Battery light came on and dash said Battery saver mode active then all the other lights came on and car shut down and key is stuck in ignition…Bought new battery and all it does is click click click
It sounds like the battery just ran out of juice as you were driving for some reason. Possibly a faulty alternator. Or a short circuit. In either case replacing the battery might not solve the problem. What does the battery voltage measure with the car just sitting, everything turned off, vs when you are trying to crank the engine. Vs sitting with engine off, but with the headlights on bright?
The battery light generally indicates a charging system failure, the battery will discharge in 15 to 20 minutes with a failing alternator. It seems that you then installed a dead or discharged battery.
Have the battery checked to be sure it has a full charge.
If it has a full charge I would 1.be sure to clean the battery terminals 2. if it still only clicks, I would remove the starter and have it tested. Most auto parts stores will bench test these for free.
If it starts and the battery light is not illuminated, you should be good to go. And if that was the original battery you should be glad it lasted this long. Most only last 4-5 years…at least here with our Wisconsin winters.
Once started, I would have the charging system tested. Most auto parts stores will also test the system for free.
Remember; as @Nevada_545 pointed out, “you will only have 15 to 20 minutes of run time”.
Yosemite
On older cars there seemed to be more time than that. My dad’s 66 Ford truck lost it’s alternator one time, and it was close to an hour of freeway driving before we got home. The engine started to misfire towards the end though. There’s a road-trip story in the current Practical Classics magazine, 7 day trip around England driving classic (meaning old) cars; one of the participants drove a Bug Eye Sprite with no alternator for the whole trip. He just charged the battery with a battery charger overnight for the next day’s segment.
That wouldn’t surprise me. There are a ton more electronic components to use electricity than there used to be
Yes @George_San_Jose1 , I also remember driving quite a distance on just the battery ,
As @pyrolord314 says,
Back in the day… we could go farther as long as it was daylight.
I remember 10 years or so ago just trying to get my wife’s car to a place to change the alternator. The problem was that this car…the Headlights came on with the ignition. I’d jump the thing and she would only make it a mile on the little charge from the jump. Once I pulled out both headlight bulbs, her car made it the 5 miles on just the little juice that the battery picked up from the jump start.
Yosemite
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