Another day of winter fun in Michigan!

[Tom S.]

My wife and I decided to go out this morning for lunch, so I hit the remote start on her Acadia. Starter rolled over once and quit.

I knew from an earlier episode that the battery, which was 8 years old was dying. So I fired up my winter beater, a 99 Cavalier and off to lunch, and the auto parts store we went. $190 dollars later, not including tip for the waitress, we returned.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with GMC's Acadia, there is no room under the hood for a battery, so it is put in an compartment under the floor between the front and second seat. The problem is, the factory battery has no handle on it for removal, nor is there a lot of room inside that box to get your hands down and underneath of it. A second issue is the positive battery cable needs a third hand to hold it out of the way, or that battery will never clear. Now compound this all with -3 degrees temperature and a wind chill of -30 and you begin to appreciate how much being your own mechanic can be. What would have been a 15 minute job on any other vehicle turned into an hour job, not including defrosting times. Thankfully, everything is in and back together and Mr.s Tom S. is happy. I hope she remembers to tip the mechanic.

[mlh]

Go south it's in the teens here in the sunny south.
Lynwood

[DarMar]

You know what they say: If your not handsome it helps to be handy... and that is what I remind myself of every day, He, He

[bethandkevin]

I can sympathize with you Tom. I blew the drifts out of the driveway about four hours ago and I'm still trying to warm up. Told the DW earlier, "I may have reached my lower temperature limit." It's even too cold for me to go ice fishing.

[Arion]

I bought my Monty to full time in basically at least 7 or 8 months out of the year. I'm looking forward to 'move' into it as soon as winter subsides. When that gets done I hope to remodel my cabin once I'm out of it. Being in the U.P. of Michigan I know better than to count on an early spring but this last blizzard and snow has me chafing at the bit now.

[DQDick]

You guys are really making me homesick. This 80 degree weather everyday in Yuma is really starting to get me down.

[bethandkevin]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

You guys are really making me homesick. This 80 degree weather everyday in Yuma is really starting to get me down.

Come on up here Dick, it's supposed to be at or near 20* on Tuesday!

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

You guys are really making me homesick. This 80 degree weather everyday in Yuma is really starting to get me down.

I'll see if I can box some up and send it to you.


My sister lives in southern California, has for 50 years now, and while it's nice to be able to plan a picnic for 7 months away and know the weather is going to be nice, I really do enjoy the four seasons. However, winter does tax all things mechanical, and if you are your own mechanic, you get somewhat used to it. You'd think I'd have a heated garage, and I used to but I found that unless I heated it all the time ($$$$), my tools would start to rust whenever I turned on the heat on when it was cold from condensation. The garage has since been taken over by 'stuff'. So like I did when I was 16, I dress warm and work outside. I do draw the line at rain however.

[brooksider]

if it is a top mount post use a 2 good pair vise grips on the post
Joe

[sambam]

I feel your pain, Tom. Spent a good portion of my afternoon working on a snowblower, in the snow in 11 degree temperatures. Snowblowers are great. The only problem is, it's NEVER a good time when they break down. This one is a 10 year old warhorse, and, after our snowstorm-a-week pattern we've been in, starting to show her age. Somewhere, I hear the birds a chirpin', the peepers-a-peepin', and the smell of sweet lilacs. Spring is comin', I know it, but Lord, can you speed things up a bit?

[JandC]

Your battery change was the extreme opposite of my experience last month. My Wrangler was dead so I had to run to Costco and pick up a new battery. I wish I wouldn't have waited until after lunch because it was already sunny and heading over 80 degrees, but what the heck I'm still in pretty good shape so I got both wrenches out that I needed and spent the next 2 minutes removing the old battery (it would have only been one minute but I had to raise the hood first). Then another 2 or 3 minutes to drop the other one in.

The only way a Jeep Wrangler could be easier to change the battery is if you could push a button and it ejected the old one for you!

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by sambam

I feel your pain, Tom. Spent a good portion of my afternoon working on a snowblower, in the snow in 11 degree temperatures. Snowblowers are great. The only problem is, it's NEVER a good time when they break down. This one is a 10 year old warhorse, and, after our snowstorm-a-week pattern we've been in, starting to show her age. Somewhere, I hear the birds a chirpin', the peepers-a-peepin', and the smell of sweet lilacs. Spring is comin', I know it, but Lord, can you speed things up a bit?

I'm on my second Ariens. The first one literally blew out the differential, and at $350 for the part, and the fact that the machine was 25 years old, I replaced it with a new one that had electric start. This one is now 10 years old and going strong, but it does have a tendency to eat a lot of shear bolts, usually 3 or more a year. I could live without it, as our driveway isn't huge, but my neighbors wouldn't be happy, as I normally do theirs and most of the road out front too, plus runs for our short legged Daschunds.

Like you, I am eagerly awaiting spring. I have several mods waiting to be done on both the truck and trailer.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by JandC

Your battery change was the extreme opposite of my experience last month. My Wrangler was dead so I had to run to Costco and pick up a new battery. I wish I wouldn't have waited until after lunch because it was already sunny and heading over 80 degrees, but what the heck I'm still in pretty good shape so I got both wrenches out that I needed and spent the next 2 minutes removing the old battery (it would have only been one minute but I had to raise the hood first). Then another 2 or 3 minutes to drop the other one in.

The only way a Jeep Wrangler could be easier to change the battery is if you could push a button and it ejected the old one for you!

Your experience is much more what I'm used to. This was the first time (and hopefully last time) I encounter a set up like this. Again, it wasn't so bad how they did it as was the fact the battery had no handles and I needed a third hand to hold the positive cable out of the way. Because the lead posts are tapered and set off to one side, it was easier to put a rope under the battery and hoist it up that way than to trust vice grips. I sure didn't want to risk dropping the battery and cracking case, should the vice grips slide off! Getting battery acid out of that well, plus dripping it on the floor/interior of the Acadia would have been a real mess.

Anyway, it's done and momma is happy. And when momma is happy, everyone is happy!

[Eagleback]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. the Acadia is a nice car. but we do know about the weather I checked my hometown weather this morning and is was 27 BELOW zero in good ole Sault Sainte Marie Michigan so we do know your pain. If you want I can sent a box of warm from grand ole Naples Florida. Were glad you got it going again. STAY WARM!

[mlh]

We are getting our first snow of the season. I've been waiting for it as I had a brush pile as big as a small house to burn. Touched it off at about 9 this morning. It will still be hot for 2 weeks.
Lynwood

[jlb27537]

I am with Dick, however in S Texas. 84 degrees here and both A/C's working just fine. https://www.rancherovillagetx.com/home.html

Reminds me, I need to check the batteries in the rig for water..

Jim

[JandC]

Jim, that is exactly what I did yesterday after reading these posts. Went to the store and picked up a gallon of destilled water and checked water in my Jeeps battery, truck's two batteries, and the Montana's. Didn't use hardly any so now the big class A in the next lot is using the rest of the gallon jug.

That is why this forum is so great, it makes to think of stuff you may normally forget.