Dead Car Battery: Someone online was driving a relative's car, and the battery went completely dead. He couldn't close the windows or lock the car, so he had to stay with it. He called...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Someone online was driving a relative's car, and the battery went completely dead. He couldn't close the windows or lock the car, so he had to stay with it. He called AAA, and the guy said the battery was beyond help, so he bought a new one. I had never thought about a dead battery preventing the windows to close or the doors to lock.

I carry one of those little ni-cad battery jumpers in my car.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Years ago I had one car where the battery died and took out the alternator.
All the dash lights flashed and the engine quit.
Luckily I had enough momentum to pull into a small parking area.
Had to get towed.

BebuLamar

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone online was driving a relative's car, and the battery went completely dead. He couldn't close the windows or lock the car, so he had to stay with it. He called AAA, and the guy said the battery was beyond help, so he bought a new one. I had never thought about a dead battery preventing the windows to close or the doors to lock.

I carry one of those little ni-cad battery jumpers in my car.

With no power the windows can't go up or down but if you can't lock the doors then you can't open it either and it's a very dangerous situation.
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2015/06/10/a-texas-man-and-his-dog-die-after-becoming-trapped-in-his-2007-corvette/

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone online was driving a relative's car, and the battery went completely dead. He couldn't close the windows or lock the car, so he had to stay with it. He called AAA, and the guy said the battery was beyond help, so he bought a new one. I had never thought about a dead battery preventing the windows to close or the doors to lock.

Agreed. Not that it's happened to me yet, but you read about people trapped in their car after plunging into a river or lake and they can't get out because the power windows wouldn't open. Less dangerous is how many times a quick burst of rain caused me to run outside to close my windows, only to find I'd forgotten my key.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

fourlocks wrote:

Agreed. Not that it's happened to me yet, but you read about people trapped in their car after plunging into a river or lake and they can't get out because the power windows wouldn't open. Less dangerous is how many times a quick burst of rain caused me to run outside to close my windows, only to find I'd forgotten my key.

I keep a sharp pointed heavy tool in the driver side pocket of both cars for exactly that reason

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Longshadow wrote:

Years ago I had one car where the battery died and took out the alternator.
All the dash lights flashed and the engine quit.
Luckily I had enough momentum to pull into a small parking area.
Had to get towed.

Yep when Alternator senses less than 12.5 it ramps up the charge if the alternator loses connection with the battery it goes wide open 20+vdc and poof goes the lights and a bunch of other stuff.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

BebuLamar wrote:

With no power the windows can't go up or down but if you can't lock the doors then you can't open it either and it's a very dangerous situation.
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2015/06/10/a-texas-man-and-his-dog-die-after-becoming-trapped-in-his-2007-corvette/

I have never seen a car where you could not open the drivers doors from the inside except if its in gear and/or the rear door child safety locks

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Manglesphoto wrote:

Yep when Alternator senses less than 12.5 it ramps up the charge if the alternator loses connection with the battery it goes wide open 20+vdc and poof goes the lights and a bunch of other stuff.

Odd, I lost nothing but the alternator, and of course the battery.
The dash lights (all indicators) lit up then the car went completely dead.

Nigel7 Loc: Worcestershire. UK.

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone online was driving a relative's car, and the battery went completely dead. He couldn't close the windows or lock the car, so he had to stay with it. He called AAA, and the guy said the battery was beyond help, so he bought a new one. I had never thought about a dead battery preventing the windows to close or the doors to lock.

I carry one of those little ni-cad battery jumpers in my car.

I have carried a Lithium jump starter ever since arriving back from 6 weeks in New Zealand and finding my car battery flat in the airport car park at midnight!! Apparently modern cars with all their electronic alarms, immobilisers and trackers etc, can flatten a battery if left more than 3 weeks.
The small glass hammers, with a seat belt cutting tool on the other end, are a wise investment. They do say that if you get in deep flood water open the windows immediately before the electrics trip out.

therwol Loc: USA

Manglesphoto wrote:

I have never seen a car where you could not open the drivers doors from the inside except if its in gear and/or the rear door child safety locks

If the car plunges into a river, the pressure of the water from the outside will prevent a normal human from opening any door. You can't open one until the car fills with water and the pressure equalizes. This has never happened to me, but I would imagine that if you have an open window, you can get out before the car sinks to that level. I have one of these in each of my cars. I don't normally drive with any windows open.
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Emergency-Cutter-Window-Accessories/dp/B073JCMTW2/ref=sr_1_1_ffob_sspa?crid=BVBAQBZMQJKU&keywords=car%2Bwindow%2Bbreaker%2Band%2Bseatbelt%2Bcutter&qid=1695319568&sprefix=car%2Bwindow%2Bbreaker%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

BebuLamar

Manglesphoto wrote:

I have never seen a car where you could not open the drivers doors from the inside except if its in gear and/or the rear door child safety locks

But there are a lot of cars now that you can not open the doors if you have no electricity unless you know how. I rented a car in Germany 20 years ago and I don't know how to open the door with no electricity so I never lock the door when I was inside the car. I guess there is a way but the manual didn't help.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Ya'll could make a person want to just quit driving!!!

SteveFranz Loc: Durham, NC

I believe it is an issue with the current (pun intended) generation of lead acid batteries. I don't think I mistreat my batteries, but several times now I have had batteries die as they approach their end of warranty time. My car will start & run just fine. I'll shut it off, and 5 minutes or an hour later the battery is totally dead. Door won't unlock, dashboard won't light up - nothing. Just a sudden & total loss of juice.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

My 2005 prius had the 12 v battery by the hatch door in the back, not in the engine compartment. When the 12 v battery died and there were no jump points labelled in the engine compartment I couldn't open the hatch to get at the battery and the trunk was full of stuff. Had to crawl over the back seat and get as much as possible out of the trunk so I could get at the inside latch.

There were jump points in the engine compartment but I couldn't find them and they weren't labelled.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

SteveFranz wrote:

I believe it is an issue with the current (pun intended) generation of lead acid batteries. I don't think I mistreat my batteries, but several times now I have had batteries die as they approach their end of warranty time. My car will start & run just fine. I'll shut it off, and 5 minutes or an hour later the battery is totally dead. Door won't unlock, dashboard won't light up - nothing. Just a sudden & total loss of juice.

I had that happen once YEARS ago after about 4 years on a battery. Started, went to the store, came out of the store, nada.
Shorted cell. happens randomly with age, and no forewarning.