drained battery after tire service at the dealer. normal? also Q about selling a used car

For the battery, it is normal when they don't turn the car off. They left it in READY mode, which lowered the battery SOC. Keep in mind even 1 bar left is 40%. It is damn near impossible to "drain" the traction battery. You really have to be out of gas and then drive it to the ground.

As for selling the other car, your finance company owns the car. You cannot sell what you do not own. Therefore you must purchase the car from the finance company so that you own it, which is the remaining balance on the loan. Then they will sign the car over to you (really they will release their lien on the vehicle, it is in your name already, but you still do not own it). Usually a couple weeks later,you get the title in the mail free of any liens. Then you can sell it privately.

So if you sell it privately to someone, they may be willing to drive the car still under your and your finance company's name. I am fairly sure this illegal, but is done all the time. Then you can use that money to pay off the car, wait the 2 weeks and get the title, then sign the title over to them. Now... In the mean time, they are driving around with your plates in a car registered to you. If they run over a bus load of children and nuns, that's on YOU. If they rob a bank, you are in trouble too. It is a VERY VERY VERY bad idea to do this. Yet it is done all the time because people dont have the money upfront. Also done when trying to commit insurance fraud (i.e. it is cheaper to register the car under 'person A' than 'person B', but 'person B' really will be driving the car)

 

The main battery can drain (and charge) in just a few minutes. It's not a big deal. It's not fully drained even at zero bars anyway.

Edit: Beaten to it.

 

What 2K1 Toaster said, PLUS most states have some version of the Dangerous Instrumentality law on their books and if you "lend" someone your car, which most states consider a dangerous instrumentality, just like a gun, you are responsible if they cause any damage.

When you sell a car, your safest bet is to go to the tag agency with the buyer and have the title transferred. If they finance the vehicle, you can usually rely on the bank or credit union to handle the transfer because they have a vested interest in getting their lien filed, but if you sell for cash to a private individual, don't rest easy until you see the papers going in for the title change.

 

Call your DMV & ask your questions.

 

The DMV is useless. Here when you call, you get an automated message that says go to the website. On the website, all it has are locations, hours, and phone numbers and says call with questions. You cant speak to anyone no matter what you try. And if you were to get a hold of them, if they are as nice as they are in person I bet you would regret all the trouble you went through to try and talk with them...

 

In California there is a form than you can use to notify the DMV that you've sold the car.

Assuming you own the car (already paid off), and therefore have the DMV issued ownership certificate (generally called a pink slip), then you make your deal with the buyer, sign the pink slip releasing ownership, and turn over the pink slip to the new owner. The new owner then takes the pink slip to the DMV to handle the new registration.

If you don't notify the DMV that you've sold the car, then you remain the registered owner until the new owner processes the new registration. If they do something illegal (parking ticket will do), you'll be the one the authorities go after. Filing the notice of sale with DMV relieves you of the responsibility of ownership of that car, and gives the DMV someone to go after if the new owner doesn't follow through.

If you're selling a car that still has remaining payments on it, you'll have to involve the loan holder, because it's their car (and they have the ownership certificate).

 

This is very good advice, take it to heart........:cheer2: