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2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
Starter Battery
So I parked my 2007 S600, and when I returned I got a no crank no start no click. Dead as a door nail (just the starter - everything else inside works off the house battery in the trunk). Called AAA and they sent a guy out in 20 minutes. He set up his jump pack on top of my coolant reservoir with the weight on the coolant return hoses. Jump started the starter battery and prepared to depart by gathering up his cables and the jump back. That's when I noticed the weight of that jump pack sheared the coolant return hose and it was leaking antifreeze everywhere.
I had him tow it to my Indi. My Indi replaced the battery (V4 - $279 which is what I paid Advance Auto for the last one but the new one is a Mercedes battery albeit date coded 02/2025) and he checked the alternator output. He also replaced the coolant hose and refilled the antifreeze with a vacuum pump. Car is running really well. Glad I noticed the coolant hose leak before I found out the hard way with an overheated V12.
Weather here just turned nasty hot 90+ degrees. Maybe that is what killed that old battery. Less than three years old. Car did not give me any notice that the battery was failing.
The "new" battery you just bought has a date code of 02/2025?
Did they test it and show you the results?
5yrs ago I had a bad battery so went to the MB dealer and bought a new one. Unfortunately I didnt notice until I got home and was installing the battery that it was around 1-1/2yrs old. That battery lasted me 5yrs until it stopped holding a charge and I had to buy a new battery. The previous battery before that one was a Genuine Mercedes and lasted 7yrs.
This new battery I installed a few months ago is an Everstart from Walmart. I bought it March of this year and the date on it says 3/26. Cant get much fresher than that.
5yrs ago I did not have a battery tester. Now I have an inexpensive tester. The Everstart tested great. Plus it has a 4yr warranty while the MB was only 2yrs.
I have a battery booster pack that was a great investment. When this last battery died I used it a few times in one day and still had 90% charge left. Bought one for my parents even though they have AAA.
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
I paid for it. My days of someone else paying for my mistakes are well past. Thank heavens I can afford it. I really love that car. It is still the best car I have owned in 60 years.
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
I agree. A booster pack of my own would have resolved the issues and I could have run over to Advance Auto to try for a warranty claim on the maybe six months left on the old battery and installed a new one myself.
I paid for it. My days of someone else paying for my mistakes are well past. Thank heavens I can afford it. I really love that car. It is still the best car I have owned in 60 years.
But the AAA grease monkey with just as many brain cells broke your coolant line. That was his bad, not yours. And I really love that you really love that car. It's a shame other people can eff it up and we are the ones who are left holding the bag. I know the feeling.
But the AAA grease monkey with just as many brain cells broke your coolant line. That was his bad, not yours. And I really love that you really love that car. It's a shame other people can eff it up and we are the ones who are left holding the bag. I know the feeling.
Old plastic parts in a cooling system do what when looked at sideways? They fail. Often spectacularly.... But not until one is enough miles away from wherever something got done to make turning it around and driving back there not an option.
It may have been the fault of a ham-fisted tech or it may not have been.
Sure would be easier to place blame had the parts that failed for a coolant leak been a year old... but they were old junk.
Things happen. Sure would have been better if a coolant leak had been identified while at the shop.
Old plastic parts in a cooling system do what when looked at sideways? They fail. Often spectacularly....
Which is exactly what an intelligent, experienced, astute technician should consider before tossing his equipment around in engine compartments.
But we don't have those anymore. Quality across the board in all industries is in steep decline. Hire from the bottom of the barrel and get the money. I get it. People have to survive. Post-COVID fallout especially in free-fall.
It's all going according to plan. Move along now. Nothing to see here, folks.
I have the Tacklife T8 battery booster pack. I had it before I replaced the previous battery in the car. That battery failed out of the blue and the car just wouldnt start. The booster allowed me to still drive the car while searching for a new battery. Think I drove around for 4 days with that bad battery that time. The day I bought this new battery I had to jump start the car to drive to Walmart then had to jump it again leaving the Walmart parking lot. The car drove fine once started so the alternator was functioning properly.
The booster pack holds its charge forever. When I take it out after not using it for months the charge it still at 100%.
Can find booster packs on Amazon for not alot of money at all. My parents go on alot of cruises and will park the car in the parkinglot for 1-2 weeks so got them one in case the car wont start. I have AAA Plus but got it for the free 100 mile towing feature. I did have towing thru my Verizon phone plan but that covered towing up to 10 miles maybe, not alot.
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
I do think the quality of service has fallen over the last 50 years. Perhaps America is where Britain was in 1850. Height of the empire, height of the Royal Navy, Sterling was the preferred international reserve currency, and then started the fall over 75 years. I worry for my grandchildren.
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