What's a reasonable number of times to be asked to give a jump start?

As per the header. The neighbour has got a knackered car battery but he is too nervous to just buy and fit a new one (he wants a main dealer to swap it!).

I am getting a bit pissed off with having to keep jump starting the bloody car - 5 times in the last two days.

When another neighbours car battery packed in this morning he just asked for a lift to the motor factors for a new battery. £75 all done in 10 minutes (apart from calling into the cafe for a full English on the way back from the shop).

Reply to
ARWadsworth
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Go with him to buy a new battery, swap it for him, job done - no more jump starts.

Reply to
Pete Zahut

He won't do that. Too nervous and will only let a main dealer do the swap.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

If you can accept the guy is genuinely like that then I dont think you can apply a number that is considered reasonable or otherwise. You either help people in need or you dont. What if you hurt your hand and needed help everytime a jar required opening....what would be reasonable?

Reply to
SS

Tell him that each time you jump start it there is a small risk of corrupting the firmware in the dash thus immobilising the vehicle.

I don't know if it's true, but that's what an AA patrol told me about a Honda Civic.

Reply to
Graham.

If you are taking a break from work over the Christmas period , and having to get into a position to Jump start the neighbours car involves any use of a road o rarea where the public have access then could you say that you have had an alcholic drink or two and dare not get into your vehicle. lack of assistance may make him do something,even if it is to get the main dealer to come and fetch the car.

G.Harman

Reply to
damduck-egg

So why didn't he go there and get it done after the first jump start?

Reply to
dom

In article , ARWadsworth writes

Next time (say it like you mean it):

"This is the last time, buy a new battery"

Next again time:

"I told you, it's over between us, goodbye "

Reply to
fred

The neighbour is similar to "Tim Nice-but-Dim"

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's_Television_Programme#CharactersWell educated but no common sense.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

The diplomatic solution would be to "have lent the leads to a mate who's working over Xmas and had a dodgy battery" or something else plausible :)

Reply to
Tim Watts

I looked in the wife's Mini the other day when topping up the screenwash and realised that I don't actually know where the bloody battery actually is! They've made everything else impossible/damn difficult to DIY so I guess the battery was the last bastion of simplicity that needed dealing with - bastards.

(I looked into it later and discovered apparantly you take the wide plastic trim under the wipers off or something).

My VW is roughly where you'd expect to find a battery but even that leaves some doubt about whether it would actually come out the box in the clearance above it (ie it is half under the bulkhead).

So I can sort of understand it if the car is still newish...

Reply to
Tim Watts

When is someone in need of help?

Now when I had a sprained ankle the neighbour went shopping for me twice. He did my food shopping but he did not buy me a new ankle.

He could purchase a new battery and I could fit it for free.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

Probably it's either

1) he's worried the anti-theft radio will lose it's marbles and he hasn't the code, 2) he has paid out for an extended warranty and is assuming (incorrectly) everything has to be done by a main dealer to keep the warrany valid, or 3) he thinks he has the main dealer (who sold him the car) over a barrel due to the failed battery and is expecting a free replacement from them in the new year.
Reply to
Adrian C

Get a knackered battery for yours and then when he next wants a start connect it up and then tell him he's buggered yours and you want him to pay you for a new one.

Reply to
The Other Mike

Tis a difficult one. I actually think that I'd go buy a new battery for my car and present him with the old one + jump leads and a charger. I.e, attempt to embarrass him into reality.

Reply to
brass monkey

Sorry, in that case:

"This-is-the-last-time,-buy-a-new-battery" :-)

As you don't want to fall out with him I imagine you'll be offering a lift to wherever he wants to buy his battery from before repeating the above mantra.

Actually, print out a card with it written on and give it to him.

Next time he comes round ask him if he's still got the card and get him to read it out.

Mind you, I know what he will say . . . . , "cmon, mate, just this once"

Don't worry, I knew it was rhetorical, there is nothing you can say to him.

Reply to
fred

As car electronics gets cleverer and cleverer disconnecting the battery to swap it for a new one may break more things than the radio.

[g]
Reply to
george [dicegeorge]

You'd have had fun finding it in the old Minis then...!

Reply to
Bob Eager

Sometimes answer the door, sometimes don't. He'll get motivated.

NT

Reply to
Tabby

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Bob Eager saying something like:

Dragging on the road, held up by the cables.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

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