Fullback32
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2009
- Messages
- 247
- Location
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Corvette
- 2004 Magnetic Red Metallic II Convertible
Last Friday, I took War Pony to the Corvette Center to get my winter servicing done. During this servicing, it was found that the passenger side front tire (Michelin PS Sport Run Flat) had a sidewall bulge. On the next Monday I was taking it to the tire shop to get it replaced (warranty honored BTW 
).
So Monday comes, I jump in, turn the key....nothing. I blaze over to Advance Auto Parts and get some cables since mine were in the wife's car. I try to jump it....nothing. So I go back to Advance, have the battery tested...yep, new battery needed. I put in the new battery and all is well. I get to the tire place, tire is replaced and I am happy.
Between Monday and Friday I didn't drive War Pony, but it is Friday and an exceptionally nice day, so I am going to drive him to work. I jump in, turn the key....nothing. WTF?!?!?!?!??! This is a brand new battery! So instead of driving my 'vette with the top down on a nice day, I am in the Hyundai Santa Fe. Of course as I am driving to work and see five different guys all driving their 'vettes and this make things all the worse for me.
ad
On Saturday morning, I jumped War Pony and he starts up. I start looking at the usual suspects to see what drained a brand new battery: under hood light, vanity mirror lights, glove compartment light, accesories left plugged (of course that shouldn't do it in four days!)....all was well. WTF again!?!?!??! :confused
So I have been sitting in the cockpit for 15-20 minutes with the doors closed while the engine ran trying to figure this out. It wasn't until then that I noticed that the courtesy lights on the floor and mirrors were still on. Now this shouldn't be! I click the mirror lights and they won't go off. WTF? Oh yeah, check the dimmer switch. Sure enough, it was clicked all the way on. I turned it to the left and, lo and behold, all the courtesy lights turned off. :duh
SO, what have I learned? I learned that I thought the courtesy lights auto-dimmed in all circumstances. At some point last Monday night, I must have turned the dimmer switch all the way to the right. When I got out of the car, sure the courtesy lights were still on in the cockpit and I expected them to turn themselves off, but they never did. I asked Rik at the Corvette Center about this and apparantly, if the dimmer switch is turned all the way over it can override the auto-dimming feature. These lights were on for four days, hence a brand new battery that went dead.
During my search for an answer to why a brand new battery would go dead after four days, I also learned from the forum search engine about Battery Tenders. I am buying one Friday.
). So Monday comes, I jump in, turn the key....nothing. I blaze over to Advance Auto Parts and get some cables since mine were in the wife's car. I try to jump it....nothing. So I go back to Advance, have the battery tested...yep, new battery needed. I put in the new battery and all is well. I get to the tire place, tire is replaced and I am happy.
Between Monday and Friday I didn't drive War Pony, but it is Friday and an exceptionally nice day, so I am going to drive him to work. I jump in, turn the key....nothing. WTF?!?!?!?!??! This is a brand new battery! So instead of driving my 'vette with the top down on a nice day, I am in the Hyundai Santa Fe. Of course as I am driving to work and see five different guys all driving their 'vettes and this make things all the worse for me.
adOn Saturday morning, I jumped War Pony and he starts up. I start looking at the usual suspects to see what drained a brand new battery: under hood light, vanity mirror lights, glove compartment light, accesories left plugged (of course that shouldn't do it in four days!)....all was well. WTF again!?!?!??! :confused
So I have been sitting in the cockpit for 15-20 minutes with the doors closed while the engine ran trying to figure this out. It wasn't until then that I noticed that the courtesy lights on the floor and mirrors were still on. Now this shouldn't be! I click the mirror lights and they won't go off. WTF? Oh yeah, check the dimmer switch. Sure enough, it was clicked all the way on. I turned it to the left and, lo and behold, all the courtesy lights turned off. :duh
SO, what have I learned? I learned that I thought the courtesy lights auto-dimmed in all circumstances. At some point last Monday night, I must have turned the dimmer switch all the way to the right. When I got out of the car, sure the courtesy lights were still on in the cockpit and I expected them to turn themselves off, but they never did. I asked Rik at the Corvette Center about this and apparantly, if the dimmer switch is turned all the way over it can override the auto-dimming feature. These lights were on for four days, hence a brand new battery that went dead.
During my search for an answer to why a brand new battery would go dead after four days, I also learned from the forum search engine about Battery Tenders. I am buying one Friday.
