Q: Doors don't lock/unlock from Key Fob or inside car, Key Fob doesn't open trunk, transmission locked, AUTO headlights not working
I had an issue occur a few days ago where the battery seemed to completely die in the car. The car wouldn't start, lights wouldn't come on, etc. I opened the hood and examined the battery (which is only weeks old) and went to open the positive panel on the battery. As I opened the panel, suddenly I heard a clicking sound as if the car had suddenly gained power. I closed the panel and closed the hood, and when I went back inside the car, the car started and it looked like the battery had reset some of the features in the car (I had to set the clock, turn the touch screen back on etc.). The car was operating fine until later in the day I experienced the same issue (car battery seemingly died again). This time, when I went to touch the positive panel (which again gave the car power again) the transmission locked so I couldn't get into Drive or Reverse, the car doors wouldn't lock/unlock from the inside and when I turned the headlight switch to AUTO the lights wouldn't turn on at night.
My car has 103000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hello, thank you for writing in. The charging system needs to be inspected. With the vehicle off, remove the negative battery cable and the the positive in order to remove the battery from the vehicle. From there you can inspect the battery cables, and the battery’s ground connection. Make sure the opposite ends of the battery cables are clean, dry, and tight (the positive will need to be traced to the starter and the fuse box). Clean the battery cables if they appear to be corroded or dirty. Reinstall the battery after making sure it was disconnected for at least 10 minutes, as it should reset the memory. Make sure the battery cables are connected securely. Attempt to start the vehicle and put it into gear. If it does not work, then you will want to try cycling the key, and possibly checking into the alternator and other components in the charging system. The new battery may not be working because the alternator has failed to keep it charged. Only further testing will tell at that point. For more help resolving the issue, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
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