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I am posting this not so much as a question, but to share an odd experience with my alarm system.
I had locked the car (set alarm) but left the windows partially open because it was hot and we were at my father in law's lake home in Northern Minnesota and I wasn't real worried about being broken into. Of course, my wife was taking some stuff out to the car (and asked for my keys to get into the car). When she got to the car, she saw that the windows were open enough for her to reach in, pop the lock and open the door. Which she promptly did, and was greeted by the whining of the alarm very quickly. She didn't know how to shut it off, so the whining eventually stopped and just the lights were flashing. I reset the alarm (I thought) by turning the key in the lock to the unlocked position (and the lights did stop flashing).
So we get the car all packed up and get ready to leave. I turn the ignition, and the car starts to turn over, but then stalls. That never happens, it always turns over once it starts catching. I turn the key again and nothing, just lots of cranking, but no sign that fuel is exploding in the cylinders. I am a little concerned because I doubt that anyone that lives within 150 miles is likely to have every laid eyes on a Saab. I hemmed and hawed for 15 minutes or so, perplexed because the engine did not appear to be getting any fuel (but 30 minutes earlier, the car started right up and ran fine when I moved it 20 feet so that my father in law could mow under it). My wife pointed out that the only thing that had changed since then was the alarm being set off, but I was 95% sure I had reset the alarm with the key when I opened the lock.
But my wife is convinced that the alarm has something to do with it, so knowing that the ECU can be reset by pulling the battery terminal, I do this and wait 10 minutes or so with the battery disconnected, in case of a small capacitor storing charge or something.
After I reconnect the battery, the car cranks for 5 seconds or so, and then turns over with a lumpy idle. The idle settles down in 10 seconds or so, I take it for a test drive, and then we drive 190 miles straight home (without turning the car off). Haven't had an issue since.
I am relatively convinced that the fuel pump was immobilized by the alarm system, and somehow that immobilization never got overridden. Its amazing to thing how a simple logic switch can totally shut your car down these days. I guess this is the price that we pay for technology (and theft deterrance).
Anyway, to get to the moral of the story. Try pulling the battery terminals if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
posted by 136.237.60...
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