Yesterday, my car started displaying a message that the sync system was shutting down with the engine to save battery. That is a good indication that you probably need a new battery.
That seemed like a pretty simple thing to fix. Advanced Auto Parts will do a free battery check and will install the battery for free if you buy it there and there is one pretty close to my house.
Easy, right? Ha.
I went to the one close to my house. The person working there told me he could do the battery check at the curb, but would not be able to do an installation because he was alone in the store. His other person had pinkeye and was out sick. He suggested I go to one of the other two nearby stores.
I made the mistake of going to the closest one. The person there was rude and abrupt the entire time I was there. They seemed angry. When I opened the hood, they angrily asked “Where’s the battery?” like I was hiding it from them or something. They ran the test and said I needed a new battery. They also were very judgmental about the fact that there was some corrosion on the battery. They also declared that they would not install a battery for me and told me to go to Walmart.
I left and went home ready to give up. My wife reminded me there was an Autozone in Crofton so I decided to give the Crofton Advanced a shot and then try Autozone on the way home if it didn’t work out.
I should have gone there first. They were very friendly. They were much more detailed in the battery check. They said that of course, they could install the battery if I bought it there. The battery placement is not great so it took some effort for them to get it out and put the new one in, but they persisted and found the tools they needed to get me a new battery. They cleaned the corroded part and said there is not much I could do to prevent it.
I’m now home with a working battery. I know now to go to Crofton if my local place is understaffed.
The World's Common Tater 
A library understaffed is so different from an auto place understaffed when this happens.
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It is and I had no issue with the first person being unable to help.
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I understand. Sometimes the best people to help are those unexpected. I remember about 5 years ago before we had a new car breaking down and a man living in a trailer came to my aid. I broke down in the middle of nowhere en route to my adjunct job which was in the country. I baked a dozen cupcakes and brought them back to him and his daughter.
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Geez…another exemplary act of customer service
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Ha! It must be a dead batter kinda time. My reliable Honda had a dead battery when I tried to go out for lunch with a friend last week. By the time the recovery service would be able get to me, it was way too late for lunch. So I left it till Himself got home so he could give me a jump start. My local garage then tested the battery, and confirmed it needed replacing. They signposted me to a local auto factors place just a few doors down. I bought one, and they insisted on carrying it to the car and making sure it was in a secure spot for me to drive home. Himself then fitted it and dropped the old battery at the relevant disposal spot. My car was back up & running in an hour from the time Himself got home. When you find good local services, they are an absolute godsend 🙂
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It is important to find a good local place. I know now where not to go.
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