Finally bought a car and warning lights on on the way home

[wastntim]

Ok, I did it. I finally came to an agreement on a car. Yellow 02 RT - not even 1600 miles. body appears to be in perfect condition. Driving home though, the antilock brake warning light and parking brake light went on three separate times. The longest time the lights stayed on was maybe thirty seconds. Went off on their own. One of the times, however, the radio cut out when the light went on and turned back on as soon as the light went out. Did I just buy the car from hell? What kind of electrical mess might this be? I am planning on having it inspected in the next day or two. I have the right to return the car if anything major is wrong. Anybody have a clue?

 

[KepRght]

dont worry yet, the car is just in shock from actualy being driven.

maybe a mouse got in there?

 

[CMilViper]

Check the battery.

 

[ryan94rt10]

sounds like the battery to me too!

 

[ViperJames]

How far did you have to drive home? Personally I would take it right back and have them take care of it immediately. That will take all the guess work out. Frustrating, but probably your best bet to avoid future problems. Good Luck and CONGRATS on your purchase!

 

[Mr Hemi Head]

[I have the right to return the car if anything major is wrong.]

I agree with Viper James and would return the car immediately. Antilock brake light is major issue and if it's on during the inspection it won't pass.

Hopefully it's an easy fix but with labor rates at $90+ per hour, in many areas, the cost to resolve intermittent problems can add up quickly.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

I do remember reading something about this but for the life of me I can't recall it. I suggest calling the Viper Wizard, Chuck Tator at 914.763.3136 on Monday. Chuck is an incredibly knowledgeable Viper Tech who is also the owner of a Dodge dealership. I know he will be happy and able to tell you what the fix is. He may even show up here and tell us all, he frequents the board a lot.

 

[AZTVR]

I suggest calling the Viper Wizard, Chuck Tator at 914.763.3136 on Monday. Chuck is an incredibly knowledgeable Viper Tech who is also the owner of a Dodge dealership. I know he will be happy and able to tell you what the fix is.

Yes, what he said. Until then, I would suggest checking the battery connection at the "Jump Start" post under the hood since with that few miles, maybe it had been disconnected in storage and not tightened when reconnected. Otherwise I'd suspect connections at the battery either on the positive or negative side. Remove and clean up and brighten the mating surfaces.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Agree with the battery comment. Only 1600 miles on a 2002 means it sat most of the time. It needs some exercize. If the battery is the stock unit it is probably time to replace anyway.

 

[C O D Y]

Check your email.

 

[wastntim]

Thanks for the input. I might have considered taking it right back but it was 9:30 at night. Dealership is over two hours away. I am going to start with the inspection which will be done Monday. I am thinking that it might be a battery issue. Just before I picked up the car, they were charging the battery. I also have contacted Chuck Tator via email to find out if the car has a service history that I should know about.

Thanks for the post and the email. This forum is one of the large reasons I felt comfortable enough to buy a viper.

 

[kcobean]

I would also like to add this:

Don't let this little snag ruin your Viper experience. I had a few issues when I first got my car, but I was determined to enjoy it regardless. Even if you end up taking this car back (which I hope you don't end up having to do) and shopping for a different one, the hunt is all part of the Viper experience. You'll end up with a car that'll take care of you, I'm sure. Good luck man.

 

[Leslie]

I took mine to the club's dyno today, then when I got back in my Viper to drive home I noticed the ABS light and brake light were on.

Got back outta the car and asked the dyno tech, he said that when a Viper is on a dyno with the front wheels locked the car activates the ABS and brake system.

Maybe something locked up the front wheels at some point...?

 

[peakcompletions]

same kind of thing happened to me when I bought my car in Phoenix...

warning lights etc... goofy stuff going on.

Dealership told me it was normal for a viper (my first) and to let them know in a couple of days...

like a dummy I did, trailered it home to Texas and 72 miles later introduced it to David Weaver for a complete motor rebuild...

take it back and make sure it is right before you accept the car! For me, it was a very expensive learning experience...

(not saying you will have the same bad luck but better to be safe than sorry)

my 0.02$

 

[PatentLaw]

Not normal, but change the battery. See other threads on here. Fairly simple. After the battery is changed out, then you can start to sweat other things. Get a scanner as well if you don't have one.

 

[wastntim]

Well I went to start the car last night and it started for 10 seconds and then cut off. Then nothing. I think the battery is toast. So now I'm off to buy a new battery .... and a lift that fits under the car.

 

[jmarkovicj]

I had the same thing but my electric windows and lights worked intermittently too and replaced the key ignition switch, was able to retain the original key. This cleared up the issue.