How do I know if my Quest is haunted?

April 26, 2006 2:14 PM

My Nissan Quest is haunted. Or something. Help!

Hookay. I was outside today playing ball with our kids when I noticed that our van was making some odd clunking noises. At first I though it was just the cool down clicking that cars make when they are cooling down after being driven, but then it dawned on me that no one had taken the van out for at least two hours. Then all the windows opened at the same time (but not the skylight) and several more clicks and clunks followed, which I think may have been the locks. I went inside and asked my husband if he was playing with the electric key fob thingy that can lock and unlock the door, and he assured me he hadn't (he was taking a business call at the time), which might have explained the clunks, but there is no windows down function. In fact, if the car is off you can't roll down the windows, and it was definately not running. In addition, our house is set pretty far back from the road and away from other houses, so if it was some other remote it must have been a pretty powerfull one.

So, any ideas? Should we call an exorcist? Trade it in? Or keep driving it and hope the radio doesn't start auto tuning to the 50's oldies station?

posted by kittyloop to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Demonic possession. Better call Max von Sydow toots sweet.
posted by mcstayinskool at 2:19 PM on April 26, 2006

How're the shocks? Could it be metal fatigue?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:24 PM on April 26, 2006

Regardless of whether you get an answer here, you should call Car Talk with your story...it's a pretty funny/scary one!
posted by limeonaire at 2:27 PM on April 26, 2006

Maybe there's a short between the battery and the electrical system? I wonder if you'll find your battery dead someday soon because it's discharging into the frame of the car, which I think is ground for the electrical system.
posted by landtuna at 2:52 PM on April 26, 2006

How new is your van. My 06 Quest *does* have a windows-down function on the keyfob. If you hold down the "unlock" button for a few seconds, the driver and passenger windows go all the way down.
posted by ersatzkat at 3:15 PM on April 26, 2006

"How new is your van" is a ?, of course...
posted by ersatzkat at 3:15 PM on April 26, 2006

Our Nissan Murano will roll down the windows if you press and hold the unlock key on the fob. I think it is so on hot days you can get it airing out as you approach the car. Could the fob have been in your pocket and being squeezed somehow?
posted by juggler at 3:20 PM on April 26, 2006

Could someone else's key fob in the area be interferring with your van? It's a (supposedly secure) radio frequency that controls the locks, right?
posted by desuetude at 3:45 PM on April 26, 2006

Do you have a spare key fob? I'm thinking you're being hilariously set up by your kids.
posted by flabdablet at 4:47 PM on April 26, 2006

Here you go.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 5:27 PM on April 26, 2006

Thanks, everyone! The key fob does indeed contain the hidden windows down function. We did some investigating and discovered that the "ghost" was actually my husband's behind, as his keys were in his pocket whilst he was shifting in his chair when he was talking on the phone. Beware...beware the ass ghost!

Now we just have to get Max Von Sydow back to Sweden. He tried his best.
posted by kittyloop at 7:29 PM on April 26, 2006