Crazy car trouble

[baby duck]

I went home to see my parents this weekend with just the kids. Drove straight back to the in-laws for our semi-usual Sunday night family dinner. Loaded the kids to take them home after, and my car was dead. Lights and everything would come on, but she wouldn't crank. Tried to jump the battery, and still nothing. Luckily, MIL has car seats for the kids in her car, and she didn't need her car bright and early the next morning, so we pushed mine out of the way and I used hers to get the kids and everything home. Tow the car to my mechanic, he switches out the blasted battery and everything is fine.:mad: It was *not* behaving like a need-a-new-battery issue. And the battery was only two years old, so DH took it back to AutoZone tonight and got a full refund.

I am grateful however, that it was the battery. Cheapest fix. And I am also grateful that it got me all the way back to home (sort of) before it decided to die on me.

[cgwoolf]

And even more grateful that it happened there rather than out on the road.

[Wilson]

Oh, I'm glad it was another easy fix! Sorry about the tow, but gosh it could have been a lot worse :(.

[aggie02a]

Have your alternator checked. It could be draining the battery.

Could possibly not be the battery's problem at all!

[Sally Hardesty]

I *think* it was Auto Zone where I had recently noticed they now do cheap tows and I believe they also advertise free alternator checks.

[Handyman]

I have twice assisted someone with this problem. If your lights come on but the car will not crank, try shifting the car out of Park to neutral, then firmly shift it back to Park. Sometimes the sensor doesn't click and the vehicle computer "thinks" the car is in gear and will not crank.

[baby duck]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. We did have the alternator checked, and it is fine. I have accidently stopped the car without putting it in park before (I learned to drive on and am more accustomed to a stick) and this wasn't the same behavior. The mechanic implied that he's seen several bad Auto Zone batteries this summer, but DH and I have a suspicion that perhaps there is something fishy going on with the car alarm. The reason we replaced the battery two years ago is because it wasn't responding to the fobs, and changing the battery in the fobs didn't fix the problem. Changing the battery in the car did. I am less dependent on the fob when I have the kids with me, because I worry that the car will lock and I won't be able to get them out, so I use the key more after the problems we had two years ago.

We're going to give it some time, and if it starts acting crazy again, it will go to the dealership so that they can check the alarm and locks.

[Sally Hardesty]

what's a fob?

[baby duck]

You know, the little doo-hickey with the buttons for the alarm. You press lock/unlock and the car beeps and flashes its lights at you.

[msucowboy97]

BD --- just 2 months ago i got up in the morning and my truck was dead. I was pissed. it was the battery. I wanted a refund too but the guy said the battery was 10 years old. I didnt know they even lasted that long. I went though my truck files sure enough i never replaced my battery in the 10 years of owning the truck.

[Sally Hardesty]

You know, the little doo-hickey with the buttons for the alarm. You press lock/unlock and the car beeps and flashes its lights at you.

Oh. Never heard it refereed to as a fob. What a strange word for a thingy on a key. :p

[aggie02a]

I think I knew it was called a fob, but I dont know that I have ever referred to it as more than a doo-hickey or thing-a-mabob!

lol!