12v battery at 10v

Yup, it was 11. I’m in a stupid brain fog phase and everything is rough.

Morning now, as soon as the boyfriend wakes up it will go in - I can’t do it due another “electrical” (heart rate) issue being chased down. Lol, that cracked me up.

I have been the only one doing the jumper cables so I can assure they were done correctly with a 99.9% rate. I’m paranoid about it.

ugh, I really hope it just works this morning. I need to drive an hour today, if ir work I’d love to take the car - but I worry about getting stuck out of town on a tight schedule, which is assuming I won’t know if something is sucking it dead before I leave. I guess I’ll have the boyfriend try using it to take the kid to work while I’m gone.

oh and if it runs I’ll drive over and have the codes read. At which point I should get home and magically find the reusable bag with the scanguage in it sitting on my desk chair.

 

So this morning it is still a no start. Things “primed” in the engine compartment when I hit the button, but it still won’t start. It also was still only reading 11.8v instead of the almost 13 at the battery itself.

Will figure out a tow to the dealer and go from there. Depending on what it is (and cost) I can have a mechanic I know fix it. He’s done the ABS thing twice in it (rebuilt part died after a week) and has the scanner for it. He’s just 45 minutes away.

I won’t lie, I’m defeated. Big time.

The only thing I can think of is something chewed a wire, or something got knocked loose. Either of those would explain the worked, parked, died crap going on. It’s parked on my dirt parking area so I can’t even crawl under it.

Sign me....Crying while painting for a craft show and avoiding Mandalorian spoilers




iPhone ?

 

1-2. Hmm, he only put the charge we have on the battery to read it. He checked it against the AutoZone unit and it was the same the night he picked it up. I can check it front and back on Monday. I was using the Info-lights 3 times thing... maybe I should add a heal click?

4. I'll go check the wires, and the fuses. Never thought to check them - the biggest thing for me is it was running fine and fantastic, then BAM, overnight the RTOD, no ready light, did NOT try jumping it for awhile - I was convinced it was BAD and was ignoring it. (like others it has been a heck of a year). I'm 51 for 3 more weeks and I think i've only had 3-4 fuses blow on me in cars.

3. But now, no ready light at all - immediate RTOD.

The good news is that I supposedly ordered a BT OBD2 scanner that works with iOS and it was probably delivered this morning. I'll have to run over there and pick it up and see what codes it is throwing. I know it isn't the Toyota one, but hopefully it will give some help. I thought for sure ordering it meant i'd find my ScanGauge from my TDI Beetle (I'm not a stranger to high maintenance cars!)... alas, nope - so still not new windshield wipers either.

The man is out of town until Monday and i'm not sure I can put it back in alone. We left it out because there was no reason to drain it if there is something sucking it dead.

Again, i truly appreciate all the input and ideas. Now, back to making some stuff to make some money!

 

So all the fuses are fine - including the two i dropped because the pliers are the auto open kind- Harbor Freight for a long claw grippy thing here I come. I own one - but who the heckle knows where the kids ran off with it too.

I have a couple of meters for a variety of reasons - but I don't think they are digital. Honestly, electricity and circuits were the one thing that I never had a good grasp on. My Dad could help me - but he is homebound these days My ex would be help but who knows where he is these days (no, the kids don't even know).

I can follow a good YouTube though - i'll watch some tonight - but I think i'm about one step from being over my pay grade. I don't trust myself at all - and the boyfriend isn't going to be of help without a step by step guide with pictures. lol Oh wait, maybe the mobile mechanic neighbor who has a tow truck. I was going to hit him up for the tow to the dealer. Sadly I think on this side of the lake that is my best bet.

I totally love my Tomato and I think overall it has a lot left to give in it, either to me or one of my kids.

Thank you again

 

HAHAHA, i suck at the damsel in distress thing - i'd rather go take an "introduction to circuits" class at the college than do that!

Hmmm, 22 degrees is not habitable - you should move to FL, it was 72 at 6:30am when I took the kid to work this morning, it was also light out, dysfunctional at Dunkin' Donuts (made her late), and old people were already on the golf courses!! I'm soooo not cut out for cold, but I hear we are having some sort of tropical "thing" tomorrow... yuck. Wait, was that today? I should go check, it would explain the clouds

I'll do the battery stuff tomorrow when the Man gets back, meanwhile i'm going to enjoy the quiet and go pretend i like painting for craft show prep (i'm more of a spray paint kind person). Mama needs to make money to fix the Tomato!

 

So this darn car is still sitting there. It started ONCE, and it was running rough. But it is throwing the hybrid battery code, and I can't get that to clear to start it. The one time it started the 12v battery showed 14v, but while trying to start it it was showing the 10.~v.

The horn/alarm is randomly going off, it stops if we leave the key in the slot. I bought a new battery for the fob, i wonder where that went?

So to the dealer it will go when I can get it there, right now there is no money to do anything. The significant other had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago - he's doing better and off trying to make some money... which isn't working so well right now. Stupid COVID. I'm driving his Outlook without AC & heat, with a slipping transmission. Ugh. 2020 can suck it.

Anyway, again, I appreciate all the help you have no idea how much it meant. I love my Tomato even if my insurance is going up $240/yr. Sigh....

 

Ohhh, and I found the really cheap analog volt meters in the science kit!

 

Soooo.... that didn't go as expected.

For kicks, i went out to try to start it, hey look - it started. Again a bit rough, but it has been sitting.... then all of a sudden - pop, thought something fell in the back. Nope a few more and smoke coming from the hybrid battery compartment. had turned it off, kid ran into the house for the fire extinguisher next to the laser cutter. Then back in for tools to try to get the carpet up.

OK then.

So it is sitting out there, no heat at all on the battery compartment - I hope that means it isn't smoldering. Just in case I moved the Outlook away from it.

And so it sits again waiting for a tow truck, which is waiting for $$$$$.

Poor Tomato.

 

Yup, the seat was down so we could see it coming from the drivers side, around the wires for the hybrid battery. It ran until I turned it off. Here I was thinking - woohoo, drive the tomato, and BAM, it was “where is the fire extinguisher????”

The RTOD was still showing on the dash too, I never got the app connected to the ODB plug to see the codes. I’m thinking I should be able to do that without my foot on the brake? I honestly wasn’t prepared for it to start, I was just out there to grab the key and change the battery. (Of course I guessed the wrong size and still can’t cross that off the list)

And yes the neighbor will be the tow, but I’ll pay him (he will be cheaper than anyone else I call), but the dealer (or shop) will need to be paid and I’ve got $65 total right now. So it will sit until I can sell some stuff/ornaments. I’m ASSuming the hybrid battery has an issue, and/or the parts leading to it. I need the car, and I’m sure I’ve put enough money to fix it into the gas tank if this Outlook.

[Let’s all remember that it ran fine, battery charge full to green the day I parked it and it didn’t start the next morning with the RTOD and a potential hybrid battery code. Maybe an animal got to it??]

Is anyone reading in the Orlando area? Anyone you’d suggest instead of the dealer?


iPhone ?

 

Sigh... I was hoping you’d say “hey, some animal carried something up there and it’s probably that”. Lol.

I’m going to have to try to find an independent shop to work with, I suppose there isn’t a “trusted mechanic” post like there is on the TDI forums?

I’ve got to have a vehicle with 35+mpg, I’ve tried to go lower and my fuel costs were the biggest budget item I had. I can’t deal with that stress again. I also need blind spot monitoring if I’m buying again due to the rear end accident. This all adds up to more than the budget can afford right now, of course the Outlook transmission is slipping more today too. Of course.

Off to google. (And probably cry)