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Two years ago, while away for six weeks, my car battery died and a neighbor’s portable charger provided a temporary solution until the dealership replaced the battery.
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This year, I hooked up a smart battery charger before I left which kept my battery fully charged so when I returned my car battery was not only working, it was stronger than ever.
Two years ago, my family and I went away for six weeks during our kids summer vacation. When we arrived back at our house from the airport around 8:30 pm, I decided to make a quick trip to Trader Joe’s before they closed at 9pm to get some much-needed groceries.
The moment I opened the garage, I knew something wasn’t right when my 2019 Lincoln Nautilus didn’t light up like it usually does when I approach the car. When I got in and no lights went on, I realized the battery was dead.
Before I called Lincoln’s Roadside Assistance number, I texted a couple of neighbors to see if they had any ideas since my car was facing forward in the garage and there was no room for another car to do a jumpstart. Both neighbors wrote back instantly and said they have portable overnight chargers they could put on the battery and it should be good to go in the morning. I took one of them up on the offer.
When my neighbor popped the hood, it was the first time I’d seen the engine as the SUV had never given me any problems before. The next morning I was up early and eager to see if the portable charger had worked, but it didn’t.
The Halo HALO Bolt 58830 mWh Portable Phone Laptop Charger Car Jump Starter with AC Outlet and Car Charger
My neighbor said he could jump it using a device about the size of a mini cable box (pictured above) with two short leashed jumper clamps. “This should do it,” he said, as he popped the red clamp on the positive terminal and put the black clamp on the negative. He then pressed a button on the device and voila! The car lit up and I pressed start and I was good to go.
It worked to start the car, but unfortunately, it was just a short-term solution as the battery was dead and I couldn’t keep jumping it each time I wanted to go somewhere. I brought it to the dealership and they replaced it. Fortunately, it was covered under warranty since it would have been close to $400!
Last year and this year when we went away for another six and a half weeks, I asked to borrow my neighbor’s “Battery Saver” he told me about. His is old, but it worked like a charm. So much so that before we left, the doors unlocked the moment I stood next to it with my key in my pocket. I was also able to open up the back doors by just pulling on the handles twice, something that wasn’t working before our trip. I guess the battery was low.
It’s been over three weeks since we’ve been home, and the car battery hasn’t given me any problems, so I’m definitely going to use it again when we go away for more than two weeks. If you’re wondering why I don’t just disconnect the battery, it’s not that easy on these new cars, so I’d rather just spend $30 on this battery maintainer. Here’s the new and best seller from Amazon.
The NOCO Genius1 in 12V maintenance mode to your battery is a smart charger that will keep your battery fully charged without overcharging, preventing discharge or damage during storage.
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