Re: My mother sucks

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Ken Briscoe (youcant_at_sendmespam.com)
Date: 01/21/05 

Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 11:08:10 -0500

"Frisbee®" <bhileman@dasi-software.com> wrote in message
news:uws1HH9$EHA.464@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Ken Briscoe wrote:
> > Mother nature, that is. She froze my fuel lines, that tramp. While
> > I'm not in Alaska or anything, -5 overnight is still pretty cold.
> > And, of course, I didn't have a bottle of DryGas in my gas tank.
>
> Too late now, since your battery's dead, but you probably should have
tried
> a spray can of starter. I don't remember what they call it anymore, it's
> been 25 years since I've had to drive in cold weather. You take off the
> cover to your air filter and spray the stuff right in the air intake.
Never
> failed for me to start the car no matter how cold.

I don't know the technical term, but "ether" is what I used. I don't feel
like going down to the garage to read the label.

> Your battery was most likely NOT dead, it's just a reaction to the cold.

Right....it *was* not dead. I'm pretty sure it was just iced in teh fuel
lines. But after trying 85.3 times to start the car, *now* it's dead.

> Keep your receipt on the new battery. Let the old one warm up a bit
inside
> your place and test it later. No point in buying a new battery that will
> only get cold, too, if the old one still works.

I'm 100% sure that if I can get it started (jump start, whatever), that the
battery will hold a charge, as I installed some fancy-pants electronics in
it a few weeks ago, and over the course of the day, almost killed the
battery. Gave it a jump with my dad's car, and I haven't had a problem
since. So the alternator works, but I don't (and didn't this morning) have a
car handy to jump it. So I figured what the hell, I'll just drop $50 on a
new battery, instead of waiting for a tow truck or calling one of my parents
at work to come jump me. Or, god forbid, tracking down one of my crazy
neighbors.

> What about the contacts?
> Was there a lot of corrosion?

Clean as a whistle. Not an ounce of muck.

> Believe it or not, coca-cola makes a good
> terminal contact cleaner,

I've heard that...imagine what that crap does to your teeth? Damn.

> but in your case, you just might make a frozen
> coke instead.

Yes, coke-sicle under the hood.

> Good luck (or bad luck if you'd rather stay home).

What the hell? I have sick days and vacation days just burning a hole in my
pocket.

> PLEASEdon'ttrytostartme...
>
> PLEASEdon'trytostartme....
>
> I'mtooCOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOld.
> I'mtooCOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOld.

Whoa, you *do* know cars! That's the sound it was making!

Ken

Relevant Pages

  • Re: My car needs CPR
    ... I finally took my car to a mechanic. ... I use the positive side of the battery, do I hook it to the cylinod? ... then it's getting no fuel or there is no spark ... The only thing I can think of now is the Fuel Injection Pressure ...
    (rec.autos.tech)
  • Re: A3 Stall Problem
    ... vs. around $40 for a generic off ebay, ... battery was discharged and we had to jump it with a jump box. ... and the car wouldn't run over 2500 RPM most of the time. ...
    (rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled)
  • jump leads and jump starting
    ... I am looking you buy some jump leads "just in case". ... why doesn't the same apply to the "good" car? ... ten minutes to charge the flat battery. ... During this time isn't the flat battery being charged by both cars? ...
    (uk.rec.cars.maintenance)
  • Re: My car needs CPR
    ... A bad fuel pump does 'not' make for a slow starter, ... I finally took my car to a mechanic. ... I use the positive side of the battery, do I hook it to the cylinod? ...
    (rec.autos.tech)
  • Re: Yes, hybrids can mean savings
    ... but when CR says something they do not want to hear about the car ... all of a sudden it is only CRs opinion. ... use less fuel for those that can afford to help save the planet. ... By the way the high voltage battery pack warranty is prorated, ...
    (alt.autos.toyota)