Sometimes you never know when your car is going to go bad. Usually the brake light comes on, or the oil light, or some other warning flashes on your dashboard. You might not heed it, but at least the alarm was sounded. You may ignore it and hope it goes away, but in the end that’s your decision and you’ll have to live with your actions.
When the starter goes out, there’s no warning. One minute you’re driving along, fine as can be, whistling along to music or engaged in talk radio. Then you park your car to run an errand. The engine shuts off and you go about your business.
When you return, you hop in, put the key in the ignition, turn it, and—
Nothing.
Not even a click. Or a sputter.
Sure, the radio comes back on, because the battery is fine. If you leave that on too long the juice will start to drain from it, and you’ll soon have a dead battery to worry about too. In the summer you can at least roll the windows down to get some air, because you don’t want to run the air conditioner. But if it’s winter, you’re stranded without heat, and the only way to warm up is to jog around the block. Running the heat will drain the battery as well, just like the air conditioner.
What can you do? Call for a tow. That’s about it. If you’re in northeast Illinois, searching the Internet on your iPhone for a shop that deals in auto repair in Elgin, IL might be a good option. If your cell doesn’t have that app or you don’t have a phone, seek out a phone book. Now that can be difficult, but it is possible. Hope that the page you need isn’t ripped out.
For the uninitiated, a car starter is an electric motor that spins the crankshaft in the engine to get it started. In the old days, cars were started with a hand crank. Cranking it was difficult and awkward. You know what I mean if you’ve ever seen old movies of this. In fact, back then, before the invention of the electric starter, steam-powered and electric cars outsold gasoline-powered ones.
With the price of convenience come the consequences, however. We’re back to the repair shop now.
Luckily, there are many repairs that cost a lot more than a car starter. That’s not to say it won’t knock you back a few hundred bucks—because it will—but it doesn’t reach the realm of the thousands. You can expect to pay approximately $350 and lose a day at the shop.
To keep comfortable while waiting for your tow, a small knapsack with a blanket, a book of crossword puzzles, and a bottle of water should be stored in your trunk.