Car Battery

While the temperatures have fallen below zero and we are in line for breaking a record for snow accumulation in a season here in Michigan, my car refuses to start. The temperatures may or may not be causing havoc on my battery. The half dozen guys in the shop just aren't sure.

Seriously, when it comes to mechanical things, especially cars, I'm pretty incompetent. I take it in for the routine oil changes and the ever so often flat tires, but beyond that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Yesterday morning I was greeted with a dim dome light and knew immediately that the car wouldn't start. Despite earlier in the afternoon the day before that my trunk wouldn't close as the latch was engaged, I thought the car was fine. I did manage to drive home from the grocery warehouse without anything flying out of the open trunk. When I arrived home, I managed within two minutes and a screw driver, to fix the latch and all was good. Until the following morning when I heard that unfamiliar, "click...click...click..." DEAD.

My son and I walked next door and he was able to get a ride with the neighbors to school. I then went back to my car, put it in reverse and on my phone, proceeded to push it backwards out of my garage. I actually did pretty well, considering, but ended up at a standstill when I couldn't push the front tires into the snow. My girlfriend came over and I was able to use my new birthday present - jumper cables - and jumped the car. I even took it over to AutoZone and had the battery tested and was told it was FINE.

At what point is "FINE" ever "FINE"? Obviously not when someone tells you how they are or how a car part is functioning.

Actually the car was fine...until this morning when it was DEAD AGAIN. I've also had this ongoing issue with my screeching belt which new guy even sprayed some lube on for me, which made it instantly worse. So much for lube...must be a man belt. New guy said he would look at my car tonight, but I can't wait that long. Besides, he has his own things to tend to, not to be bothered with all of my issues. Although, I'm sure that it would make him feel needed, something I really should work on in my relationships...which is another post.

I took my car into the shop this morning (after my issues with Susie GPS - she seemed to be hungover or too cold to function appropriately this morning. After turning her off several times, she began to work correctly - so yeah, she's so not a man GPS!) and advised of the battery and my squealing belt. After a good half hour, I asked if they could give me a status as my friend was there to give me a ride to work.

"The belts are squealing like a PIG. The battery is FINE. It's never been tuned up...EVER. We really don't know, YET."

I left there full of knowledge. Knowing nothing that I didn't know before I walked in to the shop! I also asked for an oil change since I just hit 3000 miles and I know that I've had my car tuned more than once, but I'm just a dumb brood and clearly I know when to keep my mouth shut. Sometimes.

The latest update call was that the belts are squealing. They think that maybe the alternator belt is bad and is draining the alternator and battery. They think. That's where they will start and then go from there.

Crap shoot. Darts. Pool. Car Repair....Hit some, Miss some...Weather Forecasting...At what point have we become OK with guessing and hoping for the best and when it's wrong, we accept that it's OK?