My stupid mistake live and learn

[dads longhorn]

My 1971 C20 doesn't start in reverse. It must be in park. That's the short story. The longish story is I went to start the truck after it sitting for two weeks and nothing. The red "Brake" light came on but nothing else. I assumed it was the 8 + year old battery finally quit. I tried jumping it with two different jumper cables on both batteries, had the volt ohm meter out to see if I could tell which battery had any juice , I even inspected the wiring in the engine! After 20 minutes jumping I called AAA to come jump the battery and to bring a new battery with them. It only got worse from there. AAA doesn't sell or install batteries and their battery company won't install outside city limits (I'm probably 5 minutes outside the city). So AAA would tow me into town where I could meet the battery install company. But the Battery company doesn't know what kind of battery to put in since it's such an old truck so they can't do it. It gets worse still and the bureaucracy and the frustration mounts. Well finally the tow truck arrives and I go to make sure the truck is in neutral before pulling it up onto the bed of the tow truck. It wasn't. It was in reverse. (Where I stupidly left it last time I drove it) So I put it in park and it started right up. I let the tow driver go home. I immediately drove to sears for a new battery and am expecting to wait 4-5 hours in line for the install. All on a holiday. Oh brother. So much time, frustration waisted! But hey after I get over feeling stupid I will realize I learned a good lesson without much consequence. Live and learn the stupid way!!!!

[RANDY COX]

Well it's not all wasted as long as you learned something...Sometimes me Purdy Dupid as times...

[bigmac73]

not stupid, but i would learn how to install the battery yourself , no sense and paying for something so simple

[dads longhorn]

Yea I'll learn to install battery, can't be that hard. Good news. The guys at sears liked the truck so much they bumped me ahead of everyone with long orders. Instead of 4 hours it only took 30 minutes. Yea for an old cool truck

[special-K]

I guarantee I have done way studiper (many times). At least you figured it out before it was loaded and hauled in. Buying a battery was the right thing to do. I can't believe the battery people are so ignorant. Even w/o a listing, all they need is the size group and which side which pole is on. The size group should be on the battery. If not, it can be measured. They sound like pizza delivery around here. I live 100 or so yards past the road they set as their limit and my money is worth the same as those closer. In fact, when they slip up and deliver anyway, I tip really well...probably better than thise who take it for granted.

[davischevy]

A friend from out of town stopped at a restaurant here to eat and when leaving her truck wouldn't start. She called and I took a trailer out and loaded it in the rain. I took it to the shop, unstrapped it, got in it, tilted the wheel down, and let it roll off the trailer. I said "I wonder why this thing won't start" and hit the key and the truck roared to life.

Turns out, if you tilted the wheel up it disengaged the park/neutral switch.

[100%Chevy]

I've done WAY worse many times!
One time my truck would'nt start.I hit the key and it clicked.
I knew it was a loose battery terminal,so I got out opened the hood and with my hand I twisted the pos terminal.We've all done this,right?
Well the click I'd heard when it wouldn't start was the solenoid putting the starter pinion into the flywheel where it was stuck.
The truck was also in first gear!
When I twisted the cable,it started cranking! And took off! With me on the front of the radiator support.
After about 50',I got the cable off the battery and it stopped.
If I'd left the key on,it would have been way worse!
Mike.

[jjlett69]

Originally Posted by 100%Chevy

I've done WAY worse many times!
One time my truck would'nt start.I hit the key and it clicked.
I knew it was a loose battery terminal,so I got out opened the hood and with my hand I twisted the pos terminal.We've all done this,right?
Well the click I'd heard when it wouldn't start was the solenoid putting the starter pinion into the flywheel where it was stuck.
The truck was also in first gear!
When I twisted the cable,it started cranking! And took off! With me on the front of the radiator support.
After about 50',I got the cable off the battery and it stopped.
If I'd left the key on,it would have been way worse!
Mike.

That my friend is a great gearhead story! Totally made my morning at work!

[SoCoC10]

My dad has a mid 90's Land Rover that he has not been using for 10 years or more. He called me up and said that he had just replaced the battery a week or so ago and and was still having to jump start it to get it going. I told him it sounded like a bad connection, so I recommended check the connections at the battery and at the starter. It was late and dark, so after he got a flashlight to check his connections, he noticed he didn't take the black plastic cap off the negative battery post. Oops!

[dads longhorn]

Hahaha, I feel right at home here! Yea the battery guys said their "what battery type" book only went back to 1991. I think about the only way to really learn about these trucks is to use them! Reading is good, talking about them is good, but using them brings out all the little intricacies in them. Ah always something new. Be careful out there! Haha

[In The Ten Ring]

Another advantage to the manual shift: it starts in any gear.

I once tried for an hour to start a weed eater with the switch set to "off." I was young and it wasn't my weed eater.

Glad no real harm done and your pride must be intact or you wouldn't have put this up on here for our entertainment (and warning to us!).

It goes to show also how we have become dependent on modern transmissions. My Honda will turn off in reverse but you can't get the key out.