From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Tue, 1/27/2026 4:25 AM, Daniel70 wrote:   
   > On 27/01/2026 5:24 am, Mark Lloyd wrote:   
   >> On Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:39:41 -0500, micky wrote:   
   >>   
   >> [snip]   
   >>   
   >>> Well, I didn't know then about day of the week, and didn't know how to   
   >>> tell what day it was even if I'd known about the issue, but my brother   
   >>> bought a new 1965 Pontiace Catalina convertible in the fall of '64, and   
   >>> had loads of trouble with it, some troubles he didn't even notice.   
   >>>   
   >>> There was a bad connection between the battery cable and the starter, so   
   >>> often the car wouldn't start.   Sears found it and fixed it for free in   
   >>> 10 minutes.   
   >>   
   >> That reminds me of the multiple problems I had with my first car (1980   
   >> Plymouth Horizon). One was a continuing coolant leak. I had taken it to   
   >> multiple mechanics, who found nothing wrong. The leaks continued. They had   
   >> used a pressure tester that replaced the radiator cap. The last one   
   >> finally figured out that the problem might be there. It was. That problem   
   >> that had gone on for years was fixed with a new radiator cap ($5 part).   
   >>   
   >> I had to get a lot of jump starts before finding the problem was the glove   
   >> compartment light switch had gotten stuck and never went off.   
   >   
   > AH!! So the light IS SUPPOSED TO GO OFF WHEN YOU CLOSE IT. Good to know. ;-P   
   >   
   Some switches in cars have three positions, and putting the switch   
   in the "Always On" position is how the battery gets drained. You use   
   the Always On position, when you put your kids in the trunk :-)   
   That must be what that switch is for.   
      
   On modern cars, when the car shuts down, the audio system starts   
   drawing 5 amperes from the battery. And that's another favored   
   mechanism for a failure, is a "phantom load out of the blue".   
   You would think all the accessory power would be through a   
   key switch, but modern cars don't necessarily have that any more.   
   (Some are push button start.)   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)