On Jun 25, 2:33*pm, "William Munny" <w...@jbigwhiskey.org> wrote:
> "y_p_w" <y_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:0a861f21-85fc-4ed5-a997-d89a7e93d445@f38g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 25, 6:11 am, "William Munny" <w...@jbigwhiskey.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "y_p_w" <y_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:33f33c40-0b42-4ed5-a909-ace5e9cfac6d@d7g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
>
> > > So here's the deal. The car is a Honda Civic with a group 51 battery
> > > (Kirkland Signature from Costco if that helps). Every once in a while
> > > the battery is heavily drained because a light (map light or headlamp)
> > > was left on. I do find it annoying that there is no headlight-on
> > > warning chime or auto-off. Sometimes it starts and sometimes it needs
> > > a jump; a portable jump starter always does the trick. The car itself
> > > is driven maybe a few times a month for short distances along with the
> > > occasional long trip.
> > Tell your wife or teenager that the next time they leave the car light on
> > and the battery drains, they will need to pay for a tow truck to come out
> > for a jump...
> > End of problem, no trickle charger needed...
> > *Well - the deal is that I'd end up paying for it, and occasionally I'm
> > the guilty party from turning on the lights during the day (typically for
> > visibility in forest roads).
> > The map lights however are usually not my fault and typically they only
> > require a jump if left on overnight or for days at home.
>
> Don't be such an enabler. Tell the kid to get his ass off his computer and
> get a job--- and the old lady too.
>
> And if your cognitive skills are such that you repeatedly leave your lights
> on while driving in the woods, how are you going to remember to hook up the
> charger every time you bring your car home? Also, a guy like you should
> think twice before venturing out in the woods so dark and deep. You'll get
> lost for sure and the fire department, cops or forest service will end up
> wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars mounting a search for
> you...

Uh yeah.

Really - I got used to the headlamp switching off with the ignition on
my Subaru. My wife has also forgotten. It's not going to be a
problem now with the door-open switch fixed.

Didn't I mention that I always carry one of those portable battery
jump starters? I remember once driving the Civic to Lassen Volcanic
National Park, accidentally leaving the lights on for about an hour at
the trailhead. When I got back the starter wouldn't turn, I went to
the trunk to get the jump starter, and opened the hood to connect it.
Then a law enforcement park ranger came up, noticed the car with the
hood up, and asked if I needed a jump. I showed him the jump starter,
briefly explained what it did, and he said it sounded like a good
idea. This happened to be with the factory battery, which has since
been replaced.

That jump starter has helped out a bunch of time with weak/dying
batteries (before getting a replacement), lights on, etc. I've
actually used it several times to help friends or complete strangers
start their cars. It's a heck of a lot easier than trying to get
batteries close enough to each other and/or jumper cables that are
long enough. It's also great when I can't flag anyone down for a
jump.

So far nobody's had to fish me out on the trail. In fact once I
helped a lost kid (separated from his high school group) find his way
back to the trailhead. Otherwise they might have sent out search
teams to find him.