My Car (update since pothole catastrophe)

Last night around midnight, I was with some friends and we decided we needed poutines.

While in the drive thru at La Belle Province (the best place (IMO) for fries and poutine in Montreal), my car battery died!!!!

Line-up behind me and everything!!!

Horns honking

Employees yelling at me to put my car into neutral and push it to the side

My shifter thing not going into neutral

Calling my dad for help

More horns honking

People coming out of their cars

Conflicting opinions on what I should do

More horns honking

People swearing

I'm describing hell, right?

My father boosted me. I made it home. Stores are closed on easter so I will need to wait until tomorrow to buy a new battery at Canadian Tire.

WHAT ELSE DO THE CAR GODS HAVE IN STORE FOR ME!!!!!???????

At least we got our poutines :)

Sorry to hear that .... but ... have the electrical system checked out ... batteries don't just die for no reason except for old age ?

That sucks. Not sure why people need to be so mean over things no one can control, No one would choose to have their car die in a drive thru, why not show a bit of compassion instead of being a douchebag?
My best friends car died(multiple things not just the battery) in a Tim Hortons drive thru at 8:30 in the morning and she had people threatning to beat her. Like honestly is your world going to end over waiting a bit for a cup of coffee that tastes like chalk?

Check the terminals as well, may be dirty or loose.

Oy, that's too bad, but I do love how you 'needed' poutine, and got it!

I once had my car die at the Burger King drive through, right at the window. Two men from the car behind me were kind enough to push it out around the corner and into the parking lot.

Yeah my car died at the window. It took a while for the poutine to be ready and I had my car off with the radio. No more than ten mins though. The battery is seven years old so I'm wayyyyy overdue for a new one I guess lol. Time to gather all my CT $$$$ lol

If you get a CAA Membership they bring the battery to you and install it 24/7.

That must have been so stressful. All some people in line had to do was offer to push you out if the way and try boosting you. Wishing Carma with a C on them.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. It is so sad that there is more bad peoples than good one. In a situation like this, peoples should get toghether and help. No, they rather swear/yelling at you. Again sorry for your bad experience.........:-)

Well no wonder everybody was honking at you!! You must have planned to have your battery die right then and there!

:lolsign:
People in line seemed a bit crazy over this eh? Glad you managed to get a boost.

Honestly, I think it could be your alternator. By te sounds of things, it doesn't seem like a loose or faulty cable as your dad was able to boost you. If it is your alternator and you can afford it, buy it new. Speaking from experience, don't get a rebuilt one.


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I bought a new battery at CT just to be safe. I have to make a 4 hour drive tomorrow. I don't wanna have to worry about it dying again while I'm on the road. Used a 50$ GC I redeemed my credit card points for. Only paid about 65$ in the end. Not too bad!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ericaraina

Last night around midnight, I was with some friends and we decided we needed poutines.

While in the drive thru at La Belle Province (the best place (IMO) for fries and poutine in Montreal), my car battery died!!!!

Line-up behind me and everything!!!

Horns honking

Employees yelling at me to put my car into neutral and push it to the side

My shifter thing not going into neutral

Calling my dad for help

More horns honking

People coming out of their cars

Conflicting opinions on what I should do

More horns honking

People swearing

I'm describing hell, right?

My father boosted me. I made it home. Stores are closed on easter so I will need to wait until tomorrow to buy a new battery at Canadian Tire.

WHAT ELSE DO THE CAR GODS HAVE IN STORE FOR ME!!!!!???????

At least we got our poutines :)

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Honking at you and swearing at you is not going to make your car start.

I think the best thing to do is to open the trunk of your car and keep it open, so people behind you know that the car is stalled and there is not much you or they can do till it gets fixed.

If you have one of those inflatable traffic cones, keep them in the trunk of your car ..comes in handy for situations like this...just plop it behind your car and wait till help arriives or you manage to push the car to a side.

And yes pushing the car in neutral is a lot lot easier than pushing it, when its in drive..I think the motor is disconnected when its in neutral , And in neutral the transmission shaft is unlocked from the drive wheels.

When pushing in gear ..I think you are fighting the pistons and the transmission fluid etc.

I am not sure, but I was told in automatic cars its not a huge difference whether you push in neutral or gear..but makes a huge difference in manual cars.

But be careful when you put the car in neutral, it can be pushed in any direction..both backwards or forward..so if you were on a grade uphill and out your car in neutral and got out..who kniws it might have rolled backwards and hit the cay behind you and the guy yelling at you :(

I literally went to every car in the drive thru and told them my situation and apologized lol. My car wouldn't go into neutral for a few minutes so I had some time to kill while my brother in law tried. Eventually he got it into neutral and we pushed it to the side.

GLAD this is over with!!! 4 hour drive went smoothly :)