kablack Posted June 20, 2025 Report Share Posted June 20, 2025 (edited) My sister in law arrived after driving 600 miles to our place to watch our animals as we are going away. She arrived without any issues and was in and out of her 3.6L SXT multiple times, unlocking and locking with key fob each time. The following morning, she went to unlock and the key fob wouldn't unlock the car. no lights working on the car except the little light that says OFF above the START button. The car wouldn't start and no lights or horn. I attempted to jump start it but that didn't do anything either. I used multi-meter on the jump terminals under the hood and read 12.2 volts and I checked fuses and didn't find any blown. Replaced the key fob battery. The car battery was replaced 2 years ago but I did throw a boost charger on the jump terminals and later read 12.5 volts but still no lights, start or horn. Discovered the brake lights actually work while trying to start and also did get 3 little beeps once and the light on the PUSH button light a couple times. Thank you for any possible ideas or suggestions. No dash light except OFF.HEIC Edited June 20, 2025 by kablack mistype Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryl Posted June 20, 2025 Report Share Posted June 20, 2025 You should get the battery load tested it's probably toast 2late4u 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted June 20, 2025 Report Share Posted June 20, 2025 (edited) 2 yr old battery as mentioned have the battery load checked or just replace it and also then get the alt checked to make sure it is functionally correctly...also check all the grounds at every connection for clean and tight connections.....Please report back for others to learn what is causing your problems.......................................................................................................The consequences of a low voltage reading can be severe, including: Difficulty starting the engine Dim or flickering headlights Malfunctioning accessories, such as the radio or wipers Damage to the electrical system, including the alternator and starter motor Reduced battery life........................................The ideal voltage range for a car battery is between 12.4 and 12.7 volts. This range ensures that the battery is fully charged and can provide the necessary power to the vehicle’s electrical system. A voltage reading of 12.2 volts is below the ideal range and may indicate a problem with the battery or the electrical system. Edited June 20, 2025 by 2late4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kablack Posted June 20, 2025 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2025 Thank you for the responses. The thing that has me confused is if it's a battery issue then what's the reason the vehicle won't start via being jumped or on the booster? Could there be a fuse I missed? Had a similar issue with our Honda Odyssey couple years ago while at Rockfest where the van appeared to be dead with only a light indicating an immobilizer issue. The car was towed 30 miles to dealer that couldn't look at it until after the weekend. On Monday they called and said they couldn't find anything wrong with the van and it started just fine. It would be great if sister in law's car started just fine in couple of days. Anyways, we had a nice thunderstorm last night and have some more clean up to do while also packing to go on vacation for two weeks. I don't know how much time I'll have to mess with this but she'll be able to use our cars while we're away. I'll post if situation changes. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John/Horace Posted June 23, 2025 Report Share Posted June 23, 2025 There is a fuse for the push button start, 10 amp mini fuse I think, in passenger side kick panel under dash. Mine blew once, never knew why, didn't happen again from 4yrs ago. Could also try putting car in neutral, then start. Transmission park/neutral switch could be issue. If you have a second different remote, could try with it as well. Is there a yellow key symbol flashing during the no crank no start.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John/Horace Posted June 23, 2025 Report Share Posted June 23, 2025 Voltage doesn't start the car, amperage does. Try putting meter on battery and have some one turn on few accessories. If it's dropping well below 12 you may need a battery. Or get battery load tested,should have minimum 350+ cranking amps. If battery was good you would get 12.5-13.2 volts after charging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kablack Posted July 10, 2025 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2025 Hello, back from vacation and sending an update on this issue. Sister in law called my wife's AAA and the guy had to use 2 battery packs and was able to get it started. He said the alternator was putting out a charge and told her to let it run and not shut it off for 40 minutes. She apparently did that and it appears to be working normally again. I'm aware that it requires amperage to start the car, I would've still expected to see some of the electronics (lights, radio, etc) to work with the jumper cables connected. So while I still don't understand why it didn't take a jump for me (I've jumped many vehicles many dozens of times) it appears that I am off the hook for now of having to do anything with this car. Anyway, it seems every year when this sister in law arrives, she has some problem with her car. Last year I changed the spark plugs & coil packs, prior year was the battery, two years ago was brakes. Thanks for the responses and I wish you all the best. John/Horace 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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