Had a doc appointment at 5 today and when I went out to the car the central locking did not work. opened with the key, put key in ignition and dashboard display dead. Not even the clock, or any of the lcd display and no orange/red lights or anything. Spare keys didn't have any effect either.

Took the PT Cruiser and when I got back I put new batteries in the fob. Still nothing. Thought I would try the battery. Plug battery charger into the mains and applied the clips to the battery.I still have no idea whether I have a dead battery or not! Within seconds the alarm went off and I could not stop it! After about a minute the alarm swithched off and then kept coming back on again and turning off again! After about 5 minutes of this with me frantic to find first the fuse box and than studying the manual to see which fuse it is it went quiet of it's own accord and has stayed as so.

Looks like I need it transporting to the dealer in Wolverhampton tomorrow!

Bugger

Mogsta

 

Sounds like new battery time.

 

What‘s the expected life span of a battery on a Crossfire? I must be pretty close to the wire with mine, I’d guess. But it does sound like a battery to me, based on previous experience with other cars.

I had to leave my previous car running for about an hour or so when it’s battery died. Gave me enough power to get it over to Halfords for a replacement.

 

Jean,
Sounds like the battery is completely flat (reasons unknown) your alarm was still armed when you opened the door,bonnet etc, so when you connected the charger it set it off. With the charger attached you should have able to cancel the alarm with the key fob. Im sure you will have checked that the lights have not been left on etc, so you may just have a dead battery - they can suddenly die like that. All you can do is leave it on charge overnight and see if it start (or jump sttart it) so you can drive it in for a new one.
Let us know how you get on!
Steve

 

Environmental conditions have a lot to do with it - extreme temperatures tend to shorten a battery's lifespan - heat seems to be harder on batteries than cold. Also, a battery that is left to go completely flat regularly or is overcharged often will not last as long. My experience is that a battery should easily last 4-5 years with proper maintenance. But then again, there is always the faulty one that dies early...

I bought my '05 last year and the dealer had just put a new battery in it because the original died. My car had never been sold to a private party - was either sitting in parking lots or driven occasionally by dealers.

 

This happened to me, not in the Crossfire, but in my 2005 300C. No warning at all. Just one day when I went to open the car it was dead, dead, dead. It was the battery and I haven't had any problems since. (2 years)

Les

 

How I wish I could have cancelled it with the key fob! I really do not understand why the fob did not work since it had enough powerfor the alarm to work.Certainly disturbed the neighbourhood this evening and the guy over the road who is always working on cars was out! I think he just may have been very useful to me had he been around at that moment.

I am going to put the jump leads on it from the PT cruiser tomorrow and get it started and then take it for a new battery. I will disarm the alarm by pulling the fuse out before I do this as I feel that as soon as I give it any power the alarm will go off yet again and again I may not be able to disarm it with the key fob.

 

We don't have heat in the UK! No seriously we do not experience temperatures like other places, probably from minus 5C up to 25C is the most we need to handle over here.

In over 30 years of car ownership, and I had a few old wrecks in the early days, this is the first time I have ever had a battery die on me with no warning whatsoever. The car has always started first time and never been one to turn over a few times before coughing an spluttering into life. There was no inkling that any problem existed when I used the car on Sunday.

I'm really fed up about this happening.

Jean

 

I had a similar experience with my Zafira, after 2 years the battery just failed and had similar symptoms so hopefully that is all it is. Vauxhall were able to plug in a tester and tell within seconds it was the battery.

The reason the alarm went off on the Zaf is that the alarm has it's own battery to prevent thieves disconnecting the car battery to silence the alarm, not sure about the Crossfire but I suspect most cars have similar anti-theft devices which would explain why you couldn't silence the alarm until it's battery runs down.

P.S. I have switched to the Wolverhampton dealer after my Sheffield dealer stopped selling Chryslers and were quite impressed by them.

 

I got the AA out this morning. The guy checked the car over and started it and then I drove it to Wolverhampton to Drayton Mercedes. They took it away and plied me with coffee and newspapers until a guy came and told me the battery was a duffer and I needed a new one.

Back home now and everything seems fine.

Jean

 

That sounds like good news in that it must have been annoying but not too problematic !