IF THERE IS one number that has kept pace with SA’s ever-increasing graft rate, it’s the number of battery-powered devices in our everyday lives. Not so long ago all we had was a rechargeable shaver. Now there are mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, portable gaming devices, e-readers and tablets. The thing is, all of these devices tend to run flat on a regular basis, requiring a power-up before they can continue to annoy/entertain/interrupt us once more.

You’d think we’d be quite used to feeling electrically stranded every so often. Obviously we’re not, as my dismay upon returning from a six-day trip to Europe recently proved.

After organising to be collected from the airport and delivered home, I had planned to surprise my daughter by fetching her from school. So with all the confidence Tyson would have felt stepping into the ring with Homer Simpson, I jumped into the XC60, inserted the remote and pressed the starter button. Nothing. Victory to Homer by technical knockout. No matter how many times I pressed it, the Volvo remained eerily silent bar a few disconcerting click sounds.

A quick call to the Volvo dealer confirmed what I already knew – the battery was flat. They suggested I attempt a jumpstart and bring it in the following morning for a check-up. Surprise ruined, I arranged with a friend to collect my offspring and waited patiently for the family Renault to arrive later that evening. Fortunately the jumpstart went off without a hitch and the car grumbled into life after a couple of minutes.

Volvo’s technician carried out a lengthy draw test the following day and reported everything to be within spec. Although the XC60 had been garaged for a week, he could find no reason for the 10-month-old battery’s failure. He cleared the fault codes caused by the interruption of power and had the car washed – much appreciated. The whole episode was followed shortly by another trip abroad, with the Volvo again enduring a week of garage time. What do you know, it started first time. I hear Tyson’s people want a rematch.

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