My sort-of-new-to-me (purchased last May) Crossfire is now almost four years old (in-service date November 2003) with almost 40K mileage. It's not my daily driver, it's the Sunday just-fer-fun-car for the wife and me - we bought it specifically to drive to Las Vegas for our daughter's wedding last May, but that's another story...

Anywhoo, we love the car, no problems until two weeks ago, when the battery was too flat to start it. Sez I, well, perhaps that's because I skipped the Sunday cruise last week. So, I put it on the trickle-charger overnight, and the next day it fired right up, no worries. We drove it around for an hour or so, with a few stops and starts, and it never hiccupped.

BUT...

Yesterday when I went out to check it, the battery was (again) too flat to start it. So, today I ran it down to Sears for a new Diehard. That's ALSO another story...!

Now, at four years/40K miles, I think that I was probably due for a new battery anyway, Assuming that the one in it was the original one (looked like it to me), and I'm OK with that.

BUT...

I just noticed that when I began having the battery problem (noticed, because I was LOOKING for trouble), and continuing now, all the digital displays on my dash NEVER go out - the temp reading, odometers and clock keep on displaying, even after the key has been turned off, removed, and the doors shut and locked. If I sneak up on the car and peek in the window after an hour or so, I can still read 'em. I don't recall if this was the case BEFORE the battery issues started or not, and it troubles me a bit.

So, my question to you all is, is this normal, OR is it perhaps a symptom of what went amiss with the old battery? I know the digital displays can't really use much voltage, but it MIGHT indicate that there's something else staying on that shouldn't.

What do you say, do YOUR displays stay on?

Thanks!