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Having the car’s battery die on me for the very first time since we’ve owned the car was definitely a good thing.
To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about the battery with regards to car maintenance. It was always there and it always worked. It was definitely a lesson in not taking anything for granted.
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Tried to start the car this morning… Dead battery!
I hadn’t been driving it very often these last couple of weeks but the battery never discharged to the point of not being able to start the car.
I think the car battery has had it pretty rough as of late. Not only is it the original battery that came with the car, we also don’t use the car often or go on long drives and a lot of frequent but short trips can really take its toll.
I believe what finally did the battery in was the brief warm spell and then the sudden drop to below freezing temperatures. Our garage stays a few degrees above the outside temperature in the winter despite not being insulated, but the cold snap was rather swift and the drop in temperature was significant.
If I can’t find my battery charger, I’m going to walk over to the nearest automotive supply shop and buy an emergency booster. I’ve always thought I should have one on hand, especially having an older car, but I’ve always put off the purchase.
You know the old saying: It’s better to have emergency gear around and not need it rather than need it and not have it on hand.
Once I get the car back up and running, I think I’ll look into a new car battery. I should also take this opportunity to check the fire extinguishers we have and refill/replace as needed.
Update 10:07am»Success!»
08:23am – Found our 6/12v 4amp battery charger in the basement. My God this thing is ancient! I remember it from my childhood when my late father used it! 
Considering that a new smart charger can be had for only around $40, I think I won’t chance using this museum piece. This charger would have taken up to 16-hours to charge the battery anyway.
10:07am – Decided to try the old battery charger anyway. Plugged it in to test it. It didn’t explode… 
Disconnected the battery terminals, hooked up the charger’s cables and plugged it in. No sparks and the battery hasn’t exploded. So far, so good.
The battery still holds sufficient charge to keep the interior lights and dash functions running and activate the starter for a brief moment so I’m going to try charging the battery for about 30 minutes to an hour to see if I can give the battery just enough juice to get the engine to turn over.
If it starts up, then I’ll go driving around for 2o to 30 minutes to give the alternator a chance to top up the battery. After the trip, I’ll head directly to an automotive retailer to pick up an emergency booster pack and/or a battery charger with an engine start feature.
If it fails to start up, back to plan “A” and will walk over to buy the required equipment.
Powered by Hackadelic Sliding Notes 1.6.4The car started after charging the battery for a little over 30 minutes using my ancient 6/12v 4amp battery charger! I’m definitely going to be a lot more conscious about battery maintenance from now on.
Haven’t decided if I should get a new battery yet. According to the dye-based battery status, a dark colour means the battery needs to be serviced. It’s okay if it’s green. The dye looked pretty dark to me but I’m still not sure. Might have to shine a flashlight down the indicator well to be sure.
The car is due for an emissions test. I’ll have them take a look at the battery in the process.
Gah! I needed the emissions test before the 30th for vehicle registration renewal. Damn it… Totally slipped my mind.
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