$975.00 battery

[03exploder]

Went for a little trip not long ago, to a place called Hole in the Rock. A stones through to the north of Lake Powel and 57 miles of the most washed board road I've ever seen, south from Escalantie UT. Took 3 hours to get there. I pull up to look at an historical marker, shut the exploder off and it never started again. I figured that it was a battery but was not sure. Amazingly I had cell service. Call a wrecker out. (just in case it wasn't the battery). It took the wrecker 5 hours to get down the road. When he got there we put the battery in and it started back up. $6 a mile both ways, $10 an hour and other charges later, and yup $975 bucks for a new battery. Oh did you know that a Gen 3 will not come out of park with a low battery? OH and old batteries will vibrate scale off and short out with that kind af road abuse!

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

hmmm, I do know that there is a mechanical mechanism in the steering column that will not let the transmission shift out of park without the brakes depressed. I guess this mechanical "safety feature" uses an electrical motor.

too bad your battery left you stranded.

 

[Tbars4]

...:scratch:...I believe I've been there before...

...Really sorry to hear about your battery failure and more so, the cost of it all...

 

[Maniak]

Thats what AAA is for.. I've used them for a 116 mile tow when we only had AAA plus and paid the extra $6/mile.. I've also used them for a 98 mile tow (back to the house).. All it takes is one bad tow to make it cost effective)

Since then We have upgraded to premier.. one 200 mile tow, 3 100 mile tows and the last tow is 5 mile free (no hookup charge) then regular rates..

Battery jumps are free too (at least with + and premier).. I didn't see any fine print about how far away you are unless you get towed, but if you buy a bettery from the service truck (not cheap of course) you can get the AAA discount (still not cheap) but cheaper than being in the middle of nowhere.

~Mark

 

[03exploder]

I had concidered AAA but had a friend that needed a tow off road and he was told they wouldn't pay for anything not on paved road. Is he wrong?

 

[03exploder]

The battery wasn't really $975 the the driver coming out was $975. The driver accually claimed he was thoughing the battery in for free.

 

[Maniak]

Paved isn't the issue.. its a real road that matters.. (i.e. our dirt road to the house counts)..

If I find the paperwork with the definition of a road I'll post it.

~Mark

 

[03exploder]

OK thanks.

 

[Maniak]

this is from the AAA airzona member agreement..

2. Vehicles not accessible from a normally traveled and established thoroughfare.

3. Service when street or weather conditions do not allow safe movement, especially on non-paved roads.


I'd say its a gray area.. If your on a road then its fine, if your off-road you need to get back onto the road first...


~Mark

 

[BrooklynBay]

This is probably how the term highway robbery came about. I once got stuck in NJ, and called several places to see how much a tow would be. AAA was the cheapest.

 

[03exploder]

I think that next time (if I have the $) I will buy an Optima battery!

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's a good idea to carry a booster pack.

 

[briwayjones]

I figured that it was a battery but was not sure. Amazingly I had cell service. Call a wrecker out. (just in case it wasn't the battery). It took the wrecker 5 hours to get down the road. When he got there we put the battery in and it started back up. $6 a mile both ways, $10 an hour and other charges later, and yup $975 bucks for a new battery. Oh did you know that a Gen 3 will not come out of park with a low battery? OH and old batteries will vibrate scale off and short out with that kind af road abuse!

One of many reasons I only buy and drive vehicles with manual transmissions.

 

[HahnsB2]

One of many reasons I only buy and drive vehicles with manual transmissions.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

It's a good idea to carry a booster pack.

wow, I never knew of these until I just googled it. They are cheap insurance too, one can be easily had for 50 bucks.

 

[Rick]

Since you're from Utah you may be familiar with Tuba City, AZ which is on the Navajo reservation. Char was driving our VW Golf up to Moab to meet us for the annual run. The VW threw a CEL and started running horribly. Char called VW and they said have it towed to the nearest dealer. She called around and it was going to cost $900 for the tow to Prescott, where the nearest dealer was

Thankfully she didn't do it and called me first. She got another ride to Moab and left the car sitting in Tuba City. On the way home I checked out the car, unplugged the MAF and drove it home in "limp home" mode. No damage, and no $900 tow bill...

There's so many places out West where you can get stuck like that it's scary

 

[Paraphoe]

That really sucks dude. I bought a Diehard SUV battery for just this reason, it apparently can take a lot more vibration and abuse.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

hmm, I didn't know that batteries are sensitive to bouncing around. I guess if this is true my battery should have already died on me the way I drive my explorer. Are there any brands of batteries that we should know about that can handle more abuse than the standard battery?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Optima is pretty rugged. It's made to withstand vibration, and even a bullet according to their website. I have a product review on a booster pack: http://www.explorerforum.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/246/cat/500

 

[HahnsB2]

I completely toasted a battery from about an hour of driving on gravel roads without a hold down, I was able to start it since it's a manual (another reason why I'll always have manuals) and drove it home, I could run it for 30 minutes straight, shut it off, dome light wouldn't even come on, threw in another battery I had laying around and all was good.