Why is this good news? Because if he hadn't I would have paid him the $80 we agreed to and not been happy with the result. I had asked at first if we could run a switch under the dash to cut off the battery. He said he couldn't do that, but he could put a switch on the battery. He quoted me two prices, one for a cheap switch, another for a good switch. I chose the good switch and was there this morning for an 8 o'clock appointment. But before I showed up for that appointment I went to the local parts place and asked to see what switches they had. They had a much cheaper cheap switch ($12) than the mechanic had quoted me and a ($50) switch with two terminals and no mounting brackets. So when the mechanic showed me the exact same $50 switch and tried to rip me off by saying it would be $100 instead of $80, I was prepared. The fact is, I could undo a terminal and connect the switch to hang there not costing me a penny more than the $50 for the switch. It would have been a five minute job. Instead, I'm getting what I wanted in the first place with a switch under the dash. I have an 8:30 appointment tomorrow with a different mechanic that will do the job right and give me what I want.
So instead I have a solenoid on a mounting bracket. I will not have to open the hood to cut off the battery. This makes me happy. Always deal with a mechanic you trust.
Update: Everything was installed this morning and the Jimmy is sitting with the switch off now. Tomorrow morning I will see if disconnecting the battery keeps it from draining and starts my vehicle. I see no reason it shouldn't. My back up plan is a larger solar battery for charging than the little one I have now. That little charger may be useful in charging a second battery not connected to any circuits that could drain it. Before I leave on my odyssey (my personal mars mission) I'll have my brother-in-law help me track down the fuse involved in the drain per CJ's suggestion.
3 comments:
Good thinking being prepared. That's always a good idea.
BTW, the idea of tracking down the short with a tester is super easy and fast to do, no skills required. And, if you don't have a 12v tester, it's still no problem because you can make one in seconds; any 12v bulb will do. For example, borrow one of the running light bulbs, or a dome light bulb, whatever is easiest to get to. Then all you need is wire. Any kind of insulated wire. In a pinch, even a twist tie (one of the ones with a wire core) would suffice.
Also, even if you find and fix the short, IMHO having a cutoff switch for the battery is well worth keeping. I have one on my SUV because the last thing you want while in the wilderness is to find your battery dead. I carry a portable jump starter, but if the battery is truly fully dead that sometimes isn't enough.
No skills? Sounds like my kind of job!
I was a boy scout eons ago. Be prepared is still my motto although implementing it is not always easy. In this case, I could do it alone as long as I could see the bulb from the fuses. Easier to enlist my brother-in-law while it's still an option.
2 weeks to go. July 25th will be my official start because it's the last day I have any appointments in town.
I've got a log book to track my budget. I actually feel positive about this. I generally do very well outside the influence of my family; which is a really sad but true statement. I was doing well in WA state for about the first time in my life and decided I was finally financially secure enough to marry. Silly me, I didn't realize all the issues I'd gotten away from would come back manyfold with that decision.
While my ex and I are good friends, just spoke with her last night for example, she doesn't remember us ever arguing. I can't remember a single day of our marriage that we didn't fight. I could never make a correct decision and she was always dissatisfied that I wasn't rich. I even gave up that secure job for the potential of riches... contract and all... but didn't get it signed during the honeymoon phase and a year later I was back to work at my old job.
I was doing well enough and once she overcame her insecurities she has done fine (I kept explaining to her that American's love foreign accents and her english was fine. Although there was the day she sent me to the store for 'flavor.' Being the dutiful husband I went, twice, assuming the store would know what my wife was talking about. Turns out she wanted a bag of flour.
Together we would have firmly been in the middle class with over $100k a year combined income. Not millionaires, but we could have prepared for our futures with that.
I bought some foods that don't require refrigeration last night as a sort of test. Teriyaki beef jerky did not pass the test. I have a cousin in Phoenix that loves the stuff. He's slow mentally but one of my all time favorite people. So I would buy him some (and explain to him it was his so his little niece wouldn't take it away from him) along with other things that made him happy because he was one of the people on this planet that makes me happy. Not an easy task.
Looks like the folk's little dogs are going to get a treat. I can't eat the stuff. Buffalo jerky I would like, but where do you find the stuff?
Post a Comment