I knew that our mini-minivan would not be ready to drive as soon as we got back into town the other day.
I figured that the battery would probably be dead (because it was dead the last time we left the car sitting for more than a month), and that the back right tire would probably be completely flat (because I had been having to air it up at least once a week for a month before we left).
I was 100% correct on both accounts. Our battery was as dead as a doornail, and the back right tire as flat as flat can be.
So I spent yesterday afternoon and this morning getting these two problems worked out. First, I rode my motorcycle over to the Changan Auto Repair Shop (we drive a Changan Mini-Minivan) and explained what had happened to the battery. One of the guys promptly grabbed some tools and hopped on my motorcycle to ride over and have a look. The plan was to take out the battery and go have it charged up at another battery repair shop just down the block.
He did just that and the battery was supposed to sit overnight getting charged up. I was to come back this morning and pick him up again so we could take the newly charged battery and hook it back up to the car.
So yesterday afternoon, while the battery was charging, I and a friend took to the task of changing the very flat back right tire. This was the first flat tire I would have to change on this car (amazing, considering the 2 trips to Tibet and some of the other roads we have been on!!!). It turned out to be more like working a jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out how all of the tools fit together to turn the jack and get the spare tire loose. But finally we got the tire changed.
Fast forward to this morning. I picked the guy up and we brought the battery back and got it hooked up ok. The car started, which is a good thing. Then as I got ready to take him back to his repair shop, I asked him where he thought I could get the flat tire patched up. He said he would take me to a guy just down the road from the repair shop. Good deal. I know where there are a bunch of tire shops, but its always nice to be introduced to someone by a friend. I will be sure to get a good price.
I couldn’t believe how fast this guy found the hole on the old tire (a little piece of metal had made a puncture), patched it up, and had the tire all back together again. It was like 10-12 minutes total.
Then we got back in the car and I drove the repair shop guy back to his shop. This might sound like a pretty routine story, but the point I want to make is the quality of service I got and the price I ended up having to pay. It cost me a grand total of $1.80 to get the battery recharged. The service the repair shop guy gave me was free, because I bought my car from the Changan company. The amazingly fast flat tire fix cost me a whopping .70 cents.
So my mini-minivan is back up and running normal again. The poor thing has been through so much already, and its only been 8 months (3 of which the car was just sitting there). But I am thankful that repair costs are so inexpensive and that service is so good!
