I bought a used Acura CL cause the deal was too good to pass up. It’s kind of a cool car, but I’ve been thinking about trading it for something more practical. I got a good deal on it though.
Anyway I left the key turned to “ON” overnight because I got distracted somehow. The next day the battery was dead.
I pulled out my trusty Sears battery re-charger and carefully connected the clips to the correct battery terminals. Then I checked my work. I did not disconnect the battery. Satisfying myself that the charger was connected correctly, I plugged it in.
There was a brief but odd clicking noise. Then nothing. RE-charger humming in a reassuring way, I went about my business of lying on the couch, but with a nagging suspicion that I should have disconnected the battery before using the charger.
Eight hours later, the car starts!
…but what’s that little red light on the dash that I’ve never seen lit before? Hmmm…it says “SRS.” Checking my owner’s manual I find that it refers to the airbag system.
Cue sinking feeling.
After diagnostic tests were run it seems some sensors need to be replaced, to the tune of around seven hundred bucks.
Coincidence? The mechanic says yes. He says that unless I reversed polarity and caused some kind of an arc, I was not responsible for the frying of the relay (s).
I appreciate his trying to make me feel better but I don’t think I buy it.
The reason I bought this car was for the airbags, so I would have a decent car to drive the kids in when we hit the highways. Now I find myself wondering if I should just say ‘screw the airbags’ for a while. Or should I look around at the more practical cars now, and let the dealership I go to fix the relays? Or, should I bite the bullet and fix the damn thing now?