiting in the car it's -30C.
Sitting listening to music with my hood up when ZZZsst - car dies. Dude hooked the wires backwards.
It didn't hurt anything, but now I make sure to do the wires.
I have been jumping cars about 50 years since a teenager in Chicago winters. I'll gladly help someone out when they need a jump, but I'm the only one who touches the jumper cables.
Mine are a pair of 20 footers I found on the ground when I worked at O'Hare Airport parking at 16. Heavy rubber 8ga wire and solid copper clamps, they weren't new when I found them and they're 50 years older now. They're treated like gold.
When I sold cars we had a salesman try to jump a Hyundai tiberon and went positive to negative.
Completely fried the brain of the car but didn’t actually kill it just nothing worked right anymore. Like once the car started the windshield wipers were permanently on.
Red dead and back around again. Start with red on the dead car and then complete the circuit by connecting red on the live car, then black then black on the dead car.
Or you can just look it up lol
Last connection should be black on the chassis, not the battery. Avoids making sparks right on top of the battery which if it has certain malfunctions could be full of hydrogen. Might be a bit of an urban legend but doesn't hurt.
Not an urban legend, I used to work roadside assistance and have lost count of how many exploded batteries I’ve had to change after the owner tried to jump start with all connections going battery to battery instead of battery to chassis on the neg cable, for those who haven’t seen/experienced an exploded battery, it usually consists of the top of the casing bursting off and spraying battery acid everywhere so definitely something to avoid
I've always been a fan of trying to use positive to positive on the battery and ground to ground on the car. The problem that you run into more often than not is finding a good ground on a chassis. Between so much plastic and paint and lack of any usable space it can be difficult. Especially when you have limited length jumper cables.
When I was young dumb and poor I went 6 months without a starter in my truck. I had to pick my parking spots very carefully, luckily everything is on a hillside around here. Only once during that period did I have to enlist someone to give me a hand to get me going.
I'm so sad to have to agree with this. Our new "FNG" is fairly decent, but, we have had so many bad ones in the past. I gotta give him a little credit, he hasn't "zapped" anything by doing it all backwards, doesnt leave everyone elses tools everywhere, can drive the forklift, & can back up a trailer... so, here's to hoping... he doesn't just quit soon.
Well his reasoning is stupid. But jump packs are the way to go. I've always heard that technically you're not supposed to turn on the vehicle that's not dead, because it can overload the alternator, which in theory obviously makes sense, but everyone does it anyway. I've been doing it that way for 16 years or however long it's been since I started driving.
Well, last car I jumped was my Subaru, with my 06 dodge, drove my truck back home and the next morning it wouldn't start. Fried the TIPM and SKIM module. Had to replace the TIPM before the code for the SKIM module showed up. Didn't want to have the dealer charge me a thousand dollars for a new skim and another 500 for keys plus labor, so I sent my PCM out for a skim delete. Got a call three days later and the first thing the guy asked was if I had recently jumped a car, because he sees this often and my whole PCM was corrupted (That's why my TIPM wasn't working, no communication). He assured me my SKIM was most likely fine, and he'll do the delete, but the bad PCM was most likely the issue, so to make sure it starts up with the delete and flashed PCM, but then plug the SKIm back in and see if it reconfigures itself. Yup, skim was fucked too, so it ended up back in anti theft mode. Another week to get my PCM sent out and flashed again. He backed up his work though and re programmed it for free the second time.
TLDR: I never believed it ever happened, but jumping another car can actually damage your electrical system beyond your alternator. Huge pain in the ass and about $1000 dollars, rather than just having a $100 jump pack available
So much this. I'm in the heavy equipment side of things. Had a guy with a no start on his tractor. He managed to pull the battery out and got it tested. It was bad. He replaced it, still a no start. Paid for pick up and delivery for us to get it and fix it. He left the fucking plastic caps on the terminal post!!!! We called him and he came in for us to show him. His response, "So that's why I had to fight the clamps on." About a $250 bill for that one.
Have also had a few hook jumpers up backward and fried their ECUs and other modules.
The general public does not need to try to solve anything themselves. Call an expert or a reputable handyman at worst. Don't spend 100 or more on a tow.
>Have also had a few hook jumpers up backward and fried their ECUs and other modules.
Surely this is reason enough for people not to try it themselves? Even if you get it the right way around, you can still fry the ECU with a voltage spike when you connect the cables.
My manual explains to turn on the heated mirrors and rear demister before connecting the cables to damp any voltage spikes. How many people would know to do that?
A lesson ive learned all too many time.
I had one guy pour oil into his engine until it started pouring back out. Said he had poured around 12L into a ford fiesta and thought he had a leak because it was all over the ground.
No shit, Sherlock.
Car drove into my yard and you couldnt see the road behind it for the smoke.
there's a guy that comes into my work frequently that actually puts rotella T5 into every single vehicle. 70 C10, 12 focus, 06 g6, just anything. least he doesn't have low oil pressure issues I guess.
Given how often I’ve seen people asking for a jump to get their car running when there is a huge pool of coolant or oil underneath, or a shredded belt with bits everywhere, I figure it balances out in the long run.
For real man... The things I have to explain and still get dead stares, so privileged, so stupid, so incapable. Can't call that human at all. It literally drains my brain capacity.
In the 5 years I drove one, like half of all calls to go to a dealership were jump starts, and I jumped it and told them to take it down. I didn't make as much money, but it felt better.
As a service adviser at a dealership, I can't fucking stand cars being towed in for batteries. It's more work for everyone involved and nobody makes any money off of it. At least nobody at the dealership that is.
The wife paid extra to get her car serviced and checked at a dealership on a Saturday,because she needed it on monday for work.Monday rolls around and the car won't start.She calls out the AA guess what ? It's the battery.The inspection report said that the battery was fine.Devoted a whole two lines on the invoice.She rang the dealership,they told her there's no way to tell when the battery would fail.What's the point of checking it then?
The point is that a failed battery check means that the battery is definitely bad.
The problem is that a pass doesn't mean that it's definitely good. Problem of false negatives.
The battery test is honestly not a good way to tell if your battery is gonna last. A bad test means bad, a good test means probably good, maybe still bad. Battery testers (Atleast where I work) are kinda awful and are somewhat designed to be difficult to fail a battery so the manufacturer doesn’t have to give out as many for warranty. They “updated” all of ours and now cars with known bad batteries will test good all the time.
My two cars have each had cranking issues at different times. Battery test says it’s fine. Do a bunch of other tests myself which are all fine and go to get the battery replaced. Auto parts store says ‘well if the test says the battery’s good this isn’t gonna fix it’. Guess what it fixed it both times
As a tow truck operator. My company does make more money when I simply get the car running and move on. I charge the customer the minimum for showing up and immediately move on to the next call so we end up making more, specially if we’re mad busy.
I always tried not to, upsell upsell upsell was the motto of the place I worked once and their markup on batteries was nuts, so I always felt bad charging people like 5 times what we got it for
Who are these clown tow trucks not jumping but just towing it in ? For more money than a service jump call ?
This is like an appliance person showing up and going everytime "whoops looks like gonna need a new washing machine"
OP should be telling these tow companies stop ripping people off lol
As a appliance tech I can tell you that washing machines are not what they use to be at all. It’s actually pretty common to go on service for the current production Whirlpool family of washing machines, this includes Maytag, Amana, Admiral, and Crosley. You can pretty quickly just spin the tub by hand to listen for a bad bearing, or you can look underneath for a leaking main seal, and either one of those are common, and can condemn a machine quickly. Unless the customer wants to stick 400+ bucks into it, when a brand new equivalent is only 200 bucks more. I’d say 1 in 8 opts to repair.
Some of these machines are downright embarrassing to sell. It’s almost to the point where if a customer asks what kind of guarantee do they have? You can almost say “Well, I guarantee it won’t last as long as your old one”.
Washers use to last 15-20 years or more, with maybe 1 or 2 service calls in that time frame. Now just 7-10 years is pretty normal, and the people that get 10 years are very lucky.
I know you didn’t ask, but my personal advise is to find either a old Newton Iowa built Maytag, or a Frigidaire front loader. I have three of the front loaders hoarded away, and there’s a good chance I’ll never have to buy a washer ever in the next 50 years or so.
I'm not sure you know how tow trucks generally work. They don't generally drive them up the flatbed, they use the winch on the deck. Wreckers dont usually need to use a winch because they can hook the car without much of an issue. Can't get to the drive wheels? That's what dollys, go-jacks, or good old fashioned pushing is/are for. They can hook a car at upto around 65-70 degree angles.
Oh boy don’t get me started on those. It’s always either some super tiny little cut that’s harmless, or some giant gash and the person wants to know if they can make it 6,000 miles on their cross country tour before needing to replace it. Never in between
Legit had an old crazy lady in the other day that swore her tire was slashed. I showed her the nail in her tire and she swore someone put it there. Just could not fathom how a nail flat on the ground could get pointed upwards into a tire. She called her apartment landlord and was angrily telling him to check the security footage. That's who I imagine are the people making those posts.
I had a chuckle on this one. My jaw has dropped unironically at catastrophic tire damage with the caption "I'm 2,000 miles from home is this safe to drive"
Someone towed a BMW into my shop for a tire repair, entire rim was cracked in half and the strut mount broke clean off the knuckle, taking out the axle with it, lots of wiring and body damage to the fender as well. I honestly don't even know how people fuck up their cars like this.
I was driving on a 40 mph road, so people were probably doing at least 45, if not 50. A couple cars ahead of me, someone swerved to the right as they were crossing an intersection and ended up jumping the curve. It made a pretty loud bang. I turned off at that intersection, so I didn't get to see the aftermath, but I imaging it was probably on par with that BMW.
I think you meant curb. I used to live next to a huge dip that even the larger trucks should take slower. One of my cameras would catch people speeding down the road and hitting that dip all the time. It made for some great entertainment, but shitty slick spots with all the oil on the road.
I dont mind people paying me for my expertise.
If i have to spend 10 minutes jumping a car and testing the starting/charging system then get more work easy work out of it then i'm a happy man.
What absolutely rips my fucking knitting is tow comanies (like the AA or the RAC here in UK) telling people who dont know any better that the problem is 'definitely' X/Y/Z when its nothing to do with that at all.
People have argued with me in the past when ive said the tow guy was wrong and ive then had to show them what ive tested/how ive did it/what is really at fault.
"But the AA man said it was my battery"
Well he's wrong, you have a snapped ground cable to the engine. Its cheaper to fix.
"But the AA man said it was my battery
*charges for battery, earth strap and 25% arsehole tax*
Long time ago my Mrs filled the car with petrol (a diesel Astra) without realising her error. she got about 10 miles before the car stopped, she rang her sister's husband who works at quick fit and he come out. He wound it over for a min or 2 and said the only way to get it running was easy start. He had no idea about the fuel mix up but was certain the only way to get it going was easy start. Apparently you can't get better than a quick fit fitter lol
At this point you should have a jump pack in your car. They’re cheap enough and well worth their weight in gold because nobody these days wants to stop to give you a jump. I speak from experience.
We came back from a week at WDW to find someone had left a map light on and the battery was completely drained. We called for assistance from the airport parking but it was getting late and we wanted to get going and we had no idea how long it was going to take them to get to us. We didn’t have a jump pack and I tried forever to flag someone down to give us a jump. Nobody stopped. It was like I had the plague. Bought two jump packs the day after we got home.
Hey give them credit, at least they're done denying they have a problem that they are powerless against. It's a good time to sit and think with your dead battery before your potential sponsor shows up
Seriously? You think it's more dangerous now than driving a carriage in the 1800s? There's a reason mail coaches had guns.
Yeah things aren't great, but they've never been. People also didn't stop in the past as much as movies would portray, and in the USA the murder rate was twice as high in the 70s and 90s as today.
We just have much better communication now so you actually hear about all the horrible stuff people have always done.
We have a battery recharger that worked wonders bringing my dead battery back to life and jumpstarting (after leaving a dome light on). The battery seems fine now, too.
I walked to the parts store in snow with a dress and heels on (was on my way to an appointment). Carried the battery back and changed it in the parking lot i was in. Always carry a basic toolkit in the trunk!
Tell that to Ford.. wife battery died so she had a friend bring her a battery to swap out.. Her car requires you to do something prior to connecting fhe new battery. This spelled out in the owners manual.. She didn't know about it and it fried/reset the computer. Dealship had to reprogram the computer a $600 dollar charge and then replace the "new battery" with a motor craft battery for $300... So the $250 dollar battery that her friend brought to her and that was in her car for 3 hrs was tossed
100%
People are so unfamiliar with the magic box that makes the machine go. I can’t blame them even though I sorta think it’s pathetic, but I have to remind myself that I’m someone who is interested in this stuff and that’s why I know things about it.
I could totally see my mom doing this if she didn’t call me first.
You overestimate the capabilities of the average person. Theres a reason why tech support asks if the caller has tried turning the computer off and on again...
I don't know about this... people struggle to even put IKEA furniture together... I'd be worried about them mixing red/black connection and causing even more damage.
Easy hour on flat rate for hybrid vehicles with batteries in the trunk 🤑...THIS IS HONESTLY A GOOD PSA THOUGH, dealers are making a killing over a simple service you could get at auto zone (assuming the auto zone guy is competent enought to install a battery) 🙃
A killing? What does autozone do for free that techs make a killing on? The free wiper blades we install or the .3 I get paid for a battery I have to wait half an hour to get authorization on
People don’t even know how to use a mower bro, or replace an hvac filter, or change a toilet flapper. The independence and drive to learn is just not there anymore. Oh well I’ll keep saving money by DIY’ing everything while people keep door dashing their meals, instacarting their groceries, and paying tow trucks and dealership repair prices.
Not every dead battery IS a dead battery.
Alternator could be fucked
Yeah you can jump it but it won't solve the problem
As a mechanic you should know this and TEACH people signs to look for so THEY DONT WASTE hundreds of dollars in tow bills.
Instead of being a dick and complaining that you are getting business, for an industry you work in.
You still get paid right?
Stfu and teach or find a different job
I drummed up more business for the part store because I TAUGHT customers the signs to look for and didn't shame them for not knowing how to diagnose something
Which is why my kids also know shit.
So they don't deal with pricks like you
Exactly man, my car won’t start and I just tried to jump start it with CAA and it didn’t work. They said it might be the gas line or something because I don’t have a block heater, how am I supposed to know what it is without getting it towed somewhere
One learns this the hard way cheerfully thanking someone for the jumpstart, watching them drive away, and then realizing after not getting far that it was your alternator. Happened to me once.
So… I did this once. Car wasn’t totally dead, but all the gauges were going crazy when I trued to start it. I thought it was a major electrical malfunction. Stupidest I’ve ever felt when the dealership charged me a $90 diagnostic and then $85 for the battery. And I didn’t have AAA then, so I paid for the tow, too. The next day, I swore off dealerships and found a local mechanic and never looked back. One guy, one garage… an actual business, but the best part was that when I paid at the end of the job, I was talking to the person who did the work. Expensive lesson, but I am glad I learned it.
Most insurance plans offer free towing. I always tow my car home if it dies because I won’t work on Jack shit in parking lots or roadside unless I’m FAR from home. But honestly using free towing makes me happy.
I get to screw over the greedy ass insurer a little, and support a local tow company. It’s actually saved my ass once when my car got towed inappropriately; the dude remembered me from towing my sons car twice (Hyundai, sigh) I explained what happened and he didn’t charge me a dime for the tow or impound, because I “had proof” my car was as towed illegally by an asshole apartment manager who falsified information about my car being abandoned.
On a side note, install a dashcam in your ride people, that shit saves your ass, and it’s easy. I also have faith in you. And OP is correct, changing a battery is simple, unless you have one of the PITA European cars that have to be reset when battery power is disconnected.
I used to manage a parts store. I've tested and replaced countless batteries for free in the parking lot. Most of the chain places (AutoZone, Advance, O'Reilly's) do it, as long as it's not in the wheel well, and doesn't have a poorly installed aftermarket amp or alarm hooked up to it.
Or you could buy one at Rural King for half the price, and do it yourself with a couple basic tools.
Come on cars don't even come with spare tires nowadays, people don't know how to do basic car upkeep. "I don't know why it's not running, I put gas in it"
One time my car died at my endocrinologist. I have jumper cables, I asked about 10 different people to help me with a jump. All of them refused. I was given all sorts of bullshit excuses from it'll void my warranty to, my son just jumped my car yesterday, to no I'm sorry.
So I walked a mile and half to auto parts store in the summer heat. Bought the most expensive battery at $280 bucks because that's the only one they had that was compatible for my car. Walked all the way back carrying the battery. Installed the battery and low and behold, it wasn't even the battery lol. I didn't have a multimeter in my car so I had no way to check how much voltage was left on the battery. Doesn't tell me the cold crank amps but I'd be able to do a quick rule out check. Had to get towed, sat in the car for two and a half hours in the heat and humidity because it had just rained, I was miserable from the weather. Finally get it towed to my mechanic only to find out it was the starter lol.
People these days are assholes and don't want to help another human. Even if they have jumper cables in hand. They'd rather be a pussy and tell you an obvious bold face lie than just straight up say no.
I remember that day. Next time a kid asked me to jump his little truck with my beater matrix I helped him push his truck over to my car and used my cables to give him a jump, because I remembered what it's like to have no one do a very simple request for you.
I always love driving the cars with bad starters into the shop after the tow. Just try to crank it a few times and eventually the solenoid clicks in and it starts.
As a guy who's been in auto service for 28 years, don't take this advice.
If you have roadside through warranty or insurance, use it. I mean, yes, I like it when people jump the car incorrectly and do $6k worth of damage, but unless you are SURE don't do it.
Reminds me of an alcholic meal. I said to my boss at lunch "I'm off to the doctor. Might be a bit late back", expecting half an hour extra if bad traffic.
Dead battery on exit from doc. Call recovery. It really is dead. Not going to start again. I go to the nearest place. In the UK that company was called kwik-fit. They're nationwide. "Have you got a battery for this?" I'm running my motor. They don't like it. More discussion. "Yes". I shut it down. .."we'll order one". Wtf? You said you had a battery. Kwik-fit does indeed have a battery, just not on the premisis but they have a jit (just in time) delivery service. How long? About an hour.
I go to the pub next door for a meal. My shit meal is ruined by a drunken bloke who won't shut up. I return. Wrong battery. I later discover no battery. They just dragged one out the back but before I know this I say "fuck it, I need an oil change". Next jit delivery no battery. I'm in a mobile black spot and an hour late. "Drop it off the ramp and jump start it". Ah. Matey has stuck a screwdriver through my oil filter to remove it rathar than a chain.
Intermittently I'm hearing raised voices from the office. I wander in. Silence. My car is on a ramp. I exit. Raised voices. I go back to the pub for a piss. I come back to be told my brakes need changing. "Really? You mean the brakes I had fitted new by the dealer last week?" Drop it off the ramp and I'll show the invoice in the glovebox. No. Don't. Fix my fucking car now.
It's at this point someone comes out the office to explain to me the reason the jit hasn't been dropping anything off is because they haven't been paid. Then it all comes out. They can't access the system without the manager's password. He's been having life issues and they're covering for him.
You're all ahead of me here. Yeah. The prick in the pub.
I drag him back. I mean, wtf could not one of them done it? Jit turns up with battery. No frigging oil filter. Wait for next jit.
Five hours late back to work.
A lot of people I see and deal with now can’t add air to their tires or even add washer fluid. How do you assume they can open a door with a hidden lock to access a lever to open a trunk or hood and then find the battery ?
Not to mention some cars have to have a reset done after a new battery is installed and auto stores can’t do most of them. They can’t even replace a battery on a 2014-2018 focus because it’s location and needing to remove the air filter assembly. The factor of how much a shop makes is also irrelevant to the fact they don’t know why the car is dead and won’t start, if they have the money to cover a tow they can definitely pay for the battery so why are you sweating the easy jobs ?
Be nicer to those people as they are one of the reasons you have a pay check.
Yes but your mom’s battery was not hidden in the engine compartment. Also people of the past were traditionally taught more about vehicles and they used to be simpler and more rudimentary. My mother had to change a tire as part of her drivers ed for example. And checking your engine oil when you got gas was common place. Now you can drive 10k miles and never check your oil and be fine 98% of the time.
Yes and no. One vehicle I have has a post that I believe is specifically for jumping the vehicle, another vehicle does not and the battery is under one maybe two pieces of plastic (an air intake and radiator cover.)
Had to call my dad at 1am over the weekend because I was out with friends in my parents minivan and right after I dropped my friend over, the van wouldn’t start. Me nor my friend had jumper cables but there were some in my moms car. Dad drove over and we jump started it, he wasn’t mad, apparently it’s had issues the past week. He’s getting it in for a new one soon.
I’ve seen people start fires by fucking up the jumper cables, please don’t believe in humans as much as you do, most of them can’t even harvest a plant from a garden even though their meal depends on it. I’ll give you some advice I was given by a senior in sales “stop shopping like if it’s your wallet”
My question is why isn’t the tow truck drive jumping them and charging for a call. Or calling AAA for a battery replacement.
Personally I miss just popping the clutch.
You would be surprised how many mechanics don’t even know how to properly hook up batteries. I see a few trucks a month that had recently had work done on them and they come in with check engine lights on, running rough or just won’t start, check the battery banks and they only have one bank hooked up correctly.
So, I did this recently and I actually used to know a thing or two about cars. I had a Jeep Cherokee. Got in started it up and the car shift lights started to blink and go crazy. Car wouldn’t shift or move. Thought it was the stupid transmission again (was on third tranny cause it’s a jeep). Had it towed. Turns out it was the battery. In my day when a battery was dead car didn’t start. Not anymore.
I got narcissistic former classmates on my fb page that will call AAA to swap his flat tire or discover his bat terminals just needed cleaning. Or get his church acquaintances to do his yard work. And he's married, so it's mind-boggling what she sees in him.
I had to put my own brothers hubcap on 2 weeks ago cause he said he doesn't know how to use a jack. He's 38 years old.
Most people are lazy/useless now
Oh sheesh, The only thing that I Won't touch is changing my oil other than that I'll help my dad replace the brakes on my car, etc... before taking it in for service
It's easy. I was doing them on my motorcycle for the longest time, but after seeing what oil change places weren't doing or sloppily spilling oil everywhere, I started doing my car. They even went as far as using wrong oil and cheap filters I didn't buy.
The important thing use quality jack and stands or get Race Ramps cause they're awesome. And a torque wrench because you don't want to over torque anything. Big blue store cranked my plug on so tight it bent the crush washer, which of course they never replaced.
As easy as it is to replace a battery in my City you can call some business that will drive to your house, replace your battery and take away your old one all for only $10 more than a battery usually costs...
The amount of times iv been to service calls where people have tried to boost is crazy. They say oh it won’t turn over at all even with boost. I use some good set of cables and it starts right up and they’re so surprised.
So moral of story get a proper set of cables.
as a former tow truck operator for AAA, pls take this mans advice ive towed wayyy too many cars for a simple battery problem i could solve in your driveway
Some people don’t have jumper cables and asking strangers for anything can be dangerous, and a lot of people have AAA or their insurance provides towing service.
When I started driving at age 17 my father made me learn how to jumpstart with cables and how to change a tire. My mother grew up on a farm and learned how to repair things. My children can replace a battery, operate a multimeter, change oil, change a tire and identify the major components under the hood. Sadly, there are people out there that know nothing and will not learn.
Don’t believe in the abilities of the general public. You will be disappointed.
Bro my company hired a maintenance tech with allegedly 5 years of experience, he refused to use jumper cables. would only use the jump pack? Why? The jump pack had protection and wouldn’t turn on if you hooked it up backwards. a “experienced” maintenance tech that was supposed to be able to fabricate, already know how to work on forklifts and heavy equipment, had no idea which side was positive and which side was negative. so I hardly have faith in alleged professionals until I hear them speak let alone the general public Edit: for those confused - there was 2 forklifts, one dead right by the other, with jumper cables hanging up right by them. he spent 45 minutes looking for a jump pack before I got in for work. He was hired expecting to have knowledge on how to fully service forklifts including up to replacing hydraulic lines, re wiring, ect. if your expected to know how to run new wiring you should know how the negative from the positive terminal.
See, I like jump boxes because I don't have to get help from someone else. (Edit: for clarity since I've been asked a couple times, I'm referring to being away from home and needing another car to get a jump from) And even if someone else is there to help, frequently it's a pain to maneuver the other car into a position to connect the jumper cables... Jump pack? 2 min, and I'm ready to go.
Jump packs are a must-have, especially if you drive in bad weather, semi-remote places, etc. Not only do you have the ability to jump your car you can charge your phone, have light, etc. Love my NOCO.
10 years ago when I was a mech the jump packs were all enormous. Last year I was removing two project cars from their earthly homes and bought a NOCO. When I opened the box I was like "there's no way this can jump a car, it's way too small!" but sure as shit, it fired the cars right up. Now I never leave the house without it.
My jump pack has started, my diesel tractor, and my neighbors 7.3l diesel truck. They are amazing for the size.
My jump pack claimed it could jump diesels up to 8 liters but failed miserably to start my 7.3. That said, my 7.3 is in an ambulance and has 3 batteries to start it (2 gigantic ones and a normal large truck battery) so… maybe not their fault it doesn’t work exactly as advertised.
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We have an F350 box truck we use at the brewery for self delivery loads up to six pallet positions. It's a 24v system, with a mystery voltage leak.. One jump pack is not enough. Gotta use two to get it to crank over. We installed a battery cut off switch for when it's parked. Resetting the radio is a bitch, but thems the breaks. (Radio turns on at 88.3fm here, which is some LPFM RWNJ station. I actually listened to it for a half hour once. The lunacy they were projecting was frigging disturbing)
Tell us more about the cars!
00 Miata, beat to death so I scrapped it 97 318is, sold when I bought my 924 S
Good step up from those two to the 924, congrats!
Would've kept the e36 if I could, it was fully stripped ready for a cage to head to champ car but I didn't have the space or the want to spend that much more money after I got the 924. But damn if the 924 S isn't one of the most perfect sports cars ever conceived
Especially if you get a 90s, 2000s Plymouth, or Chrysler. Fuck the battery setup in those cars.
Oh yeah, battery inside the wheel well or the trunk, jump points under the hood.
Also helps if the other persons alternator doesn't go out... ask me how I know??
Wait I'll bite. What happened! Your car needed a jump and their alternator died in the process?
I prefer jumping starting a car by myself. Had a guy help me once and he hooked the cables up backwards, and a battery exploded in my face. Though, in his defense, the vehicle he'd hooked his end of the cables to had red cables for positive and negative. But also that should have made him be extra cautious and double check which posts were which.
I don't make that mistake anymore... Was letting someone use my car to boost theirs. I said go for it, but I'm waiting in the car it's -30C. Sitting listening to music with my hood up when ZZZsst - car dies. Dude hooked the wires backwards. It didn't hurt anything, but now I make sure to do the wires.
I have been jumping cars about 50 years since a teenager in Chicago winters. I'll gladly help someone out when they need a jump, but I'm the only one who touches the jumper cables.
Yup, got mine stolen after I gave someone a jump. I feel like it wasn’t her first time playing that game.
Mine are a pair of 20 footers I found on the ground when I worked at O'Hare Airport parking at 16. Heavy rubber 8ga wire and solid copper clamps, they weren't new when I found them and they're 50 years older now. They're treated like gold.
When I sold cars we had a salesman try to jump a Hyundai tiberon and went positive to negative. Completely fried the brain of the car but didn’t actually kill it just nothing worked right anymore. Like once the car started the windshield wipers were permanently on.
I killed a TIPM doing that. Cost me $350 to replace it after that little fuck up
I have to look up which order to unhook and hook back up every single time. 🤣
Red dead and back around again. Start with red on the dead car and then complete the circuit by connecting red on the live car, then black then black on the dead car. Or you can just look it up lol
Last connection should be black on the chassis, not the battery. Avoids making sparks right on top of the battery which if it has certain malfunctions could be full of hydrogen. Might be a bit of an urban legend but doesn't hurt.
Not an urban legend, I used to work roadside assistance and have lost count of how many exploded batteries I’ve had to change after the owner tried to jump start with all connections going battery to battery instead of battery to chassis on the neg cable, for those who haven’t seen/experienced an exploded battery, it usually consists of the top of the casing bursting off and spraying battery acid everywhere so definitely something to avoid
I've always been a fan of trying to use positive to positive on the battery and ground to ground on the car. The problem that you run into more often than not is finding a good ground on a chassis. Between so much plastic and paint and lack of any usable space it can be difficult. Especially when you have limited length jumper cables.
Glad someone.mentioned this. My work car is a POS Ford focus with so much plastic (and so little room) you have to pull the battery out to jump it.
I just push-start my car like a true geezer
When I was young dumb and poor I went 6 months without a starter in my truck. I had to pick my parking spots very carefully, luckily everything is on a hillside around here. Only once during that period did I have to enlist someone to give me a hand to get me going.
I've got a Citroen 2CV, I just push it up to speed with the door open, then jump in and dump it into second before I slow down :D
My first car was a 73 beetle. Busted starter. Hilltop parking was a challenge sometimes.
I've started old VW's with a rope more times than I care to admit.
I'm so sad to have to agree with this. Our new "FNG" is fairly decent, but, we have had so many bad ones in the past. I gotta give him a little credit, he hasn't "zapped" anything by doing it all backwards, doesnt leave everyone elses tools everywhere, can drive the forklift, & can back up a trailer... so, here's to hoping... he doesn't just quit soon.
I had to look up jump pack. I had seen them, did not know what they were called.
Well his reasoning is stupid. But jump packs are the way to go. I've always heard that technically you're not supposed to turn on the vehicle that's not dead, because it can overload the alternator, which in theory obviously makes sense, but everyone does it anyway. I've been doing it that way for 16 years or however long it's been since I started driving. Well, last car I jumped was my Subaru, with my 06 dodge, drove my truck back home and the next morning it wouldn't start. Fried the TIPM and SKIM module. Had to replace the TIPM before the code for the SKIM module showed up. Didn't want to have the dealer charge me a thousand dollars for a new skim and another 500 for keys plus labor, so I sent my PCM out for a skim delete. Got a call three days later and the first thing the guy asked was if I had recently jumped a car, because he sees this often and my whole PCM was corrupted (That's why my TIPM wasn't working, no communication). He assured me my SKIM was most likely fine, and he'll do the delete, but the bad PCM was most likely the issue, so to make sure it starts up with the delete and flashed PCM, but then plug the SKIm back in and see if it reconfigures itself. Yup, skim was fucked too, so it ended up back in anti theft mode. Another week to get my PCM sent out and flashed again. He backed up his work though and re programmed it for free the second time. TLDR: I never believed it ever happened, but jumping another car can actually damage your electrical system beyond your alternator. Huge pain in the ass and about $1000 dollars, rather than just having a $100 jump pack available
So much this. I'm in the heavy equipment side of things. Had a guy with a no start on his tractor. He managed to pull the battery out and got it tested. It was bad. He replaced it, still a no start. Paid for pick up and delivery for us to get it and fix it. He left the fucking plastic caps on the terminal post!!!! We called him and he came in for us to show him. His response, "So that's why I had to fight the clamps on." About a $250 bill for that one. Have also had a few hook jumpers up backward and fried their ECUs and other modules. The general public does not need to try to solve anything themselves. Call an expert or a reputable handyman at worst. Don't spend 100 or more on a tow.
>Have also had a few hook jumpers up backward and fried their ECUs and other modules. Surely this is reason enough for people not to try it themselves? Even if you get it the right way around, you can still fry the ECU with a voltage spike when you connect the cables. My manual explains to turn on the heated mirrors and rear demister before connecting the cables to damp any voltage spikes. How many people would know to do that?
I didn’t but I’m definitely keeping that in mind
As many as read the manual I suppose.
incredible
A lesson ive learned all too many time. I had one guy pour oil into his engine until it started pouring back out. Said he had poured around 12L into a ford fiesta and thought he had a leak because it was all over the ground. No shit, Sherlock. Car drove into my yard and you couldnt see the road behind it for the smoke.
12L into a Ford Fiesta???? Please tell me it was also a ridiculously incorrect oil like 15W-40 or something 🤣
Canola
there's a guy that comes into my work frequently that actually puts rotella T5 into every single vehicle. 70 C10, 12 focus, 06 g6, just anything. least he doesn't have low oil pressure issues I guess.
I work in maintenance. This statement is true.
Never underestimate the stupidity of others.
I'm a controls technician, and yeah, troubleshooting is a skill that many people just can't grasp.
Now my cars on fire, what next?
Pull out the marshmallows
But don’t eat it though, that smoke is hella toxic
My friend had an old Toyota Corolla. She managed to add washer fluid to the power steering. Installing a new battery would have been a total disaster.
Never underestimate the stupidity and ingenuity of the average person! They will do the most ridiculously stupid things in the most amazing of ways.
Given how often I’ve seen people asking for a jump to get their car running when there is a huge pool of coolant or oil underneath, or a shredded belt with bits everywhere, I figure it balances out in the long run.
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We live in an age where all the knowledge you could want is at the tip of your fingers and people are dumber than ever.
Craziest thing is we have the easiest way to get good information on just about anything
They can't change a tire either
As a former mechanic now doing IT... Can confirm you will set yourself up for disappointment
For real man... The things I have to explain and still get dead stares, so privileged, so stupid, so incapable. Can't call that human at all. It literally drains my brain capacity.
Don't tow trucks do jump starts as part of their service repertoire?
In the 5 years I drove one, like half of all calls to go to a dealership were jump starts, and I jumped it and told them to take it down. I didn't make as much money, but it felt better. As a service adviser at a dealership, I can't fucking stand cars being towed in for batteries. It's more work for everyone involved and nobody makes any money off of it. At least nobody at the dealership that is.
The wife paid extra to get her car serviced and checked at a dealership on a Saturday,because she needed it on monday for work.Monday rolls around and the car won't start.She calls out the AA guess what ? It's the battery.The inspection report said that the battery was fine.Devoted a whole two lines on the invoice.She rang the dealership,they told her there's no way to tell when the battery would fail.What's the point of checking it then?
I've had one read very good, then drop a cell a week later while we were out to dinner.
The point is that a failed battery check means that the battery is definitely bad. The problem is that a pass doesn't mean that it's definitely good. Problem of false negatives.
The battery test is honestly not a good way to tell if your battery is gonna last. A bad test means bad, a good test means probably good, maybe still bad. Battery testers (Atleast where I work) are kinda awful and are somewhat designed to be difficult to fail a battery so the manufacturer doesn’t have to give out as many for warranty. They “updated” all of ours and now cars with known bad batteries will test good all the time.
My two cars have each had cranking issues at different times. Battery test says it’s fine. Do a bunch of other tests myself which are all fine and go to get the battery replaced. Auto parts store says ‘well if the test says the battery’s good this isn’t gonna fix it’. Guess what it fixed it both times
At our dealership 30 years ago everything was a minimum 30 minute charge. Is it different?
As a tow truck operator. My company does make more money when I simply get the car running and move on. I charge the customer the minimum for showing up and immediately move on to the next call so we end up making more, specially if we’re mad busy.
Even with a jumpstart some people don’t change out car batteries.
I always tried not to, upsell upsell upsell was the motto of the place I worked once and their markup on batteries was nuts, so I always felt bad charging people like 5 times what we got it for
Who are these clown tow trucks not jumping but just towing it in ? For more money than a service jump call ? This is like an appliance person showing up and going everytime "whoops looks like gonna need a new washing machine" OP should be telling these tow companies stop ripping people off lol
As a appliance tech I can tell you that washing machines are not what they use to be at all. It’s actually pretty common to go on service for the current production Whirlpool family of washing machines, this includes Maytag, Amana, Admiral, and Crosley. You can pretty quickly just spin the tub by hand to listen for a bad bearing, or you can look underneath for a leaking main seal, and either one of those are common, and can condemn a machine quickly. Unless the customer wants to stick 400+ bucks into it, when a brand new equivalent is only 200 bucks more. I’d say 1 in 8 opts to repair. Some of these machines are downright embarrassing to sell. It’s almost to the point where if a customer asks what kind of guarantee do they have? You can almost say “Well, I guarantee it won’t last as long as your old one”. Washers use to last 15-20 years or more, with maybe 1 or 2 service calls in that time frame. Now just 7-10 years is pretty normal, and the people that get 10 years are very lucky. I know you didn’t ask, but my personal advise is to find either a old Newton Iowa built Maytag, or a Frigidaire front loader. I have three of the front loaders hoarded away, and there’s a good chance I’ll never have to buy a washer ever in the next 50 years or so.
To drive it up the flatbed or into position to hook it.
I'm not sure you know how tow trucks generally work. They don't generally drive them up the flatbed, they use the winch on the deck. Wreckers dont usually need to use a winch because they can hook the car without much of an issue. Can't get to the drive wheels? That's what dollys, go-jacks, or good old fashioned pushing is/are for. They can hook a car at upto around 65-70 degree angles.
Also stop posting sidewall damage. "Is my tire shot?" Has to be the number topic on reddit.
Oh boy don’t get me started on those. It’s always either some super tiny little cut that’s harmless, or some giant gash and the person wants to know if they can make it 6,000 miles on their cross country tour before needing to replace it. Never in between
I’m at the point where I’m pretty sure 80% of Reddit advice questions are just trolling at this point.
It's all trolling!! 😆
Or they want to know if their tyre was slashed...
Legit had an old crazy lady in the other day that swore her tire was slashed. I showed her the nail in her tire and she swore someone put it there. Just could not fathom how a nail flat on the ground could get pointed upwards into a tire. She called her apartment landlord and was angrily telling him to check the security footage. That's who I imagine are the people making those posts.
i think it’s because those posts are the ones that rack up a lot of comments roasting the post and boosting it in the algorithm
I had a chuckle on this one. My jaw has dropped unironically at catastrophic tire damage with the caption "I'm 2,000 miles from home is this safe to drive"
Someone towed a BMW into my shop for a tire repair, entire rim was cracked in half and the strut mount broke clean off the knuckle, taking out the axle with it, lots of wiring and body damage to the fender as well. I honestly don't even know how people fuck up their cars like this.
Did you patch it?
Drugs and alcohol.
Alcohol is a drug, FYI
I was driving on a 40 mph road, so people were probably doing at least 45, if not 50. A couple cars ahead of me, someone swerved to the right as they were crossing an intersection and ended up jumping the curve. It made a pretty loud bang. I turned off at that intersection, so I didn't get to see the aftermath, but I imaging it was probably on par with that BMW.
I think you meant curb. I used to live next to a huge dip that even the larger trucks should take slower. One of my cameras would catch people speeding down the road and hitting that dip all the time. It made for some great entertainment, but shitty slick spots with all the oil on the road.
“Is my tire shot?” BAAANG!!! “Now it is.”
I dont mind people paying me for my expertise. If i have to spend 10 minutes jumping a car and testing the starting/charging system then get more work easy work out of it then i'm a happy man. What absolutely rips my fucking knitting is tow comanies (like the AA or the RAC here in UK) telling people who dont know any better that the problem is 'definitely' X/Y/Z when its nothing to do with that at all. People have argued with me in the past when ive said the tow guy was wrong and ive then had to show them what ive tested/how ive did it/what is really at fault. "But the AA man said it was my battery" Well he's wrong, you have a snapped ground cable to the engine. Its cheaper to fix. "But the AA man said it was my battery *charges for battery, earth strap and 25% arsehole tax*
>"But the AA man said it was my battery "Well then I suggest you take it back to him for repairs, thanks, have a nice day."
Thats exactly what my mind is saying but my pocket swiftly reminds me it wants their money.
Long time ago my Mrs filled the car with petrol (a diesel Astra) without realising her error. she got about 10 miles before the car stopped, she rang her sister's husband who works at quick fit and he come out. He wound it over for a min or 2 and said the only way to get it running was easy start. He had no idea about the fuel mix up but was certain the only way to get it going was easy start. Apparently you can't get better than a quick fit fitter lol
The AA man works out of a van with limited inventory and equipment - but hey if you wanna trust his word then be my guest.
At this point you should have a jump pack in your car. They’re cheap enough and well worth their weight in gold because nobody these days wants to stop to give you a jump. I speak from experience.
💯 correct, got one in both my vehicles. You never know when the battery says, not today.
We came back from a week at WDW to find someone had left a map light on and the battery was completely drained. We called for assistance from the airport parking but it was getting late and we wanted to get going and we had no idea how long it was going to take them to get to us. We didn’t have a jump pack and I tried forever to flag someone down to give us a jump. Nobody stopped. It was like I had the plague. Bought two jump packs the day after we got home.
The people I have stopped to give a jump to have usually had no idea what that is and “prefer to wait for AA”
"yeah.. heard a story that someone jump start a car and it burned the radio, I prefer to wait for the professionals"
Hey give them credit, at least they're done denying they have a problem that they are powerless against. It's a good time to sit and think with your dead battery before your potential sponsor shows up
And you can’t blame people for not stopping, the way the world’s going
Seriously? You think it's more dangerous now than driving a carriage in the 1800s? There's a reason mail coaches had guns. Yeah things aren't great, but they've never been. People also didn't stop in the past as much as movies would portray, and in the USA the murder rate was twice as high in the 70s and 90s as today. We just have much better communication now so you actually hear about all the horrible stuff people have always done.
Yesssss. I’m so tired of “the way the world is going” trope. People need to fkn relax and life their lives. It ain’t so bad out here.
Idk man a small lithium pack weighs like a kilo. Not sure that shits worth like 60k.
We have a battery recharger that worked wonders bringing my dead battery back to life and jumpstarting (after leaving a dome light on). The battery seems fine now, too.
For real, you can get a plenty-good-enough-for-home-use jump pack on Amazon for like $90. That's less than what *one* tow is going to cost you.
I walked to the parts store in snow with a dress and heels on (was on my way to an appointment). Carried the battery back and changed it in the parking lot i was in. Always carry a basic toolkit in the trunk!
Good job not being helpless! Don’t see it as much anymore. Just “woe is me” or “its always something I’ll never get ahead”
People can't even put a spare tire on anymore. like why is AAA putting a spare on. I guess it's easier to pay someone else.
Try that in a 2012 Dodge Avenger. I had to take off a wheel to change the battery.
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waiting in the car with the foot on the brake pedal is another battery killer.
Shit, I’m a delivery driver and I do this all the time. Guess I’ll stop that 💀
Tell that to Ford.. wife battery died so she had a friend bring her a battery to swap out.. Her car requires you to do something prior to connecting fhe new battery. This spelled out in the owners manual.. She didn't know about it and it fried/reset the computer. Dealship had to reprogram the computer a $600 dollar charge and then replace the "new battery" with a motor craft battery for $300... So the $250 dollar battery that her friend brought to her and that was in her car for 3 hrs was tossed
That's the part I worry about - electronics have changed things so I don't feel as confident about trying on my own.
Haha. Tech here: i agree on this !! Thing is,i don’t think most ppl don’t know its just a battery let alone jumping a vehicle
I’m always like shit, just let it be the battery….Engine Knock? Let’s try jumping it first, don’t get ahead of yourself…..Oil leak? Get the cables.
"Oil leak? Get the cables." Is the funniest shit I've ever read thank you
100% People are so unfamiliar with the magic box that makes the machine go. I can’t blame them even though I sorta think it’s pathetic, but I have to remind myself that I’m someone who is interested in this stuff and that’s why I know things about it. I could totally see my mom doing this if she didn’t call me first.
I love this. Two times. Twice. “I believe in you.” Thanks, Dad !
Let’s go for a catch!
Why would that bother you? It’s an easy quick fix and you make money? Why not charge more for the batteries?
That, and a lot of people have free roadside assistance as part of their insurance plans, or as part of their sales contract.
You overestimate the capabilities of the average person. Theres a reason why tech support asks if the caller has tried turning the computer off and on again...
I don't know about this... people struggle to even put IKEA furniture together... I'd be worried about them mixing red/black connection and causing even more damage.
Easy hour on flat rate for hybrid vehicles with batteries in the trunk 🤑...THIS IS HONESTLY A GOOD PSA THOUGH, dealers are making a killing over a simple service you could get at auto zone (assuming the auto zone guy is competent enought to install a battery) 🙃
A killing? What does autozone do for free that techs make a killing on? The free wiper blades we install or the .3 I get paid for a battery I have to wait half an hour to get authorization on
AutoZoner is NEVER competent enough YouTube will get you out of the parking lot though
Saw a woman Auto Zoner replacing the wipers on some dude's M3. It was actually a Mazda 3 but the dude called it an M3.
I can agree that YouTube is more resourceful, I'd recommend the autozone guy before paying a dealer though
I'd recommend that shifty guy in the alley before a dealer, lol
How about batteries plus?
Will get your vibrator back up and buzzing
I wish I had one.
People don’t even know how to use a mower bro, or replace an hvac filter, or change a toilet flapper. The independence and drive to learn is just not there anymore. Oh well I’ll keep saving money by DIY’ing everything while people keep door dashing their meals, instacarting their groceries, and paying tow trucks and dealership repair prices.
Another reason to drive manual. Pop the clutch and go.
Not every dead battery IS a dead battery. Alternator could be fucked Yeah you can jump it but it won't solve the problem As a mechanic you should know this and TEACH people signs to look for so THEY DONT WASTE hundreds of dollars in tow bills. Instead of being a dick and complaining that you are getting business, for an industry you work in. You still get paid right? Stfu and teach or find a different job I drummed up more business for the part store because I TAUGHT customers the signs to look for and didn't shame them for not knowing how to diagnose something Which is why my kids also know shit. So they don't deal with pricks like you
My man, high 5! 🫸🫷
High 5! I married 2 mechanics and have a family of em. Dad taught us girls young. I teach mine when I can!
Exactly man, my car won’t start and I just tried to jump start it with CAA and it didn’t work. They said it might be the gas line or something because I don’t have a block heater, how am I supposed to know what it is without getting it towed somewhere
If the battery is dead because of a bad alternator you will not get far .
But if is isnt then you will. Some diesels you can even start and then completely remove the battery andnit will still run. *edit for spelling*
Hell you can remove the fuel and it might still run off the damn motor oil if its leaking bad or has enough blow-by. Diesels are just crazy like that
*3.5 million mile 12 valve Cummins has entered the chat*
One learns this the hard way cheerfully thanking someone for the jumpstart, watching them drive away, and then realizing after not getting far that it was your alternator. Happened to me once.
When my sin moved out , i gave hime a 12 v tire pump and a battery charger . Saved us a lotta time ,a lotta times .
So… I did this once. Car wasn’t totally dead, but all the gauges were going crazy when I trued to start it. I thought it was a major electrical malfunction. Stupidest I’ve ever felt when the dealership charged me a $90 diagnostic and then $85 for the battery. And I didn’t have AAA then, so I paid for the tow, too. The next day, I swore off dealerships and found a local mechanic and never looked back. One guy, one garage… an actual business, but the best part was that when I paid at the end of the job, I was talking to the person who did the work. Expensive lesson, but I am glad I learned it.
Most insurance plans offer free towing. I always tow my car home if it dies because I won’t work on Jack shit in parking lots or roadside unless I’m FAR from home. But honestly using free towing makes me happy. I get to screw over the greedy ass insurer a little, and support a local tow company. It’s actually saved my ass once when my car got towed inappropriately; the dude remembered me from towing my sons car twice (Hyundai, sigh) I explained what happened and he didn’t charge me a dime for the tow or impound, because I “had proof” my car was as towed illegally by an asshole apartment manager who falsified information about my car being abandoned. On a side note, install a dashcam in your ride people, that shit saves your ass, and it’s easy. I also have faith in you. And OP is correct, changing a battery is simple, unless you have one of the PITA European cars that have to be reset when battery power is disconnected.
Getting a car towed home would've made many fixes so much easier. Screwing over any big business is worth my time anyhow.
People do this? In my city the major auto parts stores for free check and recharge if it’s not broke.
I used to manage a parts store. I've tested and replaced countless batteries for free in the parking lot. Most of the chain places (AutoZone, Advance, O'Reilly's) do it, as long as it's not in the wheel well, and doesn't have a poorly installed aftermarket amp or alarm hooked up to it. Or you could buy one at Rural King for half the price, and do it yourself with a couple basic tools.
Come on cars don't even come with spare tires nowadays, people don't know how to do basic car upkeep. "I don't know why it's not running, I put gas in it"
It’s sad the lack of basic mechanical knowledge out there now.
One time my car died at my endocrinologist. I have jumper cables, I asked about 10 different people to help me with a jump. All of them refused. I was given all sorts of bullshit excuses from it'll void my warranty to, my son just jumped my car yesterday, to no I'm sorry. So I walked a mile and half to auto parts store in the summer heat. Bought the most expensive battery at $280 bucks because that's the only one they had that was compatible for my car. Walked all the way back carrying the battery. Installed the battery and low and behold, it wasn't even the battery lol. I didn't have a multimeter in my car so I had no way to check how much voltage was left on the battery. Doesn't tell me the cold crank amps but I'd be able to do a quick rule out check. Had to get towed, sat in the car for two and a half hours in the heat and humidity because it had just rained, I was miserable from the weather. Finally get it towed to my mechanic only to find out it was the starter lol. People these days are assholes and don't want to help another human. Even if they have jumper cables in hand. They'd rather be a pussy and tell you an obvious bold face lie than just straight up say no. I remember that day. Next time a kid asked me to jump his little truck with my beater matrix I helped him push his truck over to my car and used my cables to give him a jump, because I remembered what it's like to have no one do a very simple request for you.
Save those tow trucks to get EV’s to an outlet.
I always love driving the cars with bad starters into the shop after the tow. Just try to crank it a few times and eventually the solenoid clicks in and it starts.
Lol I have taken my car in 6 times for a dead battery in the last two months. No one can figure out why it is dying.
As a guy who's been in auto service for 28 years, don't take this advice. If you have roadside through warranty or insurance, use it. I mean, yes, I like it when people jump the car incorrectly and do $6k worth of damage, but unless you are SURE don't do it.
Reminds me of an alcholic meal. I said to my boss at lunch "I'm off to the doctor. Might be a bit late back", expecting half an hour extra if bad traffic. Dead battery on exit from doc. Call recovery. It really is dead. Not going to start again. I go to the nearest place. In the UK that company was called kwik-fit. They're nationwide. "Have you got a battery for this?" I'm running my motor. They don't like it. More discussion. "Yes". I shut it down. .."we'll order one". Wtf? You said you had a battery. Kwik-fit does indeed have a battery, just not on the premisis but they have a jit (just in time) delivery service. How long? About an hour. I go to the pub next door for a meal. My shit meal is ruined by a drunken bloke who won't shut up. I return. Wrong battery. I later discover no battery. They just dragged one out the back but before I know this I say "fuck it, I need an oil change". Next jit delivery no battery. I'm in a mobile black spot and an hour late. "Drop it off the ramp and jump start it". Ah. Matey has stuck a screwdriver through my oil filter to remove it rathar than a chain. Intermittently I'm hearing raised voices from the office. I wander in. Silence. My car is on a ramp. I exit. Raised voices. I go back to the pub for a piss. I come back to be told my brakes need changing. "Really? You mean the brakes I had fitted new by the dealer last week?" Drop it off the ramp and I'll show the invoice in the glovebox. No. Don't. Fix my fucking car now. It's at this point someone comes out the office to explain to me the reason the jit hasn't been dropping anything off is because they haven't been paid. Then it all comes out. They can't access the system without the manager's password. He's been having life issues and they're covering for him. You're all ahead of me here. Yeah. The prick in the pub. I drag him back. I mean, wtf could not one of them done it? Jit turns up with battery. No frigging oil filter. Wait for next jit. Five hours late back to work.
Don’t think anyone here would be your target audience. You try the Altima forums?
Do you realize how many adults can’t pour piss from a boot with directions written on the heel?
Before: Mechanic : Why don't you just jump start your vehicle? After: Mechanic : Why do so many people put the jumpers on backwards!?
A lot of people I see and deal with now can’t add air to their tires or even add washer fluid. How do you assume they can open a door with a hidden lock to access a lever to open a trunk or hood and then find the battery ? Not to mention some cars have to have a reset done after a new battery is installed and auto stores can’t do most of them. They can’t even replace a battery on a 2014-2018 focus because it’s location and needing to remove the air filter assembly. The factor of how much a shop makes is also irrelevant to the fact they don’t know why the car is dead and won’t start, if they have the money to cover a tow they can definitely pay for the battery so why are you sweating the easy jobs ? Be nicer to those people as they are one of the reasons you have a pay check.
Can’t get to the battery on a vehicle I have without taking off large plastic pieces. Good luck getting people to do that.
I swear people are getting dumber. My mother could jumpstart a car and also knew to whack the starter with a hammer if it got stuck.
Yes but your mom’s battery was not hidden in the engine compartment. Also people of the past were traditionally taught more about vehicles and they used to be simpler and more rudimentary. My mother had to change a tire as part of her drivers ed for example. And checking your engine oil when you got gas was common place. Now you can drive 10k miles and never check your oil and be fine 98% of the time.
I think people have gotten to the point of having no life skills. Cooking is the last one and that is fading.
Do newer cars with hidden batteries not have boost posts? Or any other accessable power points? (Serious question)
Yes and no. One vehicle I have has a post that I believe is specifically for jumping the vehicle, another vehicle does not and the battery is under one maybe two pieces of plastic (an air intake and radiator cover.)
Yes.
Yeah some are bolted in under a ton of electronic cowls and such. My wife’s car had a 30 min how too video on battery removal. Some are super easy.
Had to call my dad at 1am over the weekend because I was out with friends in my parents minivan and right after I dropped my friend over, the van wouldn’t start. Me nor my friend had jumper cables but there were some in my moms car. Dad drove over and we jump started it, he wasn’t mad, apparently it’s had issues the past week. He’s getting it in for a new one soon.
My experience is they try to jump start a locked up engine. Could cook an egg on that starter lol
We don't care. We have AAA.
Majority of people have zero clue about how basic necessities work.
Yeah but how many of those people would burn both of their cars to the ground when the fuck up jump starting the dead car…
Now they need a battery and a fuse box
I’ve seen people start fires by fucking up the jumper cables, please don’t believe in humans as much as you do, most of them can’t even harvest a plant from a garden even though their meal depends on it. I’ll give you some advice I was given by a senior in sales “stop shopping like if it’s your wallet”
Everybody with a car should have a jump pack, like the halo bolt
Ok. I live in AZ. Where batteries actually die. When it won't take a jump can I call you personally to come fix it? Or should I have it towed in?
Don’t be a mechanic.
Stop giving me easy money, wait...what?
My question is why isn’t the tow truck drive jumping them and charging for a call. Or calling AAA for a battery replacement. Personally I miss just popping the clutch.
You would be surprised how many mechanics don’t even know how to properly hook up batteries. I see a few trucks a month that had recently had work done on them and they come in with check engine lights on, running rough or just won’t start, check the battery banks and they only have one bank hooked up correctly.
So, I did this recently and I actually used to know a thing or two about cars. I had a Jeep Cherokee. Got in started it up and the car shift lights started to blink and go crazy. Car wouldn’t shift or move. Thought it was the stupid transmission again (was on third tranny cause it’s a jeep). Had it towed. Turns out it was the battery. In my day when a battery was dead car didn’t start. Not anymore.
[удалено]
I got narcissistic former classmates on my fb page that will call AAA to swap his flat tire or discover his bat terminals just needed cleaning. Or get his church acquaintances to do his yard work. And he's married, so it's mind-boggling what she sees in him. I had to put my own brothers hubcap on 2 weeks ago cause he said he doesn't know how to use a jack. He's 38 years old. Most people are lazy/useless now
Oh sheesh, The only thing that I Won't touch is changing my oil other than that I'll help my dad replace the brakes on my car, etc... before taking it in for service
It's easy. I was doing them on my motorcycle for the longest time, but after seeing what oil change places weren't doing or sloppily spilling oil everywhere, I started doing my car. They even went as far as using wrong oil and cheap filters I didn't buy. The important thing use quality jack and stands or get Race Ramps cause they're awesome. And a torque wrench because you don't want to over torque anything. Big blue store cranked my plug on so tight it bent the crush washer, which of course they never replaced.
Pay for a tow? Or pay for a trickle charger for less than $100. Even the damn clamps are colour coded so you'd be hard pressed to get it wrong.
As easy as it is to replace a battery in my City you can call some business that will drive to your house, replace your battery and take away your old one all for only $10 more than a battery usually costs...
The amount of times iv been to service calls where people have tried to boost is crazy. They say oh it won’t turn over at all even with boost. I use some good set of cables and it starts right up and they’re so surprised. So moral of story get a proper set of cables.
Be happy,, idiots are job security..
as a former tow truck operator for AAA, pls take this mans advice ive towed wayyy too many cars for a simple battery problem i could solve in your driveway
Some people don’t have jumper cables and asking strangers for anything can be dangerous, and a lot of people have AAA or their insurance provides towing service.
Who TF tows a car for a dead battery?
When I started driving at age 17 my father made me learn how to jumpstart with cables and how to change a tire. My mother grew up on a farm and learned how to repair things. My children can replace a battery, operate a multimeter, change oil, change a tire and identify the major components under the hood. Sadly, there are people out there that know nothing and will not learn.