Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Do not ever, ever, EVER ...




... jump-start somebody else's car.

A lesson I am learning the hard way.

Yesterday, I gave my boss a jump-start, because the dipsh*t left his fog lights on.  After I jumped him (Ewwwww ... you know what I mean), I ran some errands, and MY car started refusing to start..  I knew that my battery was due for replacement, so I figured that jumping his car had killed it, and stopped at the parts store and had the battery replaced.

This morning I was out running work errands and the check engine light came on.  I popped into the garage around the corner from the office, explained to the dude there what was going on, and the first thing he said was,

"Do not ever, ever, EVER jump-start someone's car."

He explained that it was fine with the older cars, but with newer cars, the computer-controlled system can get f*cked UP by giving someone a jump.  It sends a charge through the system that, well, screws the pooch.

So he ran the computer on it, and all kinds of codes popped up, and who KNOWS how much this is gonna cost me.  The only thing I'm trying to figure out right now is how much of this is going to be an "office expense", because you'd better believe I'm gonna pro-rate some of this cost to my boss.

So if someone asks you for a jump?  Tell 'em to call AAA.  If they don't have AAA? Tell 'em to call Allstate Roadside Assistance.  They don't have to be a member, and they don't have to have Allstate Insurance, they just have to call Allstate Roadside Assistance and a truck will come out to help.  It's fifty bucks for a jump.

Lesson learned.  The hard way.




(And no, I am not being compensated by Allstate in any way, shape or form for this post.  I just think they are providing a super service.)


3 comments:

fmcgmccllc said...

Oh Yea, that is a rule-never never never give a jump. Someone offered to jump start my car a few years ago and I let them, but I felt bad for letting them. It was really cold in the middle of winter and I was freezing. But I would never do it, because I did it once and had to replace some expensive part on the car and I swear the car was never right after that episode.

rockygrace said...

fmcetc., my boss has given my car jumps in the past, so I had no idea it could cause problems.

Live and learn.

Actually, I think my boss is just having some bad car ju-ju, because on his way home from work last night, he hit a bear. A friggin' BEAR.

fmcgmccllc said...

Wow, just wow.