jo_anne_storm: (SGA -- Nap Time)
jo_anne_storm ([personal profile] jo_anne_storm) wrote2012-04-16 11:46 am

*sigh*

I'm patiently waiting fort Volvo to call and tell me what is wrong with my car.  Patiently.  Really.  The battery is not holding a charge.  I am not thrilled.  Hopefully it's nothing too insane, but considering that it's been in the bay for about 4 hours now...  Of course, they might just be tracking down the leak in the evap system.  It's in the fuel neck fill hose thingy. 

Unpacking is still progressing.  We have most of it done, really.  But...  Some of this stuff, I just have no idea what to do with. 

*sigh*  I want my car back.  Not that I want or need to go anywhere, but being stuck sucks.

Let's see...  DH's computer died.  Apparently it's a failing of Windows Vista.  So, he was going to buy a new hard drive and Windows 7, but 7 was just as expensive as a whole new tower.  So, we bought a tower, only it was broken.  Some problem with Windows that customer support could not figure out, so we took it back.  And now DH is waiting for his new laptop to be delivered.  He was going to wait until closer to his next deployment before ordering it, but with the desktop down, it seemed silly not to.  We might see about getting a new tower later.  *shrug*

I should be emptying a box.  But #3 is asleep on the couch and I don't want to leave him downstairs alone.  And...  OK, I could call the older two down to sit with him...  But I really don't want to unpack right now.
brendanm720: (Little Nash Rambler (Beep Beep))

[personal profile] brendanm720 2012-04-17 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Do you have a volt meter on your dashboard? (It is a gauge that either has a little battery on it, or the word "Volts")

If yes, you can do a little test.

Turn on the key so that the car is on, but not running. The gauge should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 volts. Start the car. Let it run for a bit. The gauge should be up around 13 to 15 volts.

If the gauge does not read 13-15 volts with the car not running, then it is most likely the alternator.

If it does read correctly when it's running, then it could be the battery itself that needs replacing, or you could have something grounding funny that is draining your battery. (Could be wires, could be a device going bad.)

brendanm720: (Douglas Adams - Don't Panic)

[personal profile] brendanm720 2012-04-17 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
If you don't have a voltmeter on your dash, you can still do the test, you just need a multimeter from radio shack and access to the battery.

brendanm720: (Little Nash Rambler (Beep Beep))

[personal profile] brendanm720 2012-04-17 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
They are not standard any longer.

Probably because they don't have to spend money on them which makes the car cheaper.

The Alarm nonsense is always a good time. I have never had to fix the alarm in a car, but I have had an issue with the VATS module in my Pontiac. (Vehicle Anti-Theft System)

That damned thing died and the car wouldn't start because it couldn't read the chip on the key.

That was a $400 fix, which was a JOY.
brendanm720: (Keep Calm - Speak Softly)

[personal profile] brendanm720 2012-04-17 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Also, Vista sucks.

Sorry to hear that you're having issues, though. Vista, for all its failings, seems to be solid enough. Of course, I don't run it, and I don't have to deal with it on a daily basis, so I could be wrong on the solidity front.

I do like 7 a whole lot more than Vista Though.