Help! Had to buy new battery for my 97R wagon. Drove around town for an hour after changing it out, came home, and car died dead dead 100 yards from house after hitting two very small mud puddles in the road. Nothing would come, no lights whatsoever. Like a cable had come loose from the new battery. Checked cables. Tight. Tried ignition an hour later, but still dead dead. Took battery out and charged it over night, read 13.16 volts. Put it back in this morning and started right up. Drove it to house, two hundred yards away. Fifty feet from house it quit, but this time the instrument lights stayed on and I hadn't hit any holes. Tried starting it ten minutes later and it fired right up. Drove it up to garage. While it was still running I checked alternator, which was putting out 13.97 volts. After I turned it off the battery registered 12.8 volts.

Could this possibly be that fickle ignition switch, the hot battery burning a contact? I really need to know what happened because if I don't I will never trust this car again in town or on the freeway. I'm seventy-five and haven't gotten around yet to getting a cell phone (yes, I know, dumb on my part). I don't want paranoia sitting in the passenger seat beside me every time I drive it. Dick