Our beloved spouses and their vehicles

[OVERKILL]

It's pouring rain here and as I sip a nice can of Steam Whistle I can't help but chuckle at the sequence of events that led to me being a bit cold and damp this evening.

My wife was working "lot surveillance" tonight, which involves her sitting in her truck for hours observing. She's not a car person, just like she isn't a technology person, she's quite comfortable in relying on me in that regard, which of course has its detractors/caveats.

I get a phone call around 10:30PM that the truck won't start. I'm thinking that she maybe isn't hitting the pedal hard enough, she's emphatic that this is not the issue. I tease her a tad, tell her that she's broken it, grab my 20ft jumper cables and drive to her work.

I get there, she puts down her window, hits the start button and it's clear the battery is pretty dead. It's also absolutely pouring rain, so I sit and wait a bit until it at least backs off a tad. Jumper cables in hand, I boost the truck with the Jeep. I ask her what she was doing, just listening to the radio?

Her response: I had it on.
I query: you mean you had it on Aux
Her: no, I had it on, because the windows fog up, so I can run the fan
Me, horrified: wait, what, you are sitting here running the fan with the engine off?
Her, oblivious: Yes, of course, the windows fog up, so I need it
Me: Honey, you can't run the fan for hours with the truck off, you'll kill the battery, as you've just demonstrated
Her: Well, I've done it before
Me: You've been lucky, you can't do that!
Her, embarrassed: OK, well, I know now

A learning experience for her of course, but this knowledge that we often take for granted, on things to do and not to do with cars, when it's this close to home it does make one take pause.

 

[zeky]

The old ivory soap trick works wonders against fog up on inside windscreens.

 

[ecotourist]

We all do dumb things. That's how we learn. Ideally we don't have to do it more than once.

A wise man said, "Experience is recognizing you've made that same mistake before."

[I looked it up and Franklin P Jones actually said, "Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again."] I like my version better.

PS Isn't Steam Whistle a great beer. I've been on a tour of their building. With samples!

 

[Skippy722]

My wife did something kind of similar… left a radar detector plugged in(outlet didn’t shut off with car) for about a week. Drove to the store, shut it off, did her shopping, drove ~1,000ft to another parking lot and grabbed a few things from that store, tried starting it and all it would do is click. Managed to kill the battery so bad it wouldn’t run without a jump pack attached to it lol

 

[DirectRejection]

This can be a safety issue.
I use Rain-X. Interior Glass. Anti-Fog. Spray.
Follow instructions ! Only spray on towel. Then apply.

 

[Kira]

Whether someone is "technical" or not is bigger than just car stuff.

A bloke showing me simple machine maintenance at work began with, "Are you mechanically inclined?".
I use that intro line darn near EVERY DAY when talking with people.
If they're not, you know to abbreviate whatever it is you're trying to explain. Illustrations can help.

The "best" is when you're explaining something and the person reaches their saturation point.
They can throw their hands up with or without saying, "I don't get it".
However, sometimes their truly stupid childishness leaves them threatened.
It's actually odd when they reject your problem solving (which they asked for) by treating you as if you're a lying car salesman.

 

[incognito_2u]

This can be a safety issue.
I use Rain-X. Interior Glass. Anti-Fog. Spray.
Follow instructions ! Only spray on towel. Then apply.

I’ve heard ”Shaving Cream” works, also…….or has this been myth busted?

 

[LazyDog]

How about getting her a jump pack that you plug on the cigarette lighter

 

[IndyIan]

I guess with cars having the big tablet stuck in the dash these days, they could use the idling computing power to display a message to either turn the key to off, or start it as the battery is getting low? I think people are getting used to devices being "smart" so why not expect your $50k 4wd infotainment device to report a low battery that will soon stop if from functioning?
My kids did the same thing camping with my wife on a rainy day, sat in the car playing games on the tablet with engine off and the "AC" on until the car wouldn't start either. We now have a little booster pack with USB outputs to charge devices and had a lesson that you can only run the radio in the car for a while(1/2hr) without it running.

 

[Rand]

I guess with cars having the big tablet stuck in the dash these days, they could use the idling computing power to display a message to either turn the key to off, or start it as the battery is getting low? I think people are getting used to devices being "smart" so why not expect your $50k 4wd infotainment device to report a low battery that will soon stop if from functioning?
My kids did the same thing camping with my wife on a rainy day, sat in the car playing games on the tablet with engine off and the "AC" on until the car wouldn't start either. We now have a little booster pack with USB outputs to charge devices and had a lesson that you can only run the radio in the car for a while(1/2hr) without it running.

My 2019 cherokee does.. after a min, but is ignore-able ie not too in your face.
the 2020 elantra nags you instantly and incessantly to start the car.

 

[TumblrDucks]

My wife did something kind of similar… left a radar detector plugged in(outlet didn’t shut off with car) for about a week. Drove to the store, shut it off, did her shopping, drove ~1,000ft to another parking lot and grabbed a few things from that store, tried starting it and all it would do is click. Managed to kill the battery so bad it wouldn’t run without a jump pack attached to it lol

I once forgot to lock the trunk and a day later it bleeds my battery to 6v. 6v! I hooked up a jump pack and drive for one hour.
Luckily Lead Acid is pretty tough and I'm able to get away with it. Still has 100% health and can provide more crank amp then its labeled lol.

 

[NitroM3]

Save your marriage install a 3 dollar adjustable low battery horn.


Battery Low Voltage Alarm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjE...ature=youtu.be

I mounted mine inside the fuse rely box under the hood .

 

[OVERKILL]

Save your marriage install a 3 dollar adjustable low battery horn.


Battery Low Voltage Alarm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjE...ature=youtu.be

I mounted mine inside the fuse rely box under the hood .

No worries about the safety of my marriage, she cuddled up to me and we had a great snuggle when she got home. She was laughing about it and now knows not to do it. She'll likely just idle the truck more in the future to avoid the issue.

I did tease her though (you likely aren't aware of the saga of our Audi e-tron, she abhorred it) that this wouldn't happen with a BEV. She laughed and told me that's because I wouldn't let her get a Tesla, lol.

 

[Zee09]

No worries about the safety of my marriage, she cuddled up to me and we had a great snuggle when she got home. She was laughing about it and now knows not to do it. She'll likely just idle the truck more in the future to avoid the issue.

I did tease her though (you likely aren't aware of the saga of our Audi e-tron, she abhorred it) that this wouldn't happen with a BEV. She laughed and told me that's because I wouldn't let her get a Tesla, lol.

@AutoMechanic. will come snuggle with you.

 

[Zaedock]

I guess with cars having the big tablet stuck in the dash these days, they could use the idling computing power to display a message to either turn the key to off, or start it as the battery is getting low? I think people are getting used to devices being "smart" so why not expect your $50k 4wd infotainment device to report a low battery that will soon stop if from functioning?

The Stinger has that functionality. Found out as my son and I were listening to the Packers on XM doing some yard work where the car was pahked.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

It's pouring rain here and as I sip a nice can of Steam Whistle I can't help but chuckle at the sequence of events that led to me being a bit cold and damp this evening.

My wife was working "lot surveillance" tonight, which involves her sitting in her truck for hours observing. She's not a car person, just like she isn't a technology person, she's quite comfortable in relying on me in that regard, which of course has its detractors/caveats.

I get a phone call around 10:30PM that the truck won't start. I'm thinking that she maybe isn't hitting the pedal hard enough, she's emphatic that this is not the issue. I tease her a tad, tell her that she's broken it, grab my 20ft jumper cables and drive to her work.

I get there, she puts down her window, hits the start button and it's clear the battery is pretty dead. It's also absolutely pouring rain, so I sit and wait a bit until it at least backs off a tad. Jumper cables in hand, I boost the truck with the Jeep. I ask her what she was doing, just listening to the radio?

Her response: I had it on.
I query: you mean you had it on Aux
Her: no, I had it on, because the windows fog up, so I can run the fan
Me, horrified: wait, what, you are sitting here running the fan with the engine off?
Her, oblivious: Yes, of course, the windows fog up, so I need it
Me: Honey, you can't run the fan for hours with the truck off, you'll kill the battery, as you've just demonstrated
Her: Well, I've done it before
Me: You've been lucky, you can't do that!
Her, embarrassed: OK, well, I know now

A learning experience for her of course, but this knowledge that we often take for granted, on things to do and not to do with cars, when it's this close to home it does make one take pause.

Weren't you supposed to tell her that it wouldn't have happened if she had bought that EV Audi?

 

[Kurtatron]

When I married my wife, she couldn’t remember the last time she changed her oil, I asked her months, even a years time-span… I was amazed, but not surprised.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Well, she was right about the Audi and that battery was your deal, right?
Sounds like you are the only one with an issue, @OVERKILL .

Happy wife happy life.

 

[Kurtatron]

@AutoMechanic. will come snuggle with you.

Bobisthesnuggleguy

 

[JTK]

Is "lot surveillance" a thing you guys really have to do?