[PA Engineer]

????? Wouldn't an EMP wipe some car electronics out and not others? Is it 'hit and miss' and you really don't know if your car would start or not? 50/50 chance?

Yep. The testing that was done resulted in random results. Some cars were unaffected and others had to towed away to the shop.

One of the items I keep in my car is a socket wrench to disconnect the battery and reconnect it. This may offer some value in resetting the onboard computers to minimally limp home mode. I had the unfortunate experience of a transmission electronic failure years ago. The ride was rough and inefficient, but I made it 127 miles to my house. That is the default they call limp home mode.

The biggest issue will be the large grid transformers.

I am not convinced that isolated appliances and battery operated tools will be damaged in any way.

[ChocChipCookie]

Read what this guy has to say about the vehicles that were used in government EMP tests. THEY HAD TO BE RETURNED TO DOD IN WORKING CONDITON!

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/vehicles.html

[Hawthorn]

>> I am not convinced that isolated appliances and battery operated tools will be damaged in any way <<

Anything that uses solid-state devices will probably be inoperative. Older stuff should work OK, unless it’s at the epicenter of the EMP effect.