A Puzzling Car Problem

[CompUser]

Last night I moved car (Discovery) in the driveway so that another one could park inside. This morning when my mom tried to use the Discovery it would not unlock. She manually stuck the key in and opened the door. When she went to start the car nothing happened- no turn over noise, no lights- nothing electric. Here is the puzzling part, the some of the gauges are up ( fuel gauge is at 1/2) even though the car is off with the key out of the ignition. They were like this before she attempted start the car.

I tried turning on the headlights but nothing happened. I left the driver door open and opened the hood, looked around, shut it, and walla, the headlights came on but the interior lights did not come on nor did the door chime.

All the doors were shut last night. If you try to lock the doors and one is open it beeps at you, and I did not hear it beep last night.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here. I know that this is a british car, and we all know how great there electrical systems are. I'm just curious, its been really really hot lately, the car is parked in the sun much of the day, and its black.

 

[Tanglewood]

It could be the battery if it has been really hot.

"Even though battery capacity at high temperatures is higher, battery life is shortened. Battery capacity is reduced by 50% at -22 degrees F - but battery LIFE increases by about 60%. Battery life is reduced at higher temperatures - for every 15 degrees F over 77, battery life is cut in half. This holds true for ANY type of Lead-Acid battery, whether sealed, gelled, AGM, industrial or whatever. This is actually not as bad as it seems, as the battery will tend to average out the good and bad times. Click on the small graph to see a full size chart of temperature vs capacity." source

 

[CompUser]

Well, my dad came home, stuck the key in, and it started right up.

British Electrics

 

[Sun Baked]

aka, bad ground (corroded or loose) or main power relay.

 

[aquajet]

Is this Discovery vehicle you speak of made by Volkswagen?

First thing to do: remove and re-tighten the battery connections. Also, clean off any corrosion on the terminals.

 

[Sun Baked]

Is this Discovery vehicle you speak of made by Volkswagen?

First thing to do: remove and re-tighten the battery connections. Also, clean off any corrosion on the terminals.

But on the VW, you would need to remove the battery, battery tray, and the ground connection underneath the battery tray -- because that's where it would corrode.

Of course it can happen on other vehicles also, or at one of a dozen other grounding points hidden around the vehicles -- causing all sorts of problems.

VW isn't alone, the more electronic crap you get with the vehicle, the more problems you seem to have.

Almost makes you beg for a car with manual seats, windows, locks, and an 8-track deck.

 

[aquajet]

...

My point being, the battery is the easiest place to start. Corrosion occurs on the batt terminals as well.

And VWs have historically had many electrical problems. Consumer reports says so, and so do I, having had two Jettas and currently a New Beetle.

 

[kretzy]

Is the remote for it working? Sometimes the remote to open it is also an immobiliser and if it's damaged the car won't start.

 

[CompUser]

Its working fine now. It could not have been the immobilizer cause none of the electrical components. It seems fine now.

A new battery was installed in the car about 2 weeks ago. Anyways, if you take out the battery in our Disco the computer has to be reset by the dealer, same applies with or VW Touareg.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

...if you take out the battery in our Disco the computer has to be reset by the dealer, same applies with or VW Touareg.

Not a feature I would like in my car.

A bad ground can cause some very weird symptoms, as will a very nearly dead battery.