GuddsCLtypeS

So i just bought my CL-S a week and half ago and been driving it every day since then. no problems so far, no warning lights, drives like a dream, and started up perfectly every single time until..tonight.

i went from work at 5pm to pick up my girl, went back to my house for a couple hours, then left for my friends house. we stopped at two stores and a mcdonalds on the way, turning the car off and getting out at each location, and the car started up perfectly every time. then we went to my friends house for a bonfire for about an hour, when we left the car started fine once again. then it was about a half hour drive to her house, we stopped at the store right down the street for a drink, i turned the car off and was in the store for about 45 seconds, when i came back out the car wouldnt start!!

at first the lights in the car and dash lit up as usual when i stuck the key in, then i turned the key and suddenly nothing..not turning over or anything..next try, ZERO electricals or lights operating now and the car is obviously still not turning over at all. i try a couple times fiddling with throwing it into neutral, taking off the e-brake and what not, still absolutely nothing. my girls dad came out with cables and jumped me, it started up first try.

i had a 25 minute drive home on the highway, when i got home i turned the car off and turned it right back on, started fine. then i shut it off for about 2 minutes and tried again, still starting fine. i just hope it does the same tomorrow morning.

ive had a lot of dead batteries in my time, in my Audi it was the alternator, in my legend sedan it was the battery, in the peugeot the battery terminal popped off when i was driving down the road, and in my legend coupe it was just like this, completely random and the battery tested fine. what do you think is causing/caused my battery to die..alternator or just a bad battery? i really hope its the latter, either way im under warranty, but im not going straight to the dealership till i find out what it is, i dont want them to try to bullshit me on the diagnosis, which stealerships are oh so famous for.

phipark

Is it the original battery? What year CL? The dealer will not cover a dead battery.

GuddsCLtypeS

I didnt pay particular attention to what kinda battery it was when i jumped it. but its an '03 CL-S with 30k miles, the dealership said they had the car since october '05 and was obviously driven for test drives on occasion. so the car probably spent a lot of time sitting in the lot.

I went back out to my car an hour after my last post last night and it started up fine. i went out an hour ago at noon, it started fine again...interesting..

bryand178

Check the main fuse under the hood. I believe it is a 100 - 120 amp fuse in a black fuse box on the passenger side of the car near the firewall. This fuse is screwed in with 2 phillips head screws, one on each side. If that thing is not screwed in well, it may cause problems like yours.
A friend of mine blew his main fuse recently and had the same problem. A $5 dollar fix at home but 150 bucks or more at the dealership. It doesn't sound like your fuse is blown though.
Back to my first suggestion...Just check your connections and your main fuse. A little tightening here and there may cure that problem.

GuddsCLtypeS

thanks, that sounds like it could be the source seeing as how i drove it all day today, on and off, and it started up with no problems at all. also, since i started the car today the auto up-down feature on the drivers side window wouldnt work, the window would still roll up and down tho if i held the button. but then it just randomly started working again when i was out tonight.. so i figure it has to be something electrical, a fuse or relay or something like that.

bryand178

Sounds like a loose electrical connection.

Scamparoni

Just a suggestion that may help even though it sounds boneheaded....I had the same thing happen multiple times on my old car [Honda Accord V6]. I could never figure it out, the car would be fine with no signs of the battery getting low and then BAM....no start. This always happens at a sucky time/place and every time I had to ask someone for a jump. I bought 2 new batteries over a year and had the charging circuits checked out, all to no avail.
The symptoms were always the same - open car, get in, put key in, dash lights come on normal, turn the key to start, all lights go out + engine doesnt turn, sweat appears on brow.
I finally figured it out when I was actually selling the car - after opening the door and geting in the buyer accidently pressed the lock button on the alarm fob. Result is engine disable - wont turn over, but no alarm.....press the unlock and all was OK.

I guess when this happened and I got out to find someone to jump the car I always locked it so when I got back and unlocked it everything was OK and I went straight for the jump without noticing it...duh!!.