The Car Was Alive!

Before I begin, allow me to explain that I am a terrible baby when it comes to frightening easy. After watching a few horror flicks the other night, I've found myself a little on edge the last day or two.

Anyways, I had just got a call from my girlfriend asking me to take her brothers car up to her mother's to fix their internet connection. Agh! But the couch is so soft! Good people though, so I'm certainly more than happy to get up and go lend a helping hand. It's been bitterly cold the last day or two, and the car hasn't been moved.. so it's just covered in snow and ice. To top that off, there is no ice scraper in the car. After near frost bite and fifteen minutes of sitting in the car waiting for the windows to thaw, I'm finally on my way. Boddabing boddaboom, ten minutes later I'm on my way home.

I pull up into the parking lot and grab an empty spot. I turn the car off, lock the door and jump out. Now get this, when I shut the door.. the freaking car turned back on! I can hear the music, the exhaust, the lights are on.. everything! Just fitting really, considering how on edge I have been. Now knowing nothing about cars, my first reaction is to think of the movie Christine and run for my own safety. Actually really considered this option.

After about a minute of just standing there, hesitant to go back near the car, I finally unlock it and sit back in it. As soon as I sit back in the driver's seat, the damn thing back fires! Now this is a 2001 Pontiac, so it's not exactly a rust bucket just yet. When this "gunshot" when off, I actually took a step to run for it. Yeah, I'm a baby.

Long story short, when I pumped the break it ended up turning off and all is well. But letting it run until the gas tank was empty was a very close alternative.

Note to self: stop watching horror flicks ya baby!

[edit on 17-1-2008 by chissler]

I don't know how old you are chissler, but I found your story hilarious.

Come on chissler, it's just a car. I've never heard of a possessed car like in that Christine movie.
It's probably just the wiring, it's very cold at that time right?

Okay, if I got my math right, you're 22.

I'm still giggling right now.

reply to post by chissler

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It wasn't a 2001 Pontiac Aztek was it?

'Cause if I was around one of those and it came to life, I'd seriously think about running too!

That was one seriously homely auto.

Of course, come to think of it, none of Christine's victims were able to outrun her, were they?

Great movie!

Funny story, Chissler, thanks for the lafs!





[edit on 18-1-2008 by goosdawg]

I'm currently having a problem with my stereo turning on by itself, even when the car is turned off.

I've helped alleviate the problem by removing the CD and turning off the unit, but that only keeps the CD and the radio from playing. The back-light on the unit continues to light up randomly.

It actually runs the battery down sometimes when I forget the drill and it's lucky that I have a booster battery in my car that I've had for ten years that even after years of non-use, works just fine. It's hard to believe.

Just before I found this post, I was thinking about that problem and I was wondering if dirty lens in the CD player might cause that problem. It seems like a long shot, but cleaning it might be worth a try. In four years, I never have, but then the unit until recently has played flawlessly.

The Honda service centers acknowledge that they have seen problems like that before, but I'll try my own remedies before I spend several hundred letting them tinker with it.

I've never heard of a car starting up on its own however, but cars are coming equipped with remote starters now and retro-fit kits are available.

You might ask if the car is fitted with one of these devices. I know a couple of folks who have those and I think in the Great White North they might be wildly popular.



[edit on 2008/1/18 by GradyPhilpott]

Staying with the Christine theme, you should have wrecked the damn thing just to see if it puts itself back together.

Really, you need to be absolutely sure.

Peace

reply to post by GradyPhilpott

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You have seen transformers haven't you?

Hey Chissler

Did you leave your marbles in the car? Or have you lost them completely?




MonKey

Ah, I'm mocked.. but deep down we all know that the film "Christine" is the logical conclusion to come to when one finds him or her self in such a position.

And I agree 100% with the Doc. I should of put my foot through the back window and watched to see if it somehow fixed itself. At that point, I probably would have soiled myself just waiting... so running like a little baby probably wasn't such a bad idea either. Either way though, I toughed it out like the man I hope to become at some point in my life. I'm in my early twenties and still scared of cars coming to life.

Good story to tell though.

By the way, I'm walking to work today. (For real)

Using gasoline with not enough octane for the compression ratio can can also cause dieseling, but I've never seen a car start back up completely under those conditions.

I was thinking dieseling too but yeah it has to still be turning at least a little bit.

Was it right as the door made contact? Did you slam it hard? Do you have an alarm with remote start? If not, could you have an alarm with remote start and not know it? Shutting the door would trip the vibration sensor and if there's an intermittent short or failed part in the unit causing the sensor's signal to go to the remote start that could be it.

>
Maybe they really are up to something...









[edit on 18-1-2008 by apc]

I'm guessing that the car is equipped with remote start and everyone inside was laughing theirs, uh, heads off.

Well, this story has taken a painfully embarrassing turn against me.

My girlfriend called me last night with a possible, and likely, scenario. As Grady has just mentioned, the vehicle is equipped with a remote starter. So it's possible that it was bad timing that I hit the start button on the remote, as the door shut. I can not confirm it, but it seems likely.

So fortunately, I am left with the conclusion that the car is in fact, not alive.

Go easy on me.

It's a great story from start to finish.

You will probably scare the daylights out of your grandchildren telling them about the car that came to life on a cold, snowy day in the early twenty-first century whan life was much simpler and cars were powered by the primitive internal combustion engine.

It's a darn good story, chissler. And I am very glad you share it with us.

Awww Chissler, i can see how that would freak you out.
I am really not a mean person but my last car had a remote start feature and I used to startle people all the time with it
Good fun ... most of the time lol

The only reason I had it was because it was a twin turbo Lexus, handy feature to have to warm him up so I didn't ruin him. His name was Luthor. haha get it ?

ehhhh

sigh I miss that car.

thats ok man...I believe you...My little VW wouldnt run right sometimes and I just had to talk very nice to her. (her name was Molly) Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didnt...she was german you know and probally didnt speak english...Women are fickle creatures

reply to post by chissler

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Hah! Yeah that's how it usually works. Blame the human.