When I started my Soul to go to lunch, I noticed a small delay in it firing up. I didn’t think anything of it. But that was the only warning that I would get.
On my way to my audiologist appointment, everything was fine. I got there and parked. I got out of the car and started to walk away from it pressing the ‘lock’ on the fob the few steps that I took.
Usually there’s a horn ‘beep’ to let idiots like me know that the doors are already locked and to quit pressing the button already. There was no beep.
I turned around and walked back, expecting to see that I’d no closed the door properly. But the door was flush. So I tried unlocking it with the fob. No luck. I unlocked it with the key instead. I opened the door, slipped the key into the ignition and got some lights. I turned the key and got some clicks. But no engine ignition.
I told all this to Phillip, my audiologist.
No problem. He’d swing his Escape around and we’d jump it. He didn’t have cables, but I did. I had to climb through the car’s passenger compartment to get into the hatch. Since there was no battery there was no lock release for the hatch.
We tried for a good ten minutes to jump my Soul. But there was nothing happening. There was a spark when we connected to the battery but no juice to the ignition.
I called Thea and she reminded me that we had roadside assistance with Progressive and that I should just call them. Their number is on the insurance card you’re required to carry.
It was a very efficient system. It automatically told me that I wasn’t covered but that I could go ahead and let them help for a charge.
By that time, Phillip had to go. It was still 95F and I was still stuck. I didn’t have any reason to believe that Thea coming out and trying to jump me would have any differenct result. So through call and text and responding to texts I arranged a tow to the Firestone that takes care of my tires and alignments. It was 5:15 and the service would arrive in 60 to 90 minutes. I was welcome to wait in the beauty spa next door to the audiologist.
While I waited, I called Firestone and let them know that I was coming. Brent said that he was open until 7 and I could leave my car overnight. He would schedule someone to work on it first thing.
Things were moving apace because the wrecker showed up after a 35 minute wait and $230 later we were in front of Brent with Thea waiting for me in the Firestone parking lot. It wasn’t yet 6:00pm.
The next morning, I was informed that after checking electrical system; starter, alternator, wiring harness, fuses, that it appeared to just be the battery.
This will be the fourth battery in my Soul’s ten year lifespan. Each one has died catastphically. Firestore said that they tried to jump through the battery as well and were unsuccessful. And that the battery outside of the engine compartment after an hour on the charger still had no aperage. The first death occured when I took my car to the dealer to service the high stop. I stopped going to that dealer because I could not fathom a battery dying so abruptly. The second time was years later and the heat of the summer does strange things. The third battery was on a cool rainy day. I was at least able to get it jumped and drove it to Autozone. They tested the battery and came to the same conclusion. It was just dead.
So this last battery I’m sure wasn’t 3 years old. And as such it was probably under warranty. But to enforce it, I would have to not have Firestore replace it. I would have to find the paperwork for the battery purchase. (I probably have it somewhere). I would have to take the battery and the paperwork to the OKC Autozone where I originally purchased it. And I’d have to wait around while they tested and came to the same conclusion. Then I’d still have to take the new battery back to Firestone and have them put it in my car.
I’m sure some people would see it as ‘the principle that matters’. I’m from the ‘I don’t want to spend my time and energy on this’ side of the coin. And since in the end it would be a toss up which would cost what, I just shoot for convenience of being able to afford to have it done expediantly.
