DEAR CARS: Most people write to you to ask how their car broke down. But I wonder how my car was all right.
I live in Boston and was out of state for three months last winter. I was supposed to be gone for seven weeks but it turned into 13 weeks as I avoided flying during the omicron peak and just stayed put.
My 2017 Subaru Impreza sat in the Boston cold from mid-November to mid-February. Then it starts without pause! How?!
How did my 5 year old battery come to life after two blizzards and a bunch of 10 degree nights? How come my fuel doesn’t cause startup problems? Was I blessed with a miracle?
I bet my sister $50 that my car won’t start. I lost and I wonder why. — Claire
DEAR READER: And I would lose that $50.
Gasoline wouldn’t be a problem. It won’t break down for a few months. And regardless of the temperatures while you were gone, the key factor would be the temperature on the day you started the car.
So if it was 9 degrees the week before, but 45 degrees the day you started the car, the battery may have been working fine. Cold weather reduces battery power, but only during cold weather.
What amazes me is that your 5 year old battery can even start the car. About five years lasts most batteries these days. And when modern cars sit, most of them slowly drain your battery to power things like the alarm, computer, and emissions system.
In fact, it’s not unusual for modern cars to misfire after sitting for three or four weeks, even in good weather.
So I can’t explain the Miracle of the 2017 Impreza, Claire. Maybe it’s the combination of a small motor, a big battery, and the fact that you live a good, clean, compassionate life — besides being willing to grab $50 from your poor sister in the first place.
Now go get a new battery before you run out of luck.
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DEAR CARS: I have a 2004 Jeep Cherokee with an ignition problem. I turn the key and the starter won’t budge, but everything else (all lights, radio, AC, etc.) comes on.
If I jiggle the shifter while it’s in park, I can eventually get it to fire. I’m afraid my trick won’t work one day and the car will leave me stranded.
Any ideas what to check? I have noticed that when I push the shifter forward (more in park) and shake it sideways it works best. — Mike
DEAR READER: You probably need a neutral safety switch.
Decades ago, there were many incidents where someone started their car thinking it was parked. But it was actually in motion. The car will then lunge forward and hurt someone in front of it (or worse). Of lesser importance, some people have inadvertently started their car in motion and gone through the back wall of their garage. It wasn’t fun either, even though the American Association of Home Builders endorsed the feature.
Anyway, after enough of these accidents, the federal government stepped in to require all cars to be in park or neutral to be allowed to start.
Introducing … the neutral safety switch, a small electronic switch that prevents the vehicle from starting unless the transmission is in park or neutral.
As a neutral safety switch ages and wears, it can become picky. That’s why shaking the shifter ends up working. You find the exact spot where contact is made, the circuit closes, and — done — the car goes.
If you want to test my theory, try putting the car in neutral next time it won’t start. You might have better luck there. But regardless, you’re right that it will eventually leave you stranded. So I would strongly advise you to replace the switch.
It’s a $50 part and screws right into the side of the transmission on this car. If you’re a DIYer, this is something you can probably handle.
If that doesn’t fix it, then my guess is that your shifter cable has stretched over the years. Adjusting or more likely replacing the cable would be a job for a mechanic. Or a do-it-yourselfer with a very liberal work-from-home job.
Ray Magliozzi gives car tips on Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting cartalk.com