Peter Pyros, proud owner of a 2006 Cadillac XLR Roadster thought he was dying when he faced a starter battery death in his car. Chicago Tribune relates how the 75-year-old man had outlived nine surgical procedures, a stroke, and cancer. But he got as far as writing a farewell note to his nephew saying, ‘This is a terrible death, but I love you.’
How Failing to Start Was an Omen of Battery Death
Pyros decided to take his car for a ride on the morning of August 31, 2018. The hood was up, but he was looking forward to letting it down when the day warmed. He had started the car a few weeks previously, before changing his mind and putting it back in the garage. In other words he left it with a battery in a semi-discharged state.
On the morning in question he climbed into the car, closed the door and pressed the starter button but nothing happened. He tried to use the key fob but to no avail. Replacing the fob battery with spares in the center console made no difference. He was trapped in his car with the electrical system shut down following starter battery death. And everything electrical, including the door buttons was dead.
A Sober Warning; What Happens When an Old Battery Dies
The 2006 Cadillac XLR Roadster had only 12,000 miles on the clock, and so may have still had the original starter battery. However, Peter Pyros had other things on his mind. With the engine dead and the electrical system not working, the doors and windows would not budge. It was getting hot inside and he had difficulty breathing.
Even the horn did not work, he said. Only electricity could take the hard-top convertible cover down. He realized he was in trouble, as he lived alone and all his neighbors were at work. Finally, one of his neighbors noticed the garage door still open at 11:20 p.m. that night. He called the emergency services. They asked Pyros to open the hood and helped him jump start the car to re-energize the electrics.
Cadillac had foreseen a battery death lock-up in 2006, and fitted a mechanical door release handle on the floor beside each seat. Only problem was nobody ever told Peter Pyros. He learned about it after the incident when he read the owner’s manual for the first time. But then most of us never do.
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Preview Image: 2006 Cadillac XLR Roadster with Hood Down
