Batteries, part two
Wednesday February 19th 2014, 11:52 pm
Filed under: Family,Non-Knitting

While the second peach tree blooms merrily…

The doorbell rang and I didn’t even have to sign for the box as I saw the FedEx guy on his way back to his truck. I opened the door and yelled, ‘Thank you!” and he called back over his shoulder a cheerful, “You’re welcome!”

We got the first exploded battery out of the scooter’s case two days ago, but the second was well wedged in there. We put on rubber gloves to avoid any leaking anything and pulled. And pulled again, putting our whole bodies into the effort to get those things apart.  Released and reassessed. Carefully avoiding damaging the case, kind of holding our breath, he gave it another try thisaway while I said a silent prayer and I imagine he did too but whatever, about a minute later it came free from the case and the industrial-strength velcro holding it tight. Nothing broken and neither of us ricocheting into the walls.

He connected up the new batteries and I screwed the case back together and plugged the thing in.

About an hour later, Richard said to give it a try.

It’s too soon, isn’t it?

Just try turning it on. What color is the indicator?

Well, from this angle it’s green, from that it’s yellow.

Just try.

Nada. Dead. I unplugged the thing and brought the case back over to him.

“Oh wait,” I suddenly said, turning back around and disentangling cords, not having realized that someone had put a second one on the scooter at some point probably thinking it went with it, “It helps if you plug in the right one.” But I had no idea now which one had been and which hadn’t. (Edited to add later, of course we had had the right one plugged in–that indicator had been on.)

Richard unscrewed the case again–no small job–and tested the batteries, but one being dead didn’t mean anything if it wasn’t ever charged up to begin with.

It is plugged in again, only this time we’re sure it really is plugged in. Putting the key in gets you zero on the indicator still. Waiting, hoping hard…

If nothing else, the local Fry’s Electronics has a pair of lead-acids in the right size. Hopefully not expired. So there is at least a backup plan.

(Update: zero volts, one, 13.3 on the other.)


3 Comments so far
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Grrrr! I hate when that happens!

Comment by Jody 02.20.14 @ 6:14 am

Here’s hoping they are both fully charged by now. Go! Go Alison!

Comment by DebbieR 02.20.14 @ 12:13 pm

I hope you will soon be able to charge forward.

Comment by LauraN 02.20.14 @ 6:48 pm



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