Dead Car II

Today I booked a battery installation appointment and the service technician called just as I was walking to the parking lot to meet him.

“Hey, I just saw your note in the appointment,” he said. “Sorry, battery installs are still suspended. It’s too cold.”

“All good,” I said. I already expected he would say no. “Do you think they’re going to lift the suspension anytime soon?”

“You can try calling again next week. Monday should be warmer.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

“If you really need your car, you can just go to Costco and get someone to install the battery for you.”

“Costco does battery installs?” I asked. I wasn’t aware of that.

“No, no,” the technician said. “Go ask a friend or your husband. If you already have a battery, it’s easy.”

“Can I just do it myself, then? I can watch a video or something.”

He paused.

“No, no, don’t do that. Just call again Monday.”

“All right, sounds good.”

I hung up the phone and started walking back to my unit. I couldn’t help but think: how tough would it be if I replace the battery myself? Assuming I have a spare battery right now, will I be able to install it?

I watched a few YouTube videos and, to be honest, I think it’s doable. Replacing a battery is not as physically demanding as, say, changing a tire. It’s just a matter of removing some bolts using a wrench — and I do have a 10 mm wrench — and the rest is just “plug and chug,” so to speak. Negative to negative, positive to positive. It’s pretty straightforward. It’s just a battery, after all.

I live in a freezer though, and that’s the problem. The city is experiencing a prolonged cold snap with the wind chill ranging between minus 40 to minus 55 degree C. This isn’t sweater weather, kids. This is brutal. The wind could slice your ears off, and I mean that literally. The wind could literally hurt you! You wouldn’t dare leave the house without wearing the right gear; otherwise your body would freeze and break into frosty meat crystals as you slam on the icy road. Brutal!

I don’t think I can handle staying outdoors for more than 10 minutes just to get my vehicle to work. I don’t want to rush the job either, especially because this would be my first time fiddling around with a car battery.

So for now I think it’s best if I just wait it out until I can hire an expert to do the job . I will definitely observe how they do it though. It’s easier to learn how to replace a battery than to find a husband, that’s for sure.

Featured photo by Alvaro Polo from Unsplash