"Are you stopped in a safe place?"

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Brian D.
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"Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by Brian D. »

That's what the AAA operator/dispatcher asks when you call for roadside assistance. Happened to me Saturday night, when my car battery died without warning. I'm in a Meijer parking lot, so the vehicle isn't blocking traffic, and the weather is okay enough for me to stand outside.

But my answer was: "I don't know how safe this place is after the store closes, and all the employees have gone home." The dispatcher said she'd get someone there ASAP, which may or not have been within her ability to do.

Preaching to the choir here, but folks, you're on your own.
Quit worrying, hide your gun well, shut up, and CARRY that handgun!

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schmieg
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by schmieg »

Get one of those lithium ion jumper boxes. They are small enough to fit in the glove box and will maintain a charge for a long time (I charge my three once every four months and they still have plenty of power left). You can get them with enough power to jump a pretty good sized pickup with no problems. Car batteries no longer give you a lot of warning that they are going to die.
-- Mike

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Brian D.
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by Brian D. »

schmieg wrote: Mon Jun 03, 2024 10:02 pm Get one of those lithium ion jumper boxes. They are small enough to fit in the glove box and will maintain a charge for a long time (I charge my three once every four months and they still have plenty of power left). You can get them with enough power to jump a pretty good sized pickup with no problems. Car batteries no longer give you a lot of warning that they are going to die.
I thank you for the advice. Turns out I had over four years on that battery, and while cranking it those last few futile times it got hot and leaked acid.

And you're correct, today's batteries don't give you much heads up that they're dying. It acted lethargic at 5 pm Friday, then again next start up about 8 pm. Then at 11 pm it needed someone to play "Taps" over it.

The AAA employee tested out my alternator and (groan) auxiliary battery* while she was there, they were fine.

*Auxiliary battery runs things like the seat and steering wheel heaters, along with some of the computer chips.
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schmieg
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by schmieg »

The newer Jeeps have the auxiliary batteries mainly because of the Stop and Go feature that turns the engine off while at lights. One thing the owners have found is that if you replace the main battery, you better replace the aux at the same time or it often causes the main one to go bad again quickly. Don't know if that applies to other manufacturers.
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Brian D.
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by Brian D. »

For what it's worth I hate the "Auto Stop" feature on my Jeep, and try to remember to turn it off every time I start the car.

In fact my name for the thing is "Auto Stall".
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schmieg
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by schmieg »

Brian D. wrote: Wed Jun 05, 2024 12:59 pm For what it's worth I hate the "Auto Stop" feature on my Jeep, and try to remember to turn it off every time I start the car.

In fact my name for the thing is "Auto Stall".
It's one of the reasons that I have never considered updating my 2014 Grand Cherokee Overland.
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by cpg »

There are aftermarket products that can be plugged into the ODB-II port to disable the "auto stall" :)
For the record, I dislike this feature too.
Also agree that batteries in today's vehicles die quickly without warning.
People say firearm owners are compensating for something.
I am compensating for being smaller and weaker than most criminals.
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schmieg
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by schmieg »

cpg wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2024 6:05 am There are aftermarket products that can be plugged into the ODB-II port to disable the "auto stall" :)
For the record, I dislike this feature too.
Also agree that batteries in today's vehicles die quickly without warning.
You have to be careful about getting those aftermarket products though. Some interfere with canbus signals which can result in codes that interfere with other vehicle functions. The problem appears that this is not always consistent, even within the same model vehicle, so it can be hard to determine whether the problem is the autostop device or a real problem. So, if something develops, it is always a good idea to remove the autostop device before starting the diagnostic process and to do that before you take it to a mechanic or it could cost you a bunch of money while they try to figure it out.

Another feature I dislike is the cylinder deactivation. It seems with some vehicles this has caused problems resulting in expensive engine repairs, usually after the warranty period is over. However, the manufacturer gets credit from the government for the tiny bit of fuel savings.

I'm happy with my older cars. Now that I'm retired, I'm not driving as much; all of my vehicles are in good condition and are running fine. Hopefully, they will outlive me.
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Brian D.
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by Brian D. »

Since this conversation morphed somewhat (I don't mind) let me bring it back to personal safety a bit: Recently I was riding with a friend in her new vehicle and she was showing me the collision avoidance gizmos it has. There was another couple with us, friends of her who I'd just met. I couldn't help but ask:

"But, what if you NEED to ram another vehicle, deliberately go off the road, or run someone over, to save your life? Won't this thing let you do that?"

The couple in the back seat were a little stunned. My friend gave me a look that was, in an amused way, like "Don't say that $#*+ in front of them!"
Quit worrying, hide your gun well, shut up, and CARRY that handgun!

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wobblygoblin
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by wobblygoblin »

Brian D. wrote: Fri Jun 07, 2024 7:26 am Since this conversation morphed somewhat (I don't mind) let me bring it back to personal safety a bit: Recently I was riding with a friend in her new vehicle and she was showing me the collision avoidance gizmos it has. There was another couple with us, friends of her who I'd just met. I couldn't help but ask:

"But, what if you NEED to ram another vehicle, deliberately go off the road, or run someone over, to save your life? Won't this thing let you do that?"

The couple in the back seat were a little stunned. My friend gave me a look that was, in an amused way, like "Don't say that $#*+ in front of them!"
I think John Carrea at ASP talked about that very thing. If I need to run someone over who’s posing a threat, I don’t want my vehicle to swerve away.
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M-Quigley
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by M-Quigley »

Brian D. wrote: Fri Jun 07, 2024 7:26 am Since this conversation morphed somewhat (I don't mind) let me bring it back to personal safety a bit: Recently I was riding with a friend in her new vehicle and she was showing me the collision avoidance gizmos it has. There was another couple with us, friends of her who I'd just met. I couldn't help but ask:

"But, what if you NEED to ram another vehicle, deliberately go off the road, or run someone over, to save your life? Won't this thing let you do that?"

The couple in the back seat were a little stunned. My friend gave me a look that was, in an amused way, like "Don't say that $#*+ in front of them!"
IDK about other makes and models, but my latest Toyota has all those features (except the auto stop at lights) but I have the ability thru the menu to turn off one or all of them.

According to a tow truck driver I know and talked with, when they say "safe place" they usually mean things like where the car is in relation to traffic, like on the inside breakdown lane of an interstate, not whether you think you're in a bad part of town or not. He did admit though that being in a crime ridden area could potentially be risky also, which is why he carries both a lethal and non lethal protective device.
Brian D.
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Re: "Are you stopped in a safe place?"

Post by Brian D. »

Yeah M-Q, I know that the dispatcher is asking about traffic safety but I consider it a much broader question.
Quit worrying, hide your gun well, shut up, and CARRY that handgun!

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