ever watching Breaking Bad? Remember that time Jessie left the keys in the ignition? they were stuck in the desert? I did that the night be for vacation and I happened to be headed to a vacation in the desert. yeah not good
My last car was a manual trans and I don't think the battery ever failed to start with one exception and I was able to just push it off. In the 3 years or so that I worked from home (at the time), I drove my car maybe a total of 1500 miles. My wife doesn't work, so I sold it. She and I now share the mini-van, which never gives us any problems but about 2 years or so ago, the battery started to go. I really missed being able to pop a clutch. I found that jumper cables don't help much if you only have one car. That's why I picked up a jumper pack. Works great and holds a charge for months.
Mine was a combination of battery going bad and leaving the headlights on. My car also has some electrical issues that may have contributed.
The battery was so dead that the jump pack the mall security cop had didn't help at all. Thankfully I have roadside assistance on my insurance and the gentleman who came to my aid had a more powerful jump pack. I do carry jumper cables that are probably more heavy-duty than necessary for my car, but no one would use them to try and jump my car (untrusting metro residents).
In high-school, I drove a 1988 Ford Festiva for a short stint. The electrical in it was screwed up, so replacing the alternator and battery didn't fix anything. You would be driving and it would just shut completely off and you were certain the mouse in the engine had died. A quick jump would usually solve it for another random interval of time (a day? an hour? A month!? Who the fuck knows!). My dad had an old pick up truck at the time that was only really driven if someone needed to move something. When he would come to my rescue after I broke down somewhere, he would drive it. The trips became so frequent, that he eventually permanently attached a set of jumper cables to his battery. They just hung out through the grill on the front of his truck and wrapped around the push bars on the bumper. When he would pull up to help, he didn't have to lift his hood or get out of the truck. It did make things easier and a lot faster (as long as you wrapped it back up right and they didn't short out.
Because I hang my goddamn keys too close to the car. My wife recently stepped up from her sedan to a minivan, which meant we had to switch sides in the garage, because my half of the garage was slightly longer. This placed my car a few feet closer to the key ring hanger by the garage door, which was apparently enough of a change for my Mini Cooper's "comfort access" to decide that I was still hanging out near the car, so it kept everything on all night, and I came out the next morning to a dead car.
This is the first time I had to jump start a newer car, and I also learned that new cars are all crazy complicated. My car has the battery programmed to it, so if I replace the battery and don't pay $175 to have the car programmed for it, it will overcharge the new battery and kill it in 6 months. And my car has a pyrotechnic charge on the positive terminal to let it disconnect the battery in the case of a crash, and all sorts of other malarkey. Modern technology.
@tallrob Well you are welcome to buy my 1990 ghetto van once I can afford something newer… just be prepared to buy many parts from the junk yard or jury rig things… rebuilt the engine one part at a time I think...
I have a lonely little sports car who sits bundled up in the garage all winter. Sometimes the trickle charge fails (junky or my fault, who knows) and everything dies. I have a portable charger that is fast and easy to use. I also feel less intimidated to use it versus jump starting from another car. Much simpler.
I think its a good time to mention that the battery in your car is full of strong acid and explosive hydrogen gas. Taking the time to learn how to properly jump start a car is more than negative and positive and black and red. Teach your kids (include your daughters!) and be prepared. http://learningcenter.statefarm.com/auto/safety/how-to-jump-start-a-car-safely/
@dvsjr I agree. I made my daughter learn how to change her oil and tires and check fluids before she was allowed to drive. Then she had to learn how to drive a standard.
@dvsjr I witnessed the consequences once of this. I was in a shop, and heard an explosion out in the parking lot. Looked up in time to see the battery top land on the blacktop. The hydrogen had exploded and taken the battery top off. I don't think the people attempting the jump were hurt......
@Thumperchick Nope, but it is something all girls should have to learn. Amazingly, if you teach your kids to take care of themselves, they can and do most times.
Is it sad that I only chose other because there was no all of the (minus the alternator) above option? I have no defense, but for the record I have memory loss problems, so yeah. Some of them I've had happen 3-5 times due to my own incompetence, and I've only owned a car for roughly 4 years now. Its terrifying.
Well we killed a battery launching rockets off of it one summer at my grandmother's farm. No problem to jump it though as a bunch of people had cables.
The thing that went ding ding when the door was open and the lights were on and the thing that switched them off after a time were broken, so that did it. I bought a jump box at that time, which I still have. My new car has enough battery capacity to get me forty miles before the engine comes on.
We have a pick-up that goes unused for long periods. The longer the period, the more likely it will need a jump. Maybe I should try to start it up tomorrow.
My fiance's car has some kind of battery drain protection built into it. It hasn't activated yet (we've had it less than a year) but supposedly there is some sort of system that detects a drain on the battery and will cut off power to the accessories in order to preserve its charge. Cool stuff.
I flew back to California early this year and left my car in the parking garage since the place I was working at the time had a shuttle to the airport. After dealing with some travel delays I didn't get to my car until after midnight and was supposed to work early the next morning.
I had the thought "hey, wouldn't it suck if my battery was dead" and sure enough...the battery is dead. I head over to the security desk up front and they tell me that they can't jump my car because someone complained in the past after they did it wrong. At this point I'm really annoyed and just want to get home so I'm in the parking garage on the phone with AAA and the awesome woman from the security desk rolls up and says "promise you won't tell anybody?" Got my car jumped in no time and I was on my way, she was really cool about it and saved me from further annoyance during an already annoying night.
Thanks again, super cool rule breaking security lady.
About two months ago. I let my car sit for about 5 months. Came back right away!
ever watching Breaking Bad? Remember that time Jessie left the keys in the ignition? they were stuck in the desert? I did that the night be for vacation and I happened to be headed to a vacation in the desert. yeah not good
Alarm wiring was screwed up and drained the battery ... I blame the ground hog that crawled into my car to hang out in the engine and chew things ...
My last car was a manual trans and I don't think the battery ever failed to start with one exception and I was able to just push it off. In the 3 years or so that I worked from home (at the time), I drove my car maybe a total of 1500 miles. My wife doesn't work, so I sold it. She and I now share the mini-van, which never gives us any problems but about 2 years or so ago, the battery started to go. I really missed being able to pop a clutch. I found that jumper cables don't help much if you only have one car. That's why I picked up a jumper pack. Works great and holds a charge for months.
Mine was a combination of battery going bad and leaving the headlights on. My car also has some electrical issues that may have contributed.
The battery was so dead that the jump pack the mall security cop had didn't help at all. Thankfully I have roadside assistance on my insurance and the gentleman who came to my aid had a more powerful jump pack. I do carry jumper cables that are probably more heavy-duty than necessary for my car, but no one would use them to try and jump my car (untrusting metro residents).
In high-school, I drove a 1988 Ford Festiva for a short stint. The electrical in it was screwed up, so replacing the alternator and battery didn't fix anything. You would be driving and it would just shut completely off and you were certain the mouse in the engine had died. A quick jump would usually solve it for another random interval of time (a day? an hour? A month!? Who the fuck knows!). My dad had an old pick up truck at the time that was only really driven if someone needed to move something. When he would come to my rescue after I broke down somewhere, he would drive it. The trips became so frequent, that he eventually permanently attached a set of jumper cables to his battery. They just hung out through the grill on the front of his truck and wrapped around the push bars on the bumper. When he would pull up to help, he didn't have to lift his hood or get out of the truck. It did make things easier and a lot faster (as long as you wrapped it back up right and they didn't short out.
@capguncowboy I love that story, that your dad just accepted it and worked to help you. Very nice.
Where's the Non-Driver option?
A short in the back up camera. Took me awhile to track that one down.
Because I hang my goddamn keys too close to the car. My wife recently stepped up from her sedan to a minivan, which meant we had to switch sides in the garage, because my half of the garage was slightly longer. This placed my car a few feet closer to the key ring hanger by the garage door, which was apparently enough of a change for my Mini Cooper's "comfort access" to decide that I was still hanging out near the car, so it kept everything on all night, and I came out the next morning to a dead car.
This is the first time I had to jump start a newer car, and I also learned that new cars are all crazy complicated. My car has the battery programmed to it, so if I replace the battery and don't pay $175 to have the car programmed for it, it will overcharge the new battery and kill it in 6 months. And my car has a pyrotechnic charge on the positive terminal to let it disconnect the battery in the case of a crash, and all sorts of other malarkey. Modern technology.
@TheCowGod That's why I buy the oldest car I can find. I call myself "the final owner".
@tallrob Well you are welcome to buy my 1990 ghetto van once I can afford something newer… just be prepared to buy many parts from the junk yard or jury rig things… rebuilt the engine one part at a time I think...
@TheCowGod Lolwot
It was a ten year-old Volvo. About time the battery died.
I have a lonely little sports car who sits bundled up in the garage all winter. Sometimes the trickle charge fails (junky or my fault, who knows) and everything dies. I have a portable charger that is fast and easy to use. I also feel less intimidated to use it versus jump starting from another car. Much simpler.
@crktfrog I like cars. What cha got?
Lights don't go off automatically on new cars? No. Killed the battery in a rental and almost missed flight out the next day.
was camping and tailgating with music for a few hours then low and behold.. everything shut off
Never needed to, and what does it have to do with the battery?
I think its a good time to mention that the battery in your car is full of strong acid and explosive hydrogen gas. Taking the time to learn how to properly jump start a car is more than negative and positive and black and red. Teach your kids (include your daughters!) and be prepared.
http://learningcenter.statefarm.com/auto/safety/how-to-jump-start-a-car-safely/
@dvsjr but it's no fun if there's no sparks
@dvsjr I agree. I made my daughter learn how to change her oil and tires and check fluids before she was allowed to drive. Then she had to learn how to drive a standard.
@dvsjr I witnessed the consequences once of this. I was in a shop, and heard an explosion out in the parking lot. Looked up in time to see the battery top land on the blacktop. The hydrogen had exploded and taken the battery top off. I don't think the people attempting the jump were hurt......
@PyxienTX Dad, is that you?
@Thumperchick Nope, but it is something all girls should have to learn. Amazingly, if you teach your kids to take care of themselves, they can and do most times.
Is it sad that I only chose other because there was no all of the (minus the alternator) above option? I have no defense, but for the record I have memory loss problems, so yeah. Some of them I've had happen 3-5 times due to my own incompetence, and I've only owned a car for roughly 4 years now. Its terrifying.
Well we killed a battery launching rockets off of it one summer at my grandmother's farm. No problem to jump it though as a bunch of people had cables.
The thing that went ding ding when the door was open and the lights were on and the thing that switched them off after a time were broken, so that did it. I bought a jump box at that time, which I still have. My new car has enough battery capacity to get me forty miles before the engine comes on.
Never had any issues with my truck, but used my cables 5 times this year jumping cars for people at work.
I left the heated grips on my motorcycle on. Bah.
@flynnski Oooohhhhh...heated grips. I'm jealous. No, seriously, I really am jealous.
We have a pick-up that goes unused for long periods. The longer the period, the more likely it will need a jump. Maybe I should try to start it up tomorrow.
Another non-driver here. It's possible to live without a car, sort of. Presuming you can hang out at Meh and rabble rouse a bit.
My fiance's car has some kind of battery drain protection built into it. It hasn't activated yet (we've had it less than a year) but supposedly there is some sort of system that detects a drain on the battery and will cut off power to the accessories in order to preserve its charge. Cool stuff.
I flew back to California early this year and left my car in the parking garage since the place I was working at the time had a shuttle to the airport. After dealing with some travel delays I didn't get to my car until after midnight and was supposed to work early the next morning.
I had the thought "hey, wouldn't it suck if my battery was dead" and sure enough...the battery is dead. I head over to the security desk up front and they tell me that they can't jump my car because someone complained in the past after they did it wrong. At this point I'm really annoyed and just want to get home so I'm in the parking garage on the phone with AAA and the awesome woman from the security desk rolls up and says "promise you won't tell anybody?" Got my car jumped in no time and I was on my way, she was really cool about it and saved me from further annoyance during an already annoying night.
Thanks again, super cool rule breaking security lady.