Really Boring Stuff Only III: Resurrection

[fuzz092888]

My car decided to stop running on the way home tonight. Yea. Luckily, it eventually started back up...but trying to get over to the shoulder in traffic with no power was fun. Luckily it wasn't too busy where I was. The "Stop Safely Now" symbol on the LCD dash display was oh so helpful. It's more like, "well, physics is going to stop you...try not to get hit while that's happening." Okay, I guess that would be tough to fit on a dash display.

Glad it sort of worked out. Better get that checked out, unless you enjoy Russian roulette

 

[Adam]

I'm actually driving somewhere tonight, so I guess we'll find out. Well, I will...you only will if I make it to the shoulder again. At least it's clouding up and cooling off. 109 degrees is a bit toastier when you turn off the A/C and put down the windows because you're not sure if that's what caused the problem. I felt like a Quiznos sub. Toasty.

 

[rojo]

I bet your shoes fit really well after being in your car oven today.

 

[herbu]

My car decided to stop running on the way home tonight.

Sorry to hear that. If it happens again, watch for somebody in a pink shirt and flowerdy britches to ride by on a lawn mower. It'll be either my wife or me. Flag us down and we'll give you a ride.

 

[Adam]

Thanks, guys. The car worked fine last night, but I'm still wondering what happened. The engine temperature looked fine, but the hybrid battery level was very low - perhaps the air intake for the battery cooling fan got blocked (my windshield sun screen might have fallen in front of it) and it overheated. I think they can get some indication of the cause if I bring it in to the dealership, but I can sense that I'm not going to do that. I have roadside assistance, so I'm not totally screwed if it happens...assuming that I can get off the road first. I was really surprised that the gas engine didn't (or couldn't) just take over if it was a hybrid battery issue.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

Thanks, guys. The car worked fine last night, but I'm still wondering what happened. The engine temperature looked fine, but the hybrid battery level was very low - perhaps the air intake for the battery cooling fan got blocked (my windshield sun screen might have fallen in front of it) and it overheated. I think they can get some indication of the cause if I bring it in to the dealership, but I can sense that I'm not going to do that. I have roadside assistance, so I'm not totally screwed if it happens...assuming that I can get off the road first. I was really surprised that the gas engine didn't (or couldn't) just take over if it was a hybrid battery issue.

Even if the battery had a catastrophic failure, my intuition tells me the car should keep running because there is a powertrain controller (used to vector the power between sources)...

I'd bring it into the dealership and let them plug it into their computer and see if it threw any error codes. I bet it did based on the dash giving feedback.

Sounds electrical. The dash stayed lit? Did you still have power steering?

Wild ass guess? The battery was super low, the computer made a mistake and went to pull power off it, it died before the computer could switch it back to engine power. This type of stuff gets fixed with software updates..might be as simple as that!

Please get it checked out! Losing power on the road is dangerous and we need you around to be bored with!!

 

[Bryceo]

I used to use duct tape. It works very well.
By the time I'd get to the doctor's he'd say, nice job, I won't stitch it, since you've done just as well with tape as I would have.

It was going really well it's been a week and 6 days since I sliced it open. It was healing really nicely the dr was happy. But I re opend it at the 9 day mark. and Steph being a surgeon re dressed it and said be verey careful you'll do more damage now that it's reopen. I didn't listen


Sent from my iPhone 5

 

[fuzz092888]

I hope I never have to move again. There are too many things to do and I haven't even started packing yet. Oy. Plus it looks like we'll only have about a week and a half of semi-peace once we're down there. There are PD days and seminars already starting the first or second week of August. September and some semblance of a routine can't come soon enough.

 

[rojo]

Moving is a PITA, and I don't envy you the task ahead. Last time I moved, I did back-to-back closings on the sale of my old house and the purchase of the new on the same day. The builders wouldn't let us move our stuff into the new house before closing. But after much begging and pleading, they finally relented somewhat and let us use the garage at least, but not until a couple days before closing. So for three days, I hauled, he-manned, shoved and tetris'd my furniture into the garage until it could hold no more in a rush to get everything out of the old house. (And by the way, the buyers of my old house threatened to back out if the house wasn't empty and spring-cleaned by closing.) By the time we got to closing, I could barely lift my arms. But God bless 'em, my realtors even helped some with the hauling and cleaning and cat-sitting.

After signing reams of paper and my new house was finally mine, I just didn't have any steam left to haul stuff in from the garage. I Googled for local movers in my area from my phone and called them to distribute my stuff from the garage into the various rooms of my house.

Best $120 I ever spent.

 

[Adam]

I hope I never have to move again.

Better be nice to the GF.

You're moving to an apartment, right? I hope that you do get to move again. Get yourself a nice house with a picket fence to keep all the little Fuzz's in the yard.

 

[Adam]

I got a chance to try out an energy drink from Vine this afternoon. Threw one down...and then fell asleep for six hours.

Probably not a fair trial, given that I didn't get much sleep last night (but probably twice as much as Fuzz normally gets, though ).

 

[fuzz092888]

Better be nice to the GF.

You're moving to an apartment, right? I hope that you do get to move again. Get yourself a nice house with a picket fence to keep all the little Fuzz's in the yard.

Oh boy. Unless little fuzz's is referring to dogs and pygmy goats I'm out

 

[Bryceo]

and a grill on the veranda. To do some bbqing


Sent from my iPhone 5

 

[Adam]

Oh boy. Unless little fuzz's is referring to dogs and pygmy goats I'm out

Whatever makes you happy, man. Might want to add chickens to the list. There's just something about fresh eggs from happy chickens.

 

[Alex2507]

I think they can get some indication of the cause if I bring it in to the dealership, but I can sense that I'm not going to do that. I have roadside assistance, so I'm not totally screwed if it happens...assuming that I can get off the road first.

So if you don't kill yourself or anybody else the next time your car turns into a rolling hunk of dead batteries and steel mingled with about a metric sh!t ton of plastic, standing around in a scorpion and rattle snake infested oven turned to broil while waiting for a tow truck to come rescue you is what you call not being totally screwed?

Irresponsible negligence is criminal.

/manspanking

 

[Adam]

Irresponsible negligence is criminal.

I bet it's still more reliable than the FoFo.

It didn't lose all electrical power. My turn signal and power steering still worked, and it was still moving forward - but very slowly. Btw, you're painting a picture of Tucson as a much more wild place than it is. Well, or you think that I'm baha-ing across the desert as I coyote groups of illegals into the States. It's not like we're constantly stepping over snakes and scorpions on the sidewalk. That's only sometimes.

 

[Bryceo]

Oh lord Adam what's going on with you


Sent from my iPhone 5

 

[herbu]

I hope I never have to move again. There are too many things to do and I haven't even started packing yet.

Oh geez! Moving is a chore I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, (unless he lived next door to me). I can't even bring myself to "move" enough to repaint or recarpet. In NC, the executor of your will can take up to 10% of your estate for "expenses". I've been in this house 30 years. Lord willin', it'll be another 30. At that point, the executor will earn every penny to sort thru and move everything in this house.

Best of luck to you!!!

 

[Alex2507]

I bet it's still more reliable than the FoFo.

Make it to 213,000 miles and we'll see ... but the fofo hasn't left me anywhere with my thumb up my @ss wondering how the situation would end. My old truck did that to me a couple of times but that was when it was well into it's late 200's ... crap, I just remembered that the fofo did limp into okc once.

Ok, your car MAY be more reliable.

It didn't lose all electrical power. My turn signal and power steering still worked, and it was still moving forward - but very slowly. Btw, you're painting a picture of Tucson as a much more wild place than it is. Well, or you think that I'm baha-ing across the desert as I coyote groups of illegals into the States. It's not like we're constantly stepping over snakes and scorpions on the sidewalk. That's only sometimes.

... and the heat isn't worth a mention. That'll make you wish you got bit by a snake.

I shouldn't talk. I drove my truck down here from NH with a pair of vice grips on the brake line to keep the fluid from pouring out and then the throttle got stuck in the wide open position. Not one of my best days. Couple a minutes on the side of the road and I was back up and running, further endangering myself and other motorists with sub par equipment. That's the one with the broke shackle. That's right, I remember telling you about this somewhere else.

What do you get for mpg and do you like plug your car in or does it charge off the gas motor?

 

[Bryceo]

I think they charge of the wheels moveing? Not quiet sure but I no the new Prius does.


Sent from my iPhone 5