My car had an accident without me!

Binford · Post by **Binford** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 9:14 am

It's late, I'm tired, and I'm walking out of Wal-mart about an hour ago. I hit the start button on my Astrostart remote when I'm about 30-40 feet from my car. Oh, look! It's driving all by itself! FUCK! My stop button on my remote doesn't work, so I run to get in my car to hit the brakes. Oh yeah, I locked it! I hit the unlock button ; CRASH! It scrapes the front bumper kinda sideways on a '99 Mercedes. Fun. I literally throw my shit into the passenger seat, and the car goes again! Start attempt #2. I forgot it'll attempt to start three times before it stops trying. So I jump in and hit the brakes, but it's too late. I hit a late model Ford Tuarus. It picked the ass end of the Ford up and pushed it sideways in it's parking spot. Looked like the guy sitting in the drivers' seat wasn't too amused by it. What makes this so amusing to me is, I install Astrostarts! Makes me feel like a total dumbass! I didn't install this particular one, though. It was in the car when I bought it. I really was meaning to hook the hood pin wire to the E-brake so that this type of thing wouldn't happen. I guess that'll teach me to procrastinate. It would've saved me from this tonight. But hey! At least I didn't get a ticket! And I got to call the cops on myself! That's a first!

The moral? Don't trust what others have done to car, especially when you know it's not right! Duh! Should've known!
Moral #2? Stay away from Wal-Mart. This had to have been their fualt, somehow!

douglas vincent · Post by **douglas vincent** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 9:37 am

Ok, first I have to say, ouch I feel for you.

Second. i am going to laugh my ass off. Nothing personal, but damn, in the long run, and for some of in the short run, that is one funny fucking catastrophe.

Good luck with the outcome!

Thank HeyZues that wasnt me!

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:03 pm

I'm glad nobody got hurt.

Hooking the hood pin input to the handbrake won't necessarily keep your car from becoming a self-propelled instrument of destruction.

Use the neutral switch.

skid542 · Post by **skid542** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 10:41 pm

Oh man, that's rough in a totaly unfriendly way. Atleast nobody got hurt and you didn't get a ticket, though I'm sure the cop had a good laugh at you when he got back in his cruiser.

And yeah, I'm sorry man but I laughed to.

I don't know about the turbos but if I accidently let my clutch out with the engine still on and the ebrake set (like when I get back from the store) it'll jump about maybe a foot before stalling the engine.

Goodluck with settling things out.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:11 am

Guess that's why it's illegal up here to instal those on manuals. That sucks. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

Steve

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:47 am

I have to agree with Douglas. I certainly wouldn't be laughing about it now, and I'm truly sorry that it happened, but you will look back in a few years and laugh about it.

Ya know how they say it takes a scare to invoke caution? Well, I pretty much use the handbrake constantly now. Here's why:

I used to drive a Ford shuttle van at work, and I guess Ford's column-mounted shifters are notorious for having crappy bushings (a Ford, who woulda thought?

). So a car-delivery truck was pulling into our lot and I had to move someone's car for him to get through. I parked the van with the back end facing the truck at about a 45º angle roughly, and left the engine running. I walk about 10 feet from the van when I look back and it is moving backward... heading straight for the truck

... I jump in it and slam on the brakes, and it was turned just enough that it cleared the xA that was sitting at the end of the truck by about 2 inches... Thank God only him and I saw it, we both had to calm ourselves down for about a minute. He was cool, he understood that the shifter popped out and I didn't actually leave it in Reverse, but still...

From then on, I've been using the handbrake, auto or manual.

Binford · Post by **Binford** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:51 am

The correct way to have installed it would've been to use a manual transmission interface module. I'm pretty sure that'd make it legal in all states, but I dunno. I only use the E-brake if I leave my car in nutreul, so in my case it would've saved me. But anyway, a dumbass move on my part. I have since turned the swith off altogether.

The front corner of my car was already messed up, anyway. It just broke some more plastic pieces out of my corner marker that was already busted. My car looks exactly the same as before this incident.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:02 am

You don't need an interface module; on our cars the neutral switch will work just fine with a couple of diodes added. Look for an old post of mine about it.

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:18 am

Sorry to hear about that, but when I read this, "Oh, look! It's driving all by itself! FUCK!"

I had a pretty good laugh. Sorry, hope the damage wasn't too bad.

subawhatsubawho · Post by **subawhatsubawho** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:42 am

Just be thankfull you were not parked by a cliff or boatramp.

93forestpearl · Post by **93forestpearl** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:10 am

subawhatsubawho wrote:Just be thankfull you were not parked by a cliff or boatramp.

lol

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:21 pm

That's really a hard go, man, I'm sorry to hear it.

Can I ask why on earth you're in the habit of leaving your car in gear while parked? I know its called the e-brake, but truth be told, millions of stick shift drivers all across the world use it everyday for parking while they leave their car safely in neutral. I've never understood leaving the car in gear. Maybe on a hill, it might be necessary, but its not everyday one parks on an incline, right?

Binford · Post by **Binford** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:42 pm

Everbody I've ever known has always left manual transmissions in gear when parked. I can't think of a time when that has cuased any kind of a problem for any of 'em.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:47 pm

Trusting the parking brake alone to hold the car is irresponsible. An incline isn't the only thing that can affect a parked car. It's not very hard to move a car with the handbrake engaged, even if the handbrake is in tip-top shape. And of course, the handbrake does wear -- the shoes and the cables both.

You're supposed to always put the transmission in park (automatic) or in gear (manual) when you park the car.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:52 pm

I always put my (automatic) car in park, and apply the handbrake, due to a friend of mine running into a few 2g legacies with parking pins that broke.

subawhatsubawho · Post by **subawhatsubawho** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:26 pm

vrg3 wrote:Trusting the parking brake alone to hold the car is irresponsible. An incline isn't the only thing that can affect a parked car. It's not very hard to move a car with the handbrake engaged, even if the handbrake is in tip-top shape. And of course, the handbrake does wear -- the shoes and the cables both.

You're supposed to always put the transmission in park (automatic) or in gear (manual) when you park the car.

If this is the case then you shouldn't install a device that is capable of starting your vehicle if you are not behind the wheel. Most vehicle remote starter makers advise you not install such devices on cars with manual transmissions.

professor · Post by **professor** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:26 pm

man that's a seriously crazy story

note to self: do not buy cars with aftermarket alarms or auto-starters => look at all the threads on this forum from problems created therefrom: no-starts, stalling, random alarms, and now this

you should put manuals in the gear that gives the most resistance to rolling: first gear if facing uphill, reverse if facing downhill. And turning the wheels toward the curb is added roll protection. I think we've all had to jump back into a rolling car once or twice

0perose · Post by **0perose** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:36 pm

I always leave my cars in gear when I park. I had a jeep a while ago with a 5spd. I went to my friend's house and he was outside waiting for me. he jumped in the passenger side and I started up the jeep. we ended up sitting there talking for a second so I put it in neutral rather than holding the clutch in. it was sitting fine, without me holding the brake. the e-brake in the jeep didn't work. my friend decided he had to run inside real quick and get something, and I figured I'd grab something to drink while he was doing that....

turned off the jeep, jumped out and went inside... called my gf and got something to drink

all of the sudden my friend comes running down the stairs and says he just saw my jeep roll out of his driveway, across a major highway, and into the neighbor's yard.....

turns out I forgot to put it back in gear when I turned it off......

NOW THAT BREEDS CAUTION

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:59 pm

subawhatsubawho - My remote starter is not capable of starting the car when it is in gear.

professor - Why would the direction of the incline matter? Wouldn't it always be best to put it in the lowest-ratio gear (which in our cars is 1st)?

subawhatsubawho · Post by **subawhatsubawho** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 10:04 pm

I will sleep better at night. I just wish there were more people that had a nuetral sensing switch on their remote start.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:37 pm

the whole no neutral sensing switch scares the bejesus out of me

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:00 am

[no neutral sensing switch sneaks on tip toes up behind Laurel and smacks hands together] Boo! [no neutral sensing switch laughs hysterically at Laurel's subsequent world record high jump attempt]

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:06 am

evolutionmovement wrote:[no neutral sensing switch sneaks on tip toes up behind Laurel and smacks hands together] Boo! [no neutral sensing switch laughs hysterically at Laurel's subsequent world record high jump attempt]

Manarius · Post by **Manarius** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:47 am

vrg3 wrote:Trusting the parking brake alone to hold the car is irresponsible. An incline isn't the only thing that can affect a parked car. It's not very hard to move a car with the handbrake engaged, even if the handbrake is in tip-top shape. And of course, the handbrake does wear -- the shoes and the cables both.

You're supposed to always put the transmission in park (automatic) or in gear (manual) when you park the car.

I dare you to try to move my car with the e-brake on. I doubt you'll even be able to budge it.

skid542 · Post by **skid542** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:03 am

Hehe.

Manarius, your ebrake may be perfectly setup with a properly taught cable, fresh pads, etc. I can personally testify that a lot of other peoples cars, including mine, aren't that way and it will move with the ebrake on.

I was always taught that when you park, you set the ebrake securely while still in neutral and then put it in gear so that it's not tranny gears that are holding you but they are there as a backup should the brake fail. Granted when I bought my car the dealer hadn't bothered putting a new button the ebrake and just been letting 1st take care of holding the car.

legacycentral bbs

A forum for 89-94 BC-BF(BJ) Legacy Owners and Fans

My car had an accident without me!

My car had an accident without me!