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

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

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 "

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

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 :)

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...

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.

Probably it's either

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

NT

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.