My brother told me that one of his workmen went to an Interstate battery
store to get a new battery for his new model GM vehicle. Don't know the
year or the make, but it's possibly a Buick.

The dude at the battery store told the potential customer that he could not
put in a new battery because he did not have some kind of special device
that prevents the vehicle's electronics from totally losing its brains. The
battery guy said that the dealer had to replace the battery.

The workman contacted the local GM dealer who confirmed what the battery
dude had said.

I'm having a real hard time swallowing this story. Surely newer cars won't
become totally disabled after someone disconnects the battery and later
reconnects it or puts in a new one. What say you out there who are in the
know?

Silver Surfer wrote:
> My brother told me that one of his workmen went to an Interstate battery
> store to get a new battery for his new model GM vehicle. Don't know the
> year or the make, but it's possibly a Buick.
>
> The dude at the battery store told the potential customer that he could
> not put in a new battery because he did not have some kind of special
> device that prevents the vehicle's electronics from totally losing its
> brains. The battery guy said that the dealer had to replace the battery.
>
> The workman contacted the local GM dealer who confirmed what the battery
> dude had said.
>
> I'm having a real hard time swallowing this story. Surely newer cars
> won't become totally disabled after someone disconnects the battery and
> later reconnects it or puts in a new one. What say you out there who
> are in the know?

All your brother needs is a simple memory minder. It is nothing more
than a plug that goes into the cigarette lighter or power socket and
provides 12 volts while you pull the battery.

The option is that you lose any radio presets, seat memory settings and
any other user programmable items without it. It can also cause the
radio to lock if it has a security code entered.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Steve,

OK. That makes sense. I'm assuming you agree that the vehicle will NOT be
totally disabled if the battery is disconnected and then reconnected?

"Steve W." <csr684NOT@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:gbk44h$r9e$1@aioe.org...
> Silver Surfer wrote:
>> My brother told me that one of his workmen went to an Interstate battery
>> store to get a new battery for his new model GM vehicle. Don't know the
>> year or the make, but it's possibly a Buick.
>>
>> The dude at the battery store told the potential customer that he could
>> not put in a new battery because he did not have some kind of special
>> device that prevents the vehicle's electronics from totally losing its
>> brains. The battery guy said that the dealer had to replace the battery.
>>
>> The workman contacted the local GM dealer who confirmed what the battery
>> dude had said.
>>
>> I'm having a real hard time swallowing this story. Surely newer cars
>> won't become totally disabled after someone disconnects the battery and
>> later reconnects it or puts in a new one. What say you out there who are
>> in the know?
>
> All your brother needs is a simple memory minder. It is nothing more than
> a plug that goes into the cigarette lighter or power socket and provides
> 12 volts while you pull the battery.
>
> The option is that you lose any radio presets, seat memory settings and
> any other user programmable items without it. It can also cause the radio
> to lock if it has a security code entered.
>
> --
> Steve W.
> Near Cooperstown, New York

Steve W. wrote:
> Silver Surfer wrote:
>> My brother told me that one of his workmen went to an Interstate
>> battery store to get a new battery for his new model GM vehicle.
>> Don't know the year or the make, but it's possibly a Buick.
>>
>> The dude at the battery store told the potential customer that he
>> could not put in a new battery because he did not have some kind of
>> special device that prevents the vehicle's electronics from totally
>> losing its brains. The battery guy said that the dealer had to replace
>> the battery.
>>
>> The workman contacted the local GM dealer who confirmed what the
>> battery dude had said.
>>
>> I'm having a real hard time swallowing this story. Surely newer cars
>> won't become totally disabled after someone disconnects the battery
>> and later reconnects it or puts in a new one. What say you out there
>> who are in the know?
>
> All your brother needs is a simple memory minder. It is nothing more
> than a plug that goes into the cigarette lighter or power socket and
> provides 12 volts while you pull the battery.
>
> The option is that you lose any radio presets, seat memory settings and
> any other user programmable items without it. It can also cause the
> radio to lock if it has a security code entered.
>

hell, just scavenge a 9V battery, a connector, and a lighter plug.
done. I'd be wary of buying a battery from someone who didn't have one
of those laying around. just shut the door before you change the
battery or the dome light will drain the 9V right away (if it doesn't
blow the fuse in the lighter plug, if you got it from a light duty device)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Silver Surfer" <SilverSurfer@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:a62dna2eRvUTBkDVnZ2dnUVZ_qfinZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Steve,
>
> OK. That makes sense. I'm assuming you agree that the vehicle will NOT
> be totally disabled if the battery is disconnected and then reconnected?
>


Nope, the worst thing is the radio won't work until the security code is
entered. If that happens, you may have to go to a dealer.

When I had my Buick battery replaced they plugged in the power thing. The
battery is located under the back seat. Lasted 7 years and I replaced it
because it was at the end of its expected life and winter was coming.

Silver Surfer wrote:
> Steve,
>
> OK. That makes sense. I'm assuming you agree that the vehicle will NOT
> be totally disabled if the battery is disconnected and then reconnected?
>

With the memory minder you won't have a problem. I made mine from a
lighter plug and a rechargeable 12 volt pack from an old light. They
even sell them in parts stores that use a 9 volt battery.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Hi!

> I'm having a real hard time swallowing this story. Surely newer cars
won't
> become totally disabled after someone disconnects the battery and later
> reconnects it or puts in a new one. What say you out there who are in the
> know?

The only thing that I know of would be the radio locking up due to loss of
power. If this happens, the owner needs to re-enter a code to turn the set
back on.

However, it was also my understanding that the radios in all relatively new
GM vehicles checked a copy of the VIN stored in their memory against the
vehicle they were in, and as long as the two matched, all was fine. (It is
worth noting that I have seen radios this supposedly applied to run from a
bench power supply...)

Everything else--like the ECM parameters for optimal engine efficiency and
performance--will be relearned as the vehicle is driven.

William