Pam Padgett ... member of the body of Christ
In
June, 2020, we purchased a new Acura MDX car. Before deciding to
purchase this car we test drove an MDX and liked it even when driving
on steep, winding roads. But the car we test drove had dark interior
and we preferred having lighter colored interior. The car salesman
showed us a brand new 2019 MDX with light colored interior and said it was just
like the one we had test driven with just some cosmetic differences. We
drove it on a very
short test drive and it seemed okay, so we bought it.
But
after buying it, the car didn't seem to have enough power. The
problem was subtle. The car would accelerate, but it seemed "hard" for
the car to do this. It was difficult to describe the problem.
We had
taken the car to the dealer because of noise problems with the air conditioner fan, and the dealer's
service representative couldn't hear the noise and said there was no
problem.
It seemed futile to have them check for something as subtle as
the car not seeming to have "enough" power.
(We got the noise problems resolved as we prayed and were led to look on the internet for similar problems and adjusted the a/c control settings.)
We had a very nice sound system installed in the car, and I tried to just enjoy that and ignore the car not seeming to have enough power.
But finally in October, I realized that this car troubled me and I strongly turned to God and told Him that I just didn't like the car and laid everything out before Him. I asked God to please change me, or show us if there was something we could do about the car.
But finally in October, I realized that this car troubled me and I strongly turned to God and told Him that I just didn't like the car and laid everything out before Him. I asked God to please change me, or show us if there was something we could do about the car.
(Let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6)
This prayer was answered in an interesting way ...
This prayer was answered in an interesting way ...
About
2 days after praying about this, I was shocked when I tried to start the car. The car engine did
not start. Lots of lights flashed on the dash and then went black.
At first I thought I must have left something on and drained the battery
and that it just needed to be jumped.
But when I looked under the hood
at the battery, I saw that it was a different type of battery than I
had ever seen before ... an AGM battery.
I called multiple places,
including the dealer's service department, but was unable to find anyone
to come jump the battery.
I asked God how to deal with the dead battery.
The next morning I woke up remembering that our car insurance includes "roadside assistance".
I called and they took care of finding someone to come try
to jump the car and, when this didn't work, the insurance company found someone to tow
the car to the dealer.
It was so easy for me, and I thanked God for
bringing this "roadside assistance" to my mind.
The
car is still under warranty, so once the car had been towed to the
dealer, I expected them to deal with the problem and call me when the
car was fixed and ready to be picked up.
However, when they called they told
me that they put a new battery in the car and that it started once, but
then wouldn't start again.
They said the sound system we had had
installed had been wired incorrectly and that this was draining the
battery. I was told I would have to have the car towed to whoever
installed the sound system and that I would also need to pay them (the
dealer's service department) for the work they had done.
I was stunned
and began praying, asking God what to do next.
I was reminded that the company that installed our sound system has a branch just down the street from the Acura dealer.
I called the manager of that branch, Steve, and explained what was
going on. Even though we had had the sound system installed at another of their
locations which is much closer to where we live, he was able to pull up
our records in their computer system.
He said he would go to the Acura dealer service department and
talk with them.
About 2 hours later Steve called me saying he had the car! He had gone to the Acura dealer and they showed him the car. He was able to start the car and they told him to just take it.
I asked Steve if there was anything I needed to do.
About 2 hours later Steve called me saying he had the car! He had gone to the Acura dealer and they showed him the car. He was able to start the car and they told him to just take it.
I asked Steve if there was anything I needed to do.
He said the problem was either with the car or the sound system installation so he would work with
Acura to resolve the problem and keep me informed, which he did.
Incredible!
Two
techs at the sound company went over the sound system wiring and found
no problem. So they disconnected the sound system and found that the
battery was still drawing power when it shouldn't be draining power.
The problem was not with the sound system.
Steve and his tech took the car back to the Acura dealer and met with a service representative and the Acura technician. They reviewed what they had done and had found. (The techs from the sound company and car company talked face-to-face to discuss the details.)
I had also been reminded that the outside mirror controls and the driver seat memory had stopped working and I called and told this to the Acura service representative.
Now it seemed that the Acura service people looked more carefully at the car.
Steve and his tech took the car back to the Acura dealer and met with a service representative and the Acura technician. They reviewed what they had done and had found. (The techs from the sound company and car company talked face-to-face to discuss the details.)
I had also been reminded that the outside mirror controls and the driver seat memory had stopped working and I called and told this to the Acura service representative.
Now it seemed that the Acura service people looked more carefully at the car.
When they
couldn't find the battery draining problem, they contacted
Acura engineers.
Finally, a defective module was found that was causing
a "parasitic" drain on the battery.
They ordered the needed part and
told me when the part should arrive and be installed.
They also said they
had fixed the mirror controls and driver seat memory problems.
The morning of the day they had said the car should be ready, I became concerned about how to get to the dealer to pickup the car. We live a little north of Colorado Springs and the dealer is on the far south side of the city, 17 miles away. It takes about 30 minutes to get there.
The morning of the day they had said the car should be ready, I became concerned about how to get to the dealer to pickup the car. We live a little north of Colorado Springs and the dealer is on the far south side of the city, 17 miles away. It takes about 30 minutes to get there.
With coronavirus spreading rapidly, I was concerned about taking a shuttle or even a Lyft or
Uber car, and had asked God to please show me the best way to pickup the
car.
This was taken care of when I called to see if the car was ready.
This was taken care of when I called to see if the car was ready.
They
said the the part had not come in and that it would be the following
week before the part would arrive. The Acura dealer offered, again, to let us use a
car from the dealership until our car was fixed. They would even deliver the loaner car to me and I would simply drive it back to the dealership
when our car was fixed.
So this is what I asked them to do. Within an
hour they had delivered to our house a car for us to use.
The first time I drove the loaner car it was obvious that it had a lot more power than our car. This was something tangible I could report.
The first time I drove the loaner car it was obvious that it had a lot more power than our car. This was something tangible I could report.
I called and told the service rep this and asked if they could look into the problem with engine power
while they waited for the part to come in. The service representative immediately started
looking at something on a computer and said that it looked like there
were some updates that might not be on our car. They would make sure these updates were applied.
A couple days later, the car was ready to be picked up.
A couple days later, the car was ready to be picked up.
In addition to
fixing the initial battery draining problem, the outside mirror adjustment
problem, and the driver-side memory problem, they had also applied
updates that the engine needed. They also told me that this type of
engine "learns" from the way it is driven. It was recommended that I give
it a lot of gas when starting off to "teach" the engine.
After picking up the car we drove up a nearby canyon with steep, winding roads.
After picking up the car we drove up a nearby canyon with steep, winding roads.
The car had plenty of power. It was a pleasure to drive.
Everything seems to be working correctly now. And I enjoy driving the
car now. It is no longer troubling to me.
One of the scriptures I was reminded of soon after the car wouldn't start is Psalm 32:8 ... God says:
One of the scriptures I was reminded of soon after the car wouldn't start is Psalm 32:8 ... God says:
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with MINE eye."
Thinking back over the 2-1/2 weeks it took to get this problem resolved, I see how I was instructed and guided by God along the way, and am so grateful to God.
***
From Cathy Varner: Member of the body of Christ
When I read the line saying that he would work with Acura to resolve the problem and keep her informed, I was reminded of the Samaritan in Luke 10, who helped the wounded man and how he took him to an inn and told the innkeeper that whatever he spent more on him, he would repay......doing well beyond what would have been expected.
It also seemed that the people at Acura were coming around and helping more.
It also seemed that the people at Acura were coming around and helping more.
I was glad to read about God helping and working out all these problems, and now the car is working right.
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for sharing that you were reminded of the Samaritan where the sound company manager, Steve, is concerned. He certainly did far beyond anything I expected, doing everything he could do to help us.
And he never asked us for any money for his time and the time of the sound company techs. The day we picked up the car we took $200 to Steve as compensation, but he helped us with no expectation of payment.
On the other hand, even after Acura found that there was a defective module in the car causing the battery drain, they still charged us $160 which they said was not covered under warranty, which we paid.
When I went back and read in Luke 10 about the good Samaritan, I noticed that the man he helped "fell among thieves", and this reminded me of the Acura dealership overall.
Luke 10
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
***
Pam Padgett's response to Cathy's email:
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for sharing that you were reminded of the Samaritan where the sound company manager, Steve, is concerned. He certainly did far beyond anything I expected, doing everything he could do to help us.
And he never asked us for any money for his time and the time of the sound company techs. The day we picked up the car we took $200 to Steve as compensation, but he helped us with no expectation of payment.
On the other hand, even after Acura found that there was a defective module in the car causing the battery drain, they still charged us $160 which they said was not covered under warranty, which we paid.
When I went back and read in Luke 10 about the good Samaritan, I noticed that the man he helped "fell among thieves", and this reminded me of the Acura dealership overall.
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
***
The day the Acura service rep told me we would have to have the car towed to whoever installed the sound system and to pay Acura for the time they had spent, I felt a little like the description of the man who needed help ... "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." The Acura dealership wanted our money and to abandon us.
But God did not allow us to be destroyed and, instead, provided the help we needed. And everything worked together for our good as the car is in better condition now than when we first got it.
Love,
Pam
*****