RyderMax

Today, I (tried) to go out in the Max. Got to the foot of my driveway, and instantly everything died. No engine, no dash, no radio, no lights --- nothing.

Checked under the hood, looked at the security relays and other master relays, but everything looked Ok. Positive post on the battery was grungy - maybe too grungy?

Got back in the car - she started, and I got her back in the driveway, and off the street.

So, let's clean the + battery terminal. And, yeah, it's loose. Clean it up, and I notice it's broken at the clamp bolt - no clamp, no juice.

Go get a new battery terminal, install, (take off to put the rubber cover back on, install [sigh]) wash off corrosion junk. Get into the car - nothing. Dead.

Take another look - and notice that the negative clamp is loose. And broken too. (!)

This time I have to get to Crappy Tire to get a new clamp.

Hop into my other car (91 Civic SI), and all I get when I turn the key is a Beep, beeeeeeeeep, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee - Dead battery in that one too (!). Lately it was having a little trouble starting up, but ... [sigh]

[back in the house for my first coffee]

So, lesson for you guys out there - check your battery clamps. Make sure they're sound.

-or-

Before you head out first thing in the morning, have a coffee first.

m

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

I am glad my car is a light color. because... 2-3 weeks ago, I was driving on US-1/401 South toward the I-440 junction in Raleigh NC. Lots of stoplights and stuff along that stretch, 45mph limit, lots of traffic. It's around 9pm at night. The past week, i had had an issue where I would turn the key and it would CLICK and everything would die. So i would push on a harness on the positive cable complex, and everything would work.

Back to US-1/401. Climbing a hill at 9pm.. driving, driving, driving. And then all the sudden....
Click. nothing. No brakes, no steering, no power, no lights. 45mph rolling and NOTHING. Cars behind me, cars beside me, luck on my side. A couple times people behind me turned on their flashers to let people know I was having a problem, because obviously, I couldn't. I got out, messed with that harness again, my headlights lit up so i knew i was in business, started it, pulled into the next lot over ASAP, and continued inspecting. I poked around a second or two, went to my trunk to grab my 1/4" drive socket, extension, 10 and 13mm sockets. Unhooked neg cable, rehooked pos cable (turns out the SOB was loose and messing with the in=line harness actually just repositioned the connector on the post, though I didn't know until just then), rehooked the neg cable, drove off relieved.

Shoulda had my coffee that morning..