Canadian idle

This good old fashioned Canadian winter we're having is taking a toll on Sally the Sentra. The latest tweak was to increase a low idle. Unfortunately it didn't fix the mystery of the battery and handbrake light.

The battery and handbrake light go on at start-up and stay on until about 5 minutes into the ride before going off. This began in mid November, but because the lights always went off, I ignored it. A month later I was 5 minutes from home in the middle of evening rush hour traffic with Claire in the back when suddenly all the lights on the dash started blinking on and off - ABS, airbag, handbrake, battery. I thought the car was going to stall right there on the street.

Zut alors!

I pulled away from the turn I was trying to make and drove down the street to the next available area to pull over. I turned the car off, got Claire out and walked the rest of the way to daycare. I didn't bother going back to the car and had C pick it up on his way home from work. Luckily C did manage to drive home, but when he turned off the motor and tried to restart got nothing. Dead Sally. Poor old girl.

The next day CAA came to the rescue to test the battery and got a good reading, but detected a problem with the alternator. A boost was enough for C to make a short drive to the garage. The garage tested a  good alternator but dead battery. Strange. Opposite conclusions. What to do?

Well, seeing as C was right there in the garage and Sally wouldn't start he kind of had to pay for a new battery. What a pain because the dead battery was bought from CAA a year ago and was still under warranty.

Zut alors!

So, new battery installed, the drive to the airport and back that afternoon to collect Grandma B was successful and without incident. The next day the battery and handbrake lights lit up.

Zut alors!

The lights persisted on every start-up for the next few days so I finally took Sally back to the garage myself to get some answers. Of course the lights went off before reaching the garage so T the mechanic saw nothing, except the handbrake light, "because the handbrake was on", he said. "I know, because I always put it on when I park the car" I replied, meanwhile thinking, 'D'uh..., I'm not that clueless.' "The lights go on at start-up, even when I pull the handbrake off. THAT'S the problem."

Fortunately T knew the issue as he installed the new battery the previous week. He explained how batteries and alternators work and offered to test both again for my peace of mind even though he knew they would test fine. The new battery was only 5 days old after all. He also gave me a card for free towing. This too was for my peace of mind because I kept asking "worst case scenario if I'm driving in traffic will the car just die on me??" questions. I also brought both girls with me to the garage so the stress on my face must have looked pretty severe, lol!

Of course the tests were fine, but T did detect a low idle and showed me how the voltage dipped every time an accessory was switched on like the wipers or radio or rear window heater. A low idle and constant dips can deplete a battery over time. Also the alternator isn't encased as it is with newer Sentras so heat from the exhaust system and cold extremes (Canadian, eh), could have an effect. Age is a factor too. Now in her 11th year,  Sally ain't no spring chicken.

So off we went with a tweaked idle for a drive across the city to visit Auntie B. 3 hours later when I started the car to come home, the lights went on again.

Zut alors!

They've been coming on again for the past 3 days. C and I decided it's pointless to go back to the garage. We'll ride it out, likely get a failed battery and no start-up at all one day in the next few weeks and take it back again. By then either the temperature will heat up significantly and the problem will go away, or we'll be shopping for a new car.

To be continued...