Rep Power: 0

Our 2009 EX-L is completely dead. Key fobs do nothing, and turning the ignition on yields no lights or sounds. All was well when we drove it last, 2 or 3 days ago. I open the hood to find the prop rod laying across the positive terminal on the battery (one of the plastic spring clips in the retainer has been broken for years -- but the rod has always stayed in the bracket). The the red plastic terminal cover has been gone for years as well -- I watched watched through the shop window as the guy at the Interstate Battery store ripped it off. When I asked him why, he said that it traps gasses from the battery that cause the green corrosion. I connected a charger, and the horn started stuttering, like the alarm was trying to go off, but it didn't have enough juice. So I disconnected both positive & negative terminals and am charging the battery now. It's very low -- it's been pulling 5 amps for a few hours. I didn't bother checking the voltage.

About the prop rod: the neoprene insulating sleeve at the end is intact, as is the plastic fitting at the end of the rod. I don't see how the rod could have shorted the positive terminal; but I'm assuming that's what happened for now. I looked over all the big 40+ amp fuses in the engine compartment and don't see any which are blown. When the battery draw from the charger starts to slow down, I'll go out and hook it up and see what happens. I assume the alarm will go off and understand how to shut that down.

Assuming the car doesn't fire right up, can anyone give me some starting points on where to look and what to check? (Yes, I'm already planning to replace the red battery terminal cover and prop rod retainer clip. )

Thanks.

 
Rep Power: 366

fuses - OK
battery - charging
assuming no rodent got under the hood and chewed the wires (yes, it's common in winter)
install and test
pray no electronics were fried (they are sensible)

 
Rep Power: 0

My son lives in Brooklyn, NY, and his Mazda 3 lives on the street year-round. He drove home last summer and I changed his oil for him while he was here (oil changes are always free in this Dad's garage). The whole engine compartment is covered beneath the car with this big shroud that has a couple access panels for the drain plug and filter. I pull off the panel for the oil drain and find the mummified carcass of an NYC rat. Probably wiggled in there when the engine was warm and couldn't find his way out again. He'd been in there for months, and was almost certainly in there the last time my son got his oil changed at some quick-lube place in Brooklyn.

And thanks for the advice.