Rogue 2009 starter issue - starter wont get the engine going on a cold day

Surprisingly I have had nothing remarkable to mention about the Nissan Rogue 2009 for a while. That speaks to how low maintenance this crossover is. Or was, until last week, that is.

Issue: Turning the car key doesn't start the engine, instead theres a quickfire clicking noise and the dashboard lights flicker. 

Symptoms:
It was an unusually cold day, I had just driven the car and parked the night before just fine. In the morning, I put the key into the ignition and turned, expecting to hear the starter fire up the engine (or as I've come to learn it be called, "turn the car over".

However, soon as I turned the key I heard a rapid-fire buzzing / clicking noise (almost like a woodpecker), along with a fast flickering of dashboard lights. There was no actual spark-ignition sound to the engine. The brake pedal would not disengage and allow me to press it, nor did 'pumping' the pedal achieve anything. I tried this for a while to no effect. Turn the key, hear that quickfire sound, turn the key off, car is sitting quiet again. Here's a video of what this sounds and looks like, since this is probably the best way to compare your own situation:

Diagnosis?

Because it was a cold day and I haven't had much trouble with the car for a while, it made sense to first pick the lowest-hanging-fruit when it came to troubleshooting the problem. My car battery is the original Nissan Rogue 2009 battery - which means its about a year past its expected performance capacity , and we've been depending on the alternator to keep this guy charged. Heres the battery, in all its glory. Notice the green corrosion on one of the terminals:

The corroded terminal probably has impeded a good recharge (along with the age of the battery) while running on the alternator. 

That still leaves the question, Why would low battery power suddenly drop below ignition capability whereas the video clearly shows my dashboard lights working? - seems like the battery must be delivering enough voltage? The answer is probably with the amp capacity of the battery which degrades with age. Amps translate to the kick-in-the-pants kind of power in one-shot you need when you start your car and need the ignition to engage. To really confirm whether this was the case, here's a reading from a battery diagnostic tool, and you can see below:

A key takeaway here: CCA rating versus  CCA stands for "cold crank amp" which is how much can the battery delivery for a set amount of time at 0F temperature (ie when its very cold). As you can see, the Nissan Rogue battery is rated for 550 CCA whereas is delivering 61 CCA - potentially a reason why my engine wasnt turning over and starting.

Options ?

1. Jumper cables and jumpstart the car, after which Id have to leave the car running for a while so the alternator could juice the battery. This however would likely not be a good long term solution because if the battery is aged, then the alternator will likely have to overwork.
2. Call a tow truck to have the car towed to a service station, where they will run tests and either start the car or replace the battery
3. Call AAA, ask for a battery service truck to come to the car, which can test the battery, and either deliver a jump start, or provide a new battery (along with 3 year warranty), or provide a tow to a service station

I am a member of   and I decided given my lack of time (growing family), calling AAA was the right choice for me. 

 Why I like them

I like to think of AAA as a reliable broker for when you're on the road. You give them a call, and they walk you through what you need, go over your options and pricing, and send people to you. They also handle keeping up to date with where those people are , and how long it may take them to reach you - and keep you posted. Additionally, they check in periodically to ensure you are doing OK, and if you have any ancilliary needs - for example they can contact people on your behalf and let them know your situation. Finally, AAA also comes with a lot more than just roadside assistance for the low annual membership price. Im not sure who thought of coming up with an organization like theirs, but whoever did so had customer service in mind for sure. 

Anyhoo, since I was a member I gave them a buzz, they sent a battery truck out, the mechanic ran his tests, swapped in a new battery ( retail battery would be about $110 with 1 year warranty, plus labor to install if you don't want to do the installation and line tests yourself), and we were done.

Here's the car starting with no trouble (and do the dashboard lights look a little brighter?? probably.)

Lesson learnt:

1. Battery diagnostics on a periodic basis especially during colder months are worth the heads-up - otherwise you might find yourself stuck unable to start 
2. Keeping an eye on how old the battery is to figure out when to replace it, is also useful - its not reliable to assume the car's alternator will keep the battery going
3. Buy some jumper cables and keep in the car (i didnt have any)
4. AAA membership saved me a bunch of time (but not money)

There you go - my winter battery experience with a 6 year old car battery!