So today I get a call from my wife. She ran an errand and when she got
back to her car it wouldn't start. She said nothing happened when she
turned the key and it might need a battery. I got there with a battery
but she had mislead me. When the key was turned on the door chime came
on as well as all the normal dash indicators. When the key was turned
all the way to "start", then nothing else happened. The dash lights
stayed on without any dimming, no clicks, nothing. I said she should
call the Auto Club to get it towed to the house and then I changed the
battery anyway and of course it made no difference. The AAA guy showed
up pretty quick but it wasn't a tow truck. It was just a battery truck.
I told him what I had done and then I stepped away to let my wife deal
with him. A few minutes later I heard the car start up. All he had done
was make several attempts to start the car with the same results as us,
then get out and cycle the door locks a few times before trying to start
again without any success. What finally worked was when he told my wife
that he thought her key transponder was bad and the immobilizer was
engaged. She said, "oh, I have a spare key in my purse, a valet key".
She handed him the spare key and the car started right up.

Yep, love that newer technology.  Not even all that new.
2000 BMW 323IS Wagon 5 speed

Mark

Jim Felder wrote:
> I recently saw a program about the coming "smart" cars that drive
> themselves and how they are now being road proven in different countries.
> They are coming. Here's a Craigslist ad from the year 2027:
>
> CURB ALERT 2025 Toyota Corolla. Interior perfect. Like new tires. No
> scratches or dents. Runs perfectly including transmission and brakes. No
> leaks. Autopilot not functional, not sure why. Bring a trailer.
>
> ***
>
> Jim
>