Quote:
Originally Posted by idea1979 Indeed great photos ! Can you please post a Geo Map indicating your travel points? |
That's a good idea, idea1979
(couldn't resist - sorry...)
Jokes apart, I will. However, my knowledge of plotting the route on map is somewhat rudimentary. So can you please tell / teach me a relatively easy method in which I can plot a route from Point A to Point B via C, D, E & F.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by vrprabhu Sudden brainwave. D - Aha, I get it. You want to go to t-bhp for solution...
M - (to be cont'd...) |
(thanks to the work I do, my bosses and et al who work with me, I have developed a sense of humor and patience...)
M (slowly) - No. Why don't you google the exide website and see if you can locate the helpline number for Exide in Calicut?
D (after some time) - Here is the number.
It turns out that it is the same number which was not picking up.
M - Go back and try to find out battery dealers in Calicut.
D - How? Google 'battery dealers'?
M - No. Use services like 'Just Dial' or yellow pages ... Try to find somebody near East Hill (the place where we were staying...)
Daughter finds a couple of dealers.
One shop owner (S.O.) answers the mobile. Ask wife to explain the problem to him (in Malayalam). Somehow wife convinces him and he agrees to come over even though his shop is closed.
After half-an-hour S.O. turns up. Looking at S.O. - everybody exclaims, "Aarey! He is the one who supplied inverter to us!!". No wonder S.O. agreed to come - the moment he heard the address, he must have understood who was calling.
I am literally ready to bang my head on my bonnet!! - because by this time I have the bonnet opened and trying to see whether there is anything loose, blown fuse etc. Battery is flat, as the 12v bulb doesn't light up.
S.O. checks the battery with multimeter. Voltage is about ~11v. Checks the cells. Specific gravity is low (can see the float hovering at the red mark). Says battery has suffered deep discharge; the battery has to be put on bench charge and see if it can be revived, but it will take at-least a day.
I think - having spent so much on the trip, what's another 4,000 bucks? - better buy a new battery and do the return journey with peace of mind.
S.O. says he deals on with Amaron and battery for Palio (Amaron FLO) will cost about Rs. 6,000!! Before I start haggling, I ask him whether he is sure that he has a DIN50/55 battery, as that is OE.
S.O. calls somebody on his mobile, chats, and says, yes. The battery is available - but it has to be brought from the distributors godown and will be available only tommorrow. What time? 9.00 AM at the earliest...
Get down to bargaining.. Tell him my Exide is about 2 years old and as per their guarantee I will get 40% discount on their brand.
S.O. says yes. But Exide will quote Rs. 7,500 for DIN50 and I will end up paying Rs. 4,500.
Whereas, Amaron FLO @ Rs. 5,500 (a discount of Rs. 500 on the Amaron) offers latest technology and peace of mind... says even if I start the car after 45 days idle period, battery WILL function... Glib talking fellow.
Wife and B-i-L are not interfering (I mean, haggling!). I do all the above in my broken Malayalam...
Finally, I thought what S.O. makes sense. And two exides in 5 years is shocking, to say the least. Ask S.O. to deliver the battery tommorrow (Monday) by 9.00 AM.
Go back to team-bhp to see if I can find the answers to the sudden battery drain.....
(miseries have just started, so have patience.....)