Good evening. Currently 6 degrees and clear. The breeze this evening makes it seem even colder. Cold enough that the exhaust vapor from my truck froze on the bumper. Might hit zero by daybreak.

$300 later I got my truck back from the shop. The alternator and wiring were fine, no diode leakage or excessive current pulls when off, just the starting battery was bad. It’s what I expected but was a bit miffed about the bill until I saw the replacement battery was $212. Sure repair shop mark up, but it’s also a name brand battery, not an off label Advance Auto $130 special. I wish Advanced Auto had done a better job testing the battery but it’s water under the bridge. I feel good knowing at least the dual battery setup is not trashing the batteries – it was just a cheap battery per the shop. That and I may have had an accident last summer with reversed jumper cables and some drunk bros. Never jump start a car when everyone involved in the process is totally drunk. Well, we will see. I hope this new, more expensive battery will last longer. Cars are to be used and broken. They are money sops. I could permanently disable the dual battery system but I like my CB Radio, inverter and lights, and based on physics and automotive science, there is no reason it should be damaging starting batteries. The shop confirmed charging voltage was fine.

I was still super annoyed about it all because this problem meant I was without a car for three out of the past four weekends and had to beg a lot of favors out of friends and my family. If I had known it was a bad battery and Advance Auto just plain refused to warranty it, I would have just bought a battery myself and saved some money. Regardless, I just hope it continues to work fine going forward. If not, the truck will be back at the repair shop. The dual battery system with all its problems is still a minor cost compared to the lift kit or the truck itself, despite being a constant cause for frustration. Big Red is still pretty sweet.

Other than that, things are moving forward. It’s cold. I went out and bought some groceries. Tomorrow I have to get some shoes for work. Went down to the library for a bit. Tomorrow is Tuesday. A new day.