GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi all,
2004 Vibe with factory amp
-Just purchased a new JVC single din radio with bluetooth. I took it to best buy for the install.
-Sunday night radio installed and was working fine. they had to install two resistors? to prevent popping sound from amp
-Drove car home, stopped to get gas
-Car sat in garage until Monday evening - next time I turned the car on- car will not start
- Lights come on, dome, flashers, just *** makes repetivtive clicking sound*** when turn key
- Tried jumping the car, left it connected to running car for ~20 min
- Checked most of the fuses on interior and engine fuse box
- Now dealing with the store manager, trying to tell him they have to pay for it to be towed back to them and fixed.

What could be the cause? Is the battery being drained? Is it definitely best buy's fault? How should I deal with them?

All advice much appreciated, except for the obvious "shouldn't have taken it to best buy"....
Thanks!

welcome to genvibe

Usually a repetitive clicking sound when trying to start the car is a result of not enough current to the starter. This could be caused by several things that would not be Best Buy's fault.

The starter takes a lot of current. A battery might be on its way out, where it can generate enough current to light the lights, but not enough to fully power the starter motor. Similarly, a corroded battery cable connection acts as a resistor, dropping more voltage the higher the current. These could also keep from getting enough juice when jump starting.
How old is the battery? Take off the cable connections at the battery and clean them, both the battery terminals and the cable ends with a wire brush or sandpaper, get good metal to metal contact when you hook it back up. Turn the head lights on and then try to start it - do the head lights dim?

Could also be a failing starter. Some people have gotten by in a pinch by tapping the starter with a hammer.

The only thing I can think of as how Best Buy may have contributed to the problem is that the factory wiring includes an amp turn on signal from the head unit to the amp, and if they hardwired that on, then the amp could be drawing electricity when the car is off, which may have deep discharged your weak battery beyond recovery.

Keep us posted, if you figure it out, let us know, and good luck

If you are not sure of the battery condition, you could have it tested at a parts store.
good luck,
chiadog

Welcome to GenVibe. Give us a better history of your Vibe and your location. I would say without a doubt, knowing first hand on Best Buy's "inexperienced" staff, that they clearly did something wrong to your Vibe My son is constantly repairing computer equipment which has previously been repaired by the Geek squad! He calls them "job security". Anyways, if your Vibe was fine and normal for quite a while and then this condition "all of a sudden" is there, it is the fault of Best Buy. Cover your A S S as best as possible and have any/all documentation to go back on them. Let us know how things proceed. Good luck

Got a meter? Put it on the battery and tell us the voltage. You've given us nothing to work with other than guess.

The stereo or amp could be putting a parasitic load on the battery which drained an otherwise weak battery.

Are you saying that the jump was unsuccessful? Do you have good quality jumper cables?

EDIT: A fully charged battery will read 12.6 volts or more. At 12.06 it is 50% and at 11 volts it is totally dead.

As was said before, it probably wasn't Best Buy that caused the issues with the car. You blame them because they were the last ones to work on the car, but it could've happened if no one touched the car. If you are convinced that it was the install that caused the issue, take it to another (reputable) shop and ask them to check the install over. Don't tell them where you got the work done, just that there is a concern with the install. If they find a fault, get it in writing & take it back to the manager at Best Buy. I'm willing to bet that there's no fault found.

Thanks everyone,

It appears it was just a battery on its last legs!
Voltage tested at 11 so we took it the battery out and took it to Advance Auto. Amps were down to 75 and did not recharge after they charged it. Installed a new battery drove it to Best Buy, they double checked the connections, grounds, and radio/amp to check if they were turning off correctly. Working fine still 2 days out. Glad it was not something bigger.

This was frustrating because it happened just a day after they had worked on it, I had little knowledge of car electrical system, and did not want to spend $ on service/towing that might have been due to faulty service. Car problems and repair shops make a lot of people feel helpless and cheated when things go wrong because it is hard to understand a problem which you can not have predicted - And they always seem to talk so condescendingly. But a little know how and support from forums goes a long way!

Lessons:
1) Keep track of how old your battery is and have it tested when the weather gets cold
2) ...

ohfourvibe wrote: Lessons:
1) Keep track of how old your battery is and have it tested when the weather gets cold
2) ...

Finishing where you left off

2) Post pics of my Vibe so other GenVibe members can see what I'm driving
3) Update my profile with location. Another GenViber could be right around the corner from you if we knew your location
4) Provide a brief history of my Vibe. Am I the original owner? Did I just purchase it?


OK ... now that I officially gave you a hard time glad to hear it was just a battery issue. Enjoy the ride