Some 355 lessons-the hard way

Just thought I would share this so hopefully it comes in handy. My wife and kids went to visit relatives for the weekend. On these occasions I usually treat myself to a nice quiet dinner some where. I headed out about 8pm for dinner. It was a little chilly but not to bad- Targa out windows up made it just right. Drove down the main drag of the river market area in downtown and parked in the secured parking deck. Parked in a single spot next to the gate house-(not a official parking spot, but readily accepted as one with a gratuitous tip to the gate-keeper/security. Starting to get colder out so secured the targa in place and headed for dinner. Had nice dinner and bumped into some old buddies and was talked into going for a slice of pizza and beer at a near by pub. (Lessons are coming-be patient) Next thing I know it is 2am and about 15 degrees out. I failed to mention all I had on was a heavy shirt, no coat because it was not that cold when I started out. Anyway, I get to my car. Lesson #1 (Change the keyless gadget's battery regularly) Your keyless entry will with a weak battery will still light up as if to say "I still work" but not open the doors. Your key will unlock the door but not turn off the security alarm or deactivate the ignition lock. There is a manuel over ride sequence in the manuel but you must have a PIN number for your security code. Which I have not been able to find as yet. After spending several attempts to deactivate and/or get the keyless system to work (about 1.5 hours) and setting the alarm off several times until I noticed I could not hold the key still from shaking so bad from being so cold. I went in to the adjoining hotel and warmed up/snoozed in the lobby for a hour or so before retrying. Eventually around 7am I gave up and called my father to take me to the store to buy a battery for the keyless gadget. Dad's live for this opportunity to tell you how their 15 grand american made car does not have those kind of problems. I got back and presto the car doors opened and the ignition lock deactivated. I went to start the car only to find out the several attempts to unlock and alarm triggering at nearly sub zero temps had ran my battery down to the point my car would not start. Bringing me to lesson #2 (secret hidden jumper terminals). We then went and got some jumper cables and came back only to look like a dumbass trying to find the damn battery. I finally located the battery by looking through the spaces of the body panels only to find no way of getting to the battery. The manuel described how to get to it, but I was unwilling to climb in the trunk and dismantle everything only to not get it back the same way. (I was not a able to push start the car because that would require having a few undesireable folks pushing my car back up a ramp enough to get the front end away from the wall enough to turn out and was not interested in having the hood scratched and dented and I was all ready losing my patient's with the occasional passerby who wanted nothing more but to lean in and give their 2 bits worth. I don't have to tell any F car owner the knoted up gut feeling you get when people want to come lean over on your car and look in! Please not buttons and zippers againest the car, thanks but no f*$#@ing thanks. Kindly go away is all that goes through your mind.). No thanks. ) I went back through the manuel and found a way quick way to jump the car. In the engine compartment on the passenger side there is a metal panel that is easily removed and under it is located a pos and neg terminals which you can attach jumper cables to and easily jump start your car. Also I noticed in there what looked like the male end of a extension cord. Lesson #3 (Built in battery charging device) Weird I thought. I checked in to it and found out that several of our cars have a slow charge system for the battery. All you have to do is plug the car into the wall and it will slow charge you battery. So now I live happily every after and you can too!


Thought I would pass this on so maybe it will help some one out.