Most of the newer autos have solenoid opening doors. Hood is almost impossible to open from outside. Slimjim protection is in place. Dealer will know how to unlock. Bout the only way to get to elec system is pull the belly pan or a wheel and inner fender well. If in the wrong part of town, somebody might have it open by now.
Help Locked Car...... Ugggh!
- Thread starter JWFilips
- Start date
JWFilips
Well-Known Member
Well he got some good news today....The Mall will not tow the car! He checked in with security to let them know he has a disabled vehicle there and since he was smart and parked far to the end of the lot, they said he has all the time he needs!
Temperature have been in the mid 90's and working out on the blacktop drains a person real quick!
We are going to get the remnants of that Hurricane tomorrow and Saturday so things should cool down!
Temperature have been in the mid 90's and working out on the blacktop drains a person real quick!
We are going to get the remnants of that Hurricane tomorrow and Saturday so things should cool down!
RBHarter
West Central AR
I worked a new car dealer for a while . Fords had I think 6 spades ,12 Keys . They were a Chrysler/Plymouth dealer , I can vouch for the entry level vs high end ease of access . The 90ish Duster was an inside door handle/lock button only situation , the LHS was slip , slide , lift and you're in . The Concord and like models had inconvenience bars installed that you had to reach around .
JWFilips
Well-Known Member
Well the drama ended this morning! Went with my son to drive his car home in case the Buick ran & It did!
He was able to pop the hood latch from underneath with a pair of pliers on the cable! ( a suggestion here!) Put the fully charged battery in. Hooked up the Positive Terminal with the new screw I made for him ( now he has good contact there) Got the ground terminal on and the doors opened and the car started and he headed to his friend ( close to our home who is a Battery guy) I followed him just in case...
The Battery guy checked the battery and then the Alternator and said the alternator is not putting out enough to charge the battery ( so this plus a stripped positive terminal screw was the situation in a nutshell!
Good news is, when we got home he checked his stock of parts and he has a new GM alternator that was gifted to him a few years ago!
Thank you for everyone's input....If anything; he learned a lot from all of your suggestions! He was amazed that there was a place like that ...where you can post a situation and people are interested enough to post their thoughts on how to solve it!
I told him this Forum is a very special place...Indeed!
Jim
He was able to pop the hood latch from underneath with a pair of pliers on the cable! ( a suggestion here!) Put the fully charged battery in. Hooked up the Positive Terminal with the new screw I made for him ( now he has good contact there) Got the ground terminal on and the doors opened and the car started and he headed to his friend ( close to our home who is a Battery guy) I followed him just in case...
The Battery guy checked the battery and then the Alternator and said the alternator is not putting out enough to charge the battery ( so this plus a stripped positive terminal screw was the situation in a nutshell!
Good news is, when we got home he checked his stock of parts and he has a new GM alternator that was gifted to him a few years ago!
Thank you for everyone's input....If anything; he learned a lot from all of your suggestions! He was amazed that there was a place like that ...where you can post a situation and people are interested enough to post their thoughts on how to solve it!
I told him this Forum is a very special place...Indeed!
Jim
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Glad he got back on the road for not much money.
fiver
Well-Known Member
I went through the battery thing last winter.
turns out the idiot battery installer guy that lives here wasn't tightening the positive cable tight enough on the Bronco and had to keep switching in the spare charged battery every week.
oh well,,, the Mustangs battery was up and ready to go this spring...LOL, and lesson learned.
but now I wonder if I needed a new battery last fall after putting a new one in just a few months earlier when we rebuilt the engine, or if I wasn't putting that last turn on the cable.
turns out the idiot battery installer guy that lives here wasn't tightening the positive cable tight enough on the Bronco and had to keep switching in the spare charged battery every week.
oh well,,, the Mustangs battery was up and ready to go this spring...LOL, and lesson learned.
but now I wonder if I needed a new battery last fall after putting a new one in just a few months earlier when we rebuilt the engine, or if I wasn't putting that last turn on the cable.
Rick H
Well-Known Member
Here in salt soaked Michigan we get black rot in the battery harness that runs to the starter. The connection looks fine but the wire under the insulation get all black and corroded and the cheesy lugs rot away as well. On Ford PU it is part of a $140 harness. The solution is to cut back the corroded end till you get to solid clean copper. Solder on a solid copper cable lug, and you are good to go. Most will try to sell you a new harness. The new lug cost's about $2 and a 1/2 hours work. There is enough length in the harness to do this a couple of times if needed. We usually don't see this crop up until the vehicle is 5 or 6 years old.
Ian
Notorious member
In today's mobile computer networks (automobiles), clean power is essential. Terminals and posts cleaned to bare metal, tightened well, and sealed is the only way to go. I can't begin to recount the number of cars with "gremlins" I've fixed simply by cleaning and tightening battery or body ground connections. Those cables rotted down inside the insulation will fool you until you do a cranking voltage drop test on the cables, then it rears its head.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I learned a LONG time ago the importance good battery cables and terminals. Back in my hot rod days I found that the best battery in the world was useless if you couldn't get enough current to the starter. And trying to turn a hot, high compression motor took its toll on inferior components.
Like Ian, I've fixed a multitude of vehicles simply by correcting those little problems.
When I need to replace factory cables I always go with the fattest and shortest cable I can get away with. Some of the heavy duty aftermarket terminals are better the factory ones. I've even been known to make my own cables with heavy duty lugs and terminals. Tin the strands with solder before clampimg and staking the ends on. The lugs get heat shrink tubing after everything is tight.
Battery posts and terminals get cleaned with wire brushes. Everything gets snugged up and then coated with spray on battery sealant. Some people like to use grease to protect the terminals but I've found the spray on sealer is better in the long run.
Alternators get new brushes at about 75K miles (cheap and extends the life of the alternator) and by about 150-175K the slip rings, bearings or diode bridge is done for and the entire unit gets replaced.
I'm fortunate to have a top notch local battery shop nearby. On the rare occasions that I need a new battery, I get a high end commerical grade battery in a plain black case with the local guy's label on it. They've been Johnson Control batteries for the most part. When I install the battery I use a silver Sharpie to write the install date on top in big numbers. I know they have date codes on them but it's just SO much easier to see that big date on top.
You can avoid a lot of trouble with a little maintenance.
Like Ian, I've fixed a multitude of vehicles simply by correcting those little problems.
When I need to replace factory cables I always go with the fattest and shortest cable I can get away with. Some of the heavy duty aftermarket terminals are better the factory ones. I've even been known to make my own cables with heavy duty lugs and terminals. Tin the strands with solder before clampimg and staking the ends on. The lugs get heat shrink tubing after everything is tight.
Battery posts and terminals get cleaned with wire brushes. Everything gets snugged up and then coated with spray on battery sealant. Some people like to use grease to protect the terminals but I've found the spray on sealer is better in the long run.
Alternators get new brushes at about 75K miles (cheap and extends the life of the alternator) and by about 150-175K the slip rings, bearings or diode bridge is done for and the entire unit gets replaced.
I'm fortunate to have a top notch local battery shop nearby. On the rare occasions that I need a new battery, I get a high end commerical grade battery in a plain black case with the local guy's label on it. They've been Johnson Control batteries for the most part. When I install the battery I use a silver Sharpie to write the install date on top in big numbers. I know they have date codes on them but it's just SO much easier to see that big date on top.
You can avoid a lot of trouble with a little maintenance.