My 2001 Subaru decided to give me a scare. I treated it really nicely on Monday, washing it and cleaning it and waxing it. Then I went out to it on Wednesday morning at it did not start. The battery was completely gone, the engine simply clicked and nothing on the dash lit up.
Luckily it was in a easy place to get my other car close. I pulled out my really expensive set of jumper cables that I have had for a very long time and was able to easily jump start the car. It idled with no problem. But I took the other car to the appointment.
When I got home, the Subaru started fine and held the charge fine but there was a bad ground loop buzz on the AM radio dial that kept time with the engine revolutions. So, while I figured the battery might be gone, this made me worry it could be something else with the electrical system.
Of course, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were pretty booked days, so I did not have a lot of time to waste. I called and made an appointment to bring it in on Friday, hoping the electrical system was not grounding out somewhere. That could be a pain to track down.
On Friday, the car started fine and acted quite nicely. No problems at all and after spending some time at the shop, and an exchange of some cash, I got it back. It was only a dead battery. Everything else is fine.
So it was mainly just a big pain in the butt. At least it did not conk out a long way from home. Nor did I have to tow it anywhere.
A Man With A Ph.D. 