Click and Clack, You're My Only Hope!

[lydamorehouse]

Do you ever listen to Click & Clack the car guys on NPR? I'm not what you'd call a regular listener, but I've tuned in ocassionally. I think I need to call them. My Ford Taurus has the weirdest damn problem. Let me explain it to you, like I would to them:

I like to listen to the radio. In fact, I tend to turn it on the moment I start up my car. That's how I noticed this problem. When I shift (my car is an automatic) into reverse, the radio cuts off. It pops back on in drive. If I go from park to drive, it will go off, but only for about five seconds. It will stay off the entire time my car is in reverse. Why does my car radio hate reverse in particular?

I would think it was just a wiring problem, except that my radio works perfectly, no matter how bumpy the road. To be a completist, I should say that my dashboard has any number of odd quirks. My spedometer is about five miles per hour off (at least if radar guns are to be believed), but all of my other gauges are fine.

So, what is it? Gremlins? A personality quirk?

Before I call them, what do you think? Anyone else have a problem like this?

Comments

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

My husband, who fixes Dodges for a living, asks, does it do this when the engine isn't running? I don't really understand his explanation of why that question matters, but.

[lydamorehouse]

Uh, the radio doesn't turn on when the car isn't on. Or do you mean when I have the electrictiy on in the "locked" position, in which case I still wouldn't know since I can't shift the car if the engine isn't running.

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

If you put the key in the ignition, and gently turn it in the direction you would to start the car--on my car, it's two clicks--the radio will come on and you will be able to shift gears, but the car won't be started up.

[lydamorehouse]

The Ford doesn't seem to have that feature. I tried it this morning. My car won't let me shift gears unless the engine is running. A safety feature, perhaps?

[ann-leckie.livejournal.com]

Hm. Every car I've ever had would do that.

If your car stalls, for instance, you can still shift gears. Putting the key forward is kind of like stalling your car without stalling your car, if that makes sense.