I need a mechanic

[dclpluto]

UPDATE!!

So we (my daughter & I) went by at about 8:30 this morning to check on it. At this point it had been sitting for 14 hours, after being jumped and sitting idelling for about 20 -30 minutes hoping to get it to move. It started right up and I was able to drive it with no issues. So yes it was the battery that caused the issue so @dcpluto (and myself) were correct that it was the battery that caused the issue.

As a precaution I drove it around for about 15 minutes and then went grocery shopping. No issues starting it and starting it again.

so glad it turned out good. I wasn’t completely right I said you needed a new battery. It’s a shame thou some people who have no clue what they are talking about will try to tell you it was the transmission. Some people just think the worse.

 

[bcla]

UPDATE!!

So we (my daughter & I) went by at about 8:30 this morning to check on it. At this point it had been sitting for 14 hours, after being jumped and sitting idelling for about 20 -30 minutes hoping to get it to move. It started right up and I was able to drive it with no issues. So yes it was the battery that caused the issue so @dcpluto (and myself) were correct that it was the battery that caused the issue.

As a precaution I drove it around for about 15 minutes and then went grocery shopping. No issues starting it and starting it again.

Good to see it works again. It might still be a good idea to charge up the battery fully using an external charger. I've had a battery that sat for a while without the car running or being charged. As far as I can tell it's still good. I bought it in for an alignment and they ran a bunch of checks including a battery test. If the battery is fairly new then it might still be usable as long as it wasn't left deeply discharged too long.

 

[disneychrista]

so glad it turned out good. I wasn’t completely right I said you needed a new battery. It’s a shame thou some people who have no clue what they are talking about will try to tell you it was the transmission. Some people just think the worse.

I was fairly certain that it wasn't the transmission, other than maybe some electrical part need to be "reset."

 

[bcla]

I was fairly certain that it wasn't the transmission, other than maybe some electrical part need to be "reset."

Some things are really crazy when they get stuck and the electronics can't really figure out how to get it back to a reset state. The CD changer in my car hasn't worked for years and my CDs are stuck in there. But I can hear it trying to figure out what state it's in before it gives up.

It may not have been an electrical/electronic issue per se. These things are mechanical and sometimes some fault in the mechanical side like a laser printer being stuck in a state where the control side can't figure out what to do.. I have firsthand experience with that.

Some car parts have to be reset with specialty equipment that may only be available at the dealer. I remember one maintenance job (ABS brake fluid change) where a specialty shop told me they wanted to buy a manufacturer's reset system, but the manufacturer simply wouldn't sell it.

 

[disneychrista]

So it is four weeks later and my car is once again stuck in the parking lot and won't start.

I took it in 2 weeks ago (to the day), they checked out the battery and gave it a deep charge. Said I should be good to go. Well, this morning I was "funny" when it started and at lunch (noon) it wouldn't start. So when my daughter got home from work, we and tried to jump it. It won't start at all. It is making a clicking sound when I turn the key that continues for a few seconds after I turned off the key. The dash lights would flicker as well.

I already made an appointment to have the battery replaced on Tuesday, of course they are closed on weekends and Monday is a holiday. Now I am wondering if it is more than just the battery. I am hoping that the starter is not also going out. UGH!

 

[Dan Murphy]

tried to jump it. It won't start at all. It is making a clicking sound when I turn the key

That sounds like battery to me.

 

[disneychrista]

That sounds like battery to me.

Thanks Dan. It SHOULD be the battery, as that was the original issue. Plus everything seems to be effected by the battery/electrical in this car. Guess I'll find out on Tuesday.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So it is four weeks later and my car is once again stuck in the parking lot and won't start.

I took it in 2 weeks ago (to the day), they checked out the battery and gave it a deep charge. Said I should be good to go. Well, this morning I was "funny" when it started and at lunch (noon) it wouldn't start. So when my daughter got home from work, we and tried to jump it. It won't start at all. It is making a clicking sound when I turn the key that continues for a few seconds after I turned off the key. The dash lights would flicker as well.

I already made an appointment to have the battery replaced on Tuesday, of course they are closed on weekends and Monday is a holiday. Now I am wondering if it is more than just the battery. I am hoping that the starter is not also going out. UGH!

Can you not get to an auto parts store (Napa, Advanced, O'Reilly, Walmart even etc)? They can test the battery to see if it will hold a charge.

Ironically we had to replace my husband's battery today. 2 weekends ago when he went to Walmart to get a grocery pick up it died in the pick up area. They jump started his car. But today after running around for errands we had it happen again. We would have called AAA but it would have taken longer than asking these people right by us if they wouldn't mind giving us a jump (we had the jumper cables), they were fine with it and we just drove down the street to get a new battery at O'Reilly.

Last year in the spring/early summer we neglected to start my car for too long and the battery went bad. Took the battery itself to Walmart, they put it on a charger for a few hours and told us it won't hold the charge, time for a new battery. We got it there and they installed it. forgot my husband actually did this one. The previous battery for my car the place installed it.

The only catch is these places having a battery that works for your car. Unfortunately batteries are not cheap like they used to be.

 

[bcla]

So it is four weeks later and my car is once again stuck in the parking lot and won't start.

I took it in 2 weeks ago (to the day), they checked out the battery and gave it a deep charge. Said I should be good to go. Well, this morning I was "funny" when it started and at lunch (noon) it wouldn't start. So when my daughter got home from work, we and tried to jump it. It won't start at all. It is making a clicking sound when I turn the key that continues for a few seconds after I turned off the key. The dash lights would flicker as well.

I already made an appointment to have the battery replaced on Tuesday, of course they are closed on weekends and Monday is a holiday. Now I am wondering if it is more than just the battery. I am hoping that the starter is not also going out. UGH!

Been there. Done that. It takes more current to turn the starter than to turn on the electronics. You can have enough in the battery to turn on the lights and maybe operate the door locks.

Also - there's something called a "surface charge" where there's a short term spike in voltage and max current. But if you let it sit a while the battery self-discharges to the point where it.

I've had a weak battery where the starter solenoid will just click and then do nothing. It might be possible to jump start it, but really a new battery is the way to handle it.

Changing a lead acid battery is actually quite simple if you have someone willing to do it and follow proper procedure. A new battery is unlikely to outgas hydrogen, so a spark when the circuit is completed isn't likely to result in a ball of flame. But this can be a problem when jump starting a weak battery. You'll need basic tools like a 10mm socket and a socket wrench. Maybe a deep socket for the clamps.

 

[disneychrista]

The only catch is these places having a battery that works for your car. Unfortunately batteries are not cheap like they used to be.

The battery I have now has a 100 months pro-rated warranty on it and I have only had it less than 45 months, so that should mean about a 50% discount on the new battery (the way I figure it at least). So I have to wait until Tuesday to take it to dealer.

I am going to try to jump it again, with my other daughters car. Her battery is new, so maybe it will work better than 6 year old battery in my younger daughters car. One can hope. I would much rather have my car sitting "dead" in front of my house vs in the public lot by my work.

 

[bcla]

Can you not get to an auto parts store (Napa, Advanced, O'Reilly, Walmart even etc)? They can test the battery to see if it will hold a charge.

Ironically we had to replace my husband's battery today. 2 weekends ago when he went to Walmart to get a grocery pick up it died in the pick up area. They jump started his car. But today after running around for errands we had it happen again. We would have called AAA but it would have taken longer than asking these people right by us if they wouldn't mind giving us a jump (we had the jumper cables), they were fine with it and we just drove down the street to get a new battery at O'Reilly.

Last year in the spring/early summer we neglected to start my car for too long and the battery went bad. Took the battery itself to Walmart, they put it on a charger for a few hours and told us it won't hold the charge, time for a new battery. We got it there and they installed it. forgot my husband actually did this one. The previous battery for my car the place installed it.

The only catch is these places having a battery that works for your car. Unfortunately batteries are not cheap like they used to be.

I mentioned the issue with a "surface charge". I had a battery that was going bad. I even fully charged it with a battery charger connected to AC power. Those generally charge better than just driving a car around and letting the alternator charge. Also - many people don't fully charge their batteries with a lot of short trips, and being near a full charge as often as possible is much better for car batteries. But I could maybe start the battery after it had just gone off the charger or I was able to start after a jump and restarted less than a half hour. But if I let it sit overnight it wouldn't start.

The 2014 Fiesta uses a Group 96R battery. It's kind of a weird one (it has recessed posts), but most auto parts stores should stock them. But the prices these days are ridiculous. I tend to buy my batteries at Costco now, and I think that one is about $85. But at auto parts stores an equivalent can sell for maybe $160 or even more. There's no real reason for that kind of disparity in price.

Personally - I like this brand (this is a Group 96R for the OP's vehicle):

This is the kind that used to be more common. It's not maintenance free, but has terminals at the top that can be removed to add water (preferably distilled). A lot of batteries die because they dry out. This is especially true in hot climates. Some batteries can have their caps taken off and refilled, but the ones with one cap over three holes is not specifically designed for it.

 

[dclpluto]

Good luck I’m thinking it’s just the battery since you completely drained it a month ago. That battery will never be the same. Don’t be surprise if they don’t honor the warranty on the battery since you completely drained it before by leaving the lights on.

 

[disneychrista]

Don’t be surprise if they don’t honor the warranty on the battery since you completely drained it before by leaving the lights on.

I’m prepared for that.

Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

 

[LuvOrlando]

This sounds like an awful hassle, if you don't get a new battery with the warranty I can recommend AAA, I've had them install more than once without any issues. They will come to wherever the car is, even at work, and put it in the car, zero headache. There are often coupons for this in the AAA magazines and about 4 months ago the car with the AAA battery went kaput and the guy just swapped it out under warranty in my driveway, all I needed was a photo of the receipt. It doesn't strike me as a high end battery since is is way cheaper than what the auto places want, but whatevs, when things go south it's AAA to the rescue anyway so if they honor their side of the bargain I'm game.

 

[disneychrista]

when things go south it's AAA to the rescue anyway so if they honor their side of the bargain I'm game.

I have had AAA since I started driving and would never be without them. I also got it for both my daughters when they started driving (I still pay for it too). I never thought about AAA for changing the battery though.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I have had AAA since I started driving and would never be without them. I also got it for both my daughters when they started driving (I still pay for it too). I never thought about AAA for changing the battery though.

I didn't either, I stumbled into the thing when my car battery cut out right after a snowstorm with temps around zero and the AAA person who came to jump it gave me a DOA assessment and offered to do it for me. The guy was so nice he pulled a coupon out of the magazine in his vehicle for me to use & so I can now spread the word.

 

[kymom99]

I didn't either, I stumbled into the thing when my car battery cut out right after a snowstorm with temps around zero and the AAA person who came to jump it gave me a DOA assessment and offered to do it for me. The guy was so nice he pulled a coupon out of the magazine in his vehicle for me to use & so I can now spread the word.

I love AAA too but this happened to us once:
My husband had a dead battery at work. We called for AAA and the guy they sent out said the battery needed to be replaced. But the guy wouldn’t replace it because there was a thin brace/bar of some sort for the frame of the car that extended over the battery. There was literally one bolt holding it in place. He said he couldn’t remove it to get to the battery. This was a 2002 Buick for anyone who might be familiar with what I’m talking about. So he jumped the battery and got it started snd my husband got the car home. He got his own battery and just to make his point had our then 14 year old son remove the bolt so he could put in the new battery. Then he put it back on. It was very strange and not something we had ever run into before.

 

[kymom99]

The battery I have now has a 100 months pro-rated warranty on it and I have only had it less than 45 months, so that should mean about a 50% discount on the new battery (the way I figure it at least). So I have to wait until Tuesday to take it to dealer.

I am going to try to jump it again, with my other daughters car. Her battery is new, so maybe it will work better than 6 year old battery in my younger daughters car. One can hope. I would much rather have my car sitting "dead" in front of my house vs in the public lot by my work.

You might want to be proactive and have that 6 year old battery checked. You’re living on borrowed time with that one.

 

[bcla]

This sounds like an awful hassle, if you don't get a new battery with the warranty I can recommend AAA, I've had them install more than once without any issues. They will come to wherever the car is, even at work, and put it in the car, zero headache. There are often coupons for this in the AAA magazines and about 4 months ago the car with the AAA battery went kaput and the guy just swapped it out under warranty in my driveway, all I needed was a photo of the receipt. It doesn't strike me as a high end battery since is is way cheaper than what the auto places want, but whatevs, when things go south it's AAA to the rescue anyway so if they honor their side of the bargain I'm game.

AAA car batteries are distributed through a company called Club Assist, but they’re made by East Penn Manufacturing. They make extremely good batteries and still manufacture in the US. They have their own brands like Deka and Intimidator, but they also make private label, such as a Duracell car batteries, Walmart (with have -EP in the product code), and AAA.

https://clubassist.com/news/posts/2...acturing-celebrating-10-years-of-partnership/

There are only 3 major car battery makers distributing in the US - Exide, East Penn, and Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls). Occasionally there are imported batteries (including from overseas divisions of those American companies).

 

[disneychrista]

We were able to get it started today (jumping it with my older daughters car), I drove it awhile and now it is parked waiting for Tuesday. I am debating if I should drive it for 20 - 30 minutes tomorrow & Monday just so it isn't sitting for 3 days and then not start when I go to take it to the dealer for the new battery on Tuesday.

You might want to be proactive and have that 6 year old battery checked. You’re living on borrowed time with that one.

You are right, she probably should have it checked. She is more interested in getting a new car at this point.


(edited because I realized that the poster meant my daughters battery, not mine)
It less than 4 years old (purchased August 2017) not over 6 and if you read my previous post (#25) that is what I am doing but I can't do it until Tuesday. With a 100 month warranty that (to me) means it should be good for 8 years with normal use.