About that time that my car battery was stolen + {Giveaway}
Gals….I did not realise that car batteries are quite the expense! Previously my husband had all the perks of not paying a cent for his petrol or car expenses. Car expenses is now new territory…well okay, for a year now, but still feels new to me. When I saw the cost of a new car battery recently, I was like….EEEK… we need to start some sort of savings plans!
When you think about needing a new car battery I am sure you picture yourself stuck, along the side of the road right? Do you ever picture a thief, popping open the hood and swopping out their old battery for your car battery? Neither do I. I imagined…you get stuck one day and gosh darn it, the tow truck guy tells you that you need a new battery, because yours is old. Apparently that’s not the only time…. your battery being old is not the only reason you would need to replace your battery.
My story
My mom was recently in a car accident and thankfully she was okay, but the car was in pretty bad shape. Our car was written off, but I had indicated that I would like to buy the car back as we realistically could not afford to buy a suitable car with the payout we received. I paid the money over and once it cleared, my mom went to pick up the car. Only…it didn’t start. They jump started her there and off she went, then she stopped to put in petrol. The car would not start when she wanted to leave and she had to call to be jump started again.
My uncle came around and charged the car battery and he was sure that the battery would be fine after that. Only it wasn’t. Long story short, we eventually removed the battery and realised that it wasn’t ours. I emailed the approved repairer, recommended by my insurer, where the car had been for a quote to repair….to this day I never received a response. How do I know they stole our battery and replaced it with a dud? Their company name is actually written on the battery. The actual battery is also a different colour to the one we had. Moving along…..
Battery Centre Experience
After battling with the dud car battery, my mom eventually headed to our closest Battery Centre. She was seen to in no time and they tested the battery for her. Testing confirmed that this battery was indeed dead, very old and needed to be replaced.
They were really professional and within no time she was out of the door, new battery in tow. 
Why Battery Centre?
The developers of Raylite batteries have been in the battery-making business for almost 90 years. Over the decades, Raylite battery technology has continued to advance, not just keeping pace with new developments and technology, but leading the way. Not only do Raylite batteries offer a three-times longer cycle life, but they’re also at the forefront of start/stop technology.
Their high-quality, technologically advanced range of Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB) Raylite motor car starter batteries are proudly manufactured in SA and now carry an extended two-year warranty. Choose the battery specialists for industry-leading service and reliability.
New battery sorted, what about our old batteries?
What do you do with your old vehicle batteries? Do you dump them in the trash, stash them in the garage? Or do you simply leave them wherever you get a replacement battery fitted? If you are aware that ‘dead’ car batteries still have quite a bit of life in them, perhaps you insist on squeezing out every last joule by using them to power lower output appliances. Electric and DIY enthusiasts, for instance, often come up with interesting uses for old car batteries, from powering home appliances like TVs, radios and fans, to building portable lighting solutions for photography or transforming them into portable solar power generators.
All dead batteries are highly valued for the same thing – lead. This soft and malleable metal is not mined in South Africa and is extremely expensive to import. It is also highly toxic, which is why First National Battery, South Africa’s leading lead-acid battery manufacturer, through its Battery Centre franchise network, founded SA’s most effective scrap battery reclamation project. Through Scrap Battery, old batteries are collected from Battery Centres nationwide and sent for recycling. The recycling process is extremely effective and closely monitored. In fact, more than 90% of all scrap batteries in South Africa are recycled. Making batteries one of the most recyclable consumer products on the market.
“Recycling is a vital part of our business and is essential for the sustainability of the industry at large”, says First National Battery Marketing Director, Andrew Webb. “It’s a win-win situation that keeps toxic waste out of the environment, creates a reliable supply of raw materials for new batteries, and benefits customers with a trade-in value on old batteries”.
If you have scrap lead-acid batteries you would like to dispose of, call the scrap battery experts toll-free on 0800 333 462. Or visit your nearest Battery Centre. It is an ideal opportunity to also get the health of your current car battery checked for free by SA’s trusted battery specialists.
GIVEAWAY
I would caution you to actually perhaps write your own details on your battery in future. In case you ever find yourself in the bizarre situation we did! So, hopefully somebody stealing a battery is a really rare occurrence. I know being stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery though, isn’t. When it happens, usually at the most inopportune times, it’s a costly affair! Thankfully Battery Centre is giving the gift of…um..battery this festive season and THREE of you can win a brand spanking new battery to the value of R2 500.
How to enter:
- Comment on this post with your funniest car story. If you don’t have one, just your name will suffice.
- Make sure you’re following me either on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.
- Not a requirement, but it would be nice if you tagged a friend (don’t spam them please) on the Facebook post.
RULES:
- This competition is only open to readers residing in South Africa.
- The giveaway will run until 17:00pm, on Friday, 14th December 2018, with a winner being selected at random shortly afterwards. I will announce the winners of my giveaway on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so make sure you follow me on all 3 social media platforms so you don’t miss the announcement.
- If no reply to my email has been received within 72hrs, a new winner will be selected.
- Ensure you complete the necessary steps to validate your entries. I have no choice but to disqualify any incorrect entries received.
- You will be issued with a Battery Centre voucher that will be valid for one year.
* This post was done in partnership with Battery Centre.
14 Comments
Farah Mohamed
Well I had the worst luck with my car the past year, it would also “fail” to start at the most inappropriate times, when I drop my kids at school, or when I stop to throw in petrol. Eventually when we had a look at it, it was much more than just the battery, it was something that set me back a good R8000. I ended up selling my car in June, and was blessed to be able to purchase a good second hand car. I have had my good share of car trouble during 2018. 🙂
Lizene
I had a battery problem this year…well my own fault…I left the headlights on,didn’t hear the warning beeps…and closed the garage (had a bad kinda day). This was the Saturday morning. Monday morning when I finally got the kids out of the house for school…my car was dead. Husband left for work and I could not get hold of him. I have a nifty battery starter kit…but hubby moved it from the usual space..I walked the kids to school and at my son’s school I attempted to download the Uber app…needless to say I, his school principle saw my frustration and dropped my at work…so embarrassing!!!!!!My husband returned my call at 11 and asked why I looked for him so early….I am dreading to go and test my battery life as it is 5 years old and probably due for a change….I start it daily even when Im home.
Sharleen
Battery problems are the worst. After shopping at a mall with a 2year old toddler my car would not start. That was awful. The inconvenience and panic I experienced that day was something I could do without and never want repeated again.
A reliable battery is a must!
Luchae Williams
Funniest car story: Me. On the N2. Blocking traffic. At 7:45. On a Monday morning.
Okay it wasn’t really funny.
The funny part is the guy who saw a lady sitting in a broken down car and plucked up all his “good samaritaness” to come help me……… push my car over to the side of the road, so that I can sit there in my tears and regret, instead of blocking traffic. How kind of him! lol
Saliem
No funny story, but I could do with a new battery 🙂
Inge
Wow, I’m SO happy to hear that it is not only me that is having battery problems. My first battery “incident” happened when I was a student and just got my first car. I probably went through 3 batteries a year because, for the life me, I could not remember to switch my lights off after parking my car. From then on, it just kept on going, my next car was an upgrade, but still no reminder that I should switch off my lights after parking my car. It seems like I got a bit better with remembering, but then someone else thought it good to help themselves to my car battery. I thought that it would be the end of my battery problems when I bought a bike……you know, it is light on fuel and difficult to get to the battery, so perfect for me! Nope, it only got worse! I went through a couple batteries since I have had my bike because I either do not ride it enough (who would’ve thought), or it gets stolen. So I decided to take it to a well-known bike dealer to get a full-cycle charge (or something like that), and when I went to fetch it, they told me the battery cannot be recovered. Believing them (as I was referred there but men – they are suppose to know better), I bought a new one. Only to return it to be charged a few months later. They recognized me and was very eager to help, but when I fetched the battery after a couple of days, they gave me someone else’s battery and after I realized that (because it did not fit into the bike), I queried it, just to be told they threw away a couple of batteries and mine must’ve been in between those……needless to say, I bought a very reliable car brand afterwards as well as a good battery charger and have not had any battery problems since – touch wood!
Carmen
No funny story but I need a new battery so please help me avoid an embarrassing situation….. My worst fear is my car dying in targetkloof
Fatima Moolla
When we just got married, my husband drove a real clunker! I used to literally hold the door closed in fear it would swing open if we hit a pothole (it had been known to happen once!) We were both studying and in our first week of marriage he came to pick me up from campus and we got stuck right outside! We had to walk to the nearest garage. The poor guy was so embarrassed. I was so glad when we finally traded in that bucket of bolts. He still misses his ol’ faithful though….
Megan H
I used to own a Fiat which developed a nasty habit of randomly losing power. For whatever reason, the car would suddenly slow down and not react to my foot on the accelerator. Sometimes the power would kick back in, other times the car came to a complete standstill, such as when I became stranded in the outside lane at rush hour. A helpful passer-by and a breakdown truck eventually got me to safety. The fault certainly made driving scarier, more exciting and unpredictable!
Mark
I drive a Renault 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mellissa
No funny story – just keen to enter because of the struggle! Ish!
Jayce
I don’t have a car but I would like to win this and give it to my mom for Xmas 🎄
Terri Cawood
Literally the first time I have heard of someone’s car battery being stolen! What a shocker! We have had some ‘not funny’ car issues with our very faithful Tucson over the last two years… from replacing the battery (ouch!), tyres, gearbox and recently a very expensive service and replacement of some stuff I care to forget the name of. None of which were very funny but rather expensive. But since we will drive this car to its death, a new car battery would be super helpful to have at the ready! I guess the closest we get to ‘funny’ is the gearbox falling through.
Sallyha
The car my boyfriend lets me has been really good to me but the battery needs to be changed
I have to jump start it most of time
Would love this ❤️
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