Alpo Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Since I'm retired, I don't go too many places. Usually the grocery store once a week. Last monday, when I was coming home from the store, it was raining, so I had my lights on. Couple hours ago, when I went out to go to the store, I turned the key and absolutely nothing happened. Then I noticed my headlight switch was on. My lights been on for 8 days. I go get my battery charger and I hook it up. It's got three LEDs, and one of four things is supposed to happen. If the red LED is on, I got it hooked up backwards. If the yellow LED is on, it is charging. If the green LED is on, it's got a full charge. And if the red LED is flashing, there's something wrong with the battery. Nothing happened. None of the lights came on. Got me a wire brush, brushed off the terminal, and brushed off the spot on the chassis where I was grounding it. Still nothing happened. Is it possible I killed it so dead that it can't come back to life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 After 8 days, it's probably doornail dead. I doubt if it will come back to life but if it did, it probably won't last long and I wouldn't trust it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Simple answer: yes. Especially if it's several years old, it can happen. Try leaving the charger on it, and see if anything at all happens. Hopefully you have another vehicle to go and get a new battery if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Oh, check the water in it also. If it needs water, use ONLY distilled water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 5 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said: Hopefully you have another vehicle to go and get a new battery if needed. No, but I got a neighbor that might take me to the parts house. 3 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said: Oh, check the water in it also. If it needs water, use ONLY distilled water. It's a SLAB. Do they still make batteries you can put water in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger #3720LR Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Disconnect the terminal cables. Charge direct to the battery terminals with no other wires connected. Put it on slow charge and leave it sit. Maybe a day or two. If you can check the water level, do it. Batteries that say sealed may actually have caps that are flush to the battery case and have a small gap that a screw drive can lever the top open. You might want to remove the battery from the car and place it away from everything. Place on a wood panel. Not on o the floor . (concrete or dirt) After 8 days, you may be looking at a new battery. -- In the past I had issues with remembering to turn of the light when getting out of the car during the day. (Dare state requiring day light lights) I put a wooden cloths pin on the ignition key when I turn on the lights. Helped me remember to turn of lights. If an automatic, place a small rag on the shifter to remind you. Lately, I for get to close the back side window when I get out of the car. So I have started looking at every window before locking the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 I found out the hard way that a regular battery charger will not give enough power to crank up a truck engine. I've had this happen on both my 2004 and 2017 5.3 liter trucks. Thankfully I got AAA and both times they came out and got me started with their very powerful chargers. Both times this was enough to get me to an auto parts store or dealer and get new batteries installed. Unfortunately the new batch of batteries do not give any indication that they are going down. You are happily cranking away every time until one time the thing just dies. I'm a firm advocate of AAA. On the other hand, every vehicle i"ve owned in the last 21 years has the "Auto" selection on the lights switch. I always leave them there and have not touched a car light switch in a couple of decades. Great feature for those like me that are prone to forget things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Howdy, If its more than four years old just replace it. You could always just hook up a variable charger and see if it charges. It doesnt seem like running a battery down should be that unusual. I once charged up a low battery and turned the key and the battery exploded. I guess the hydrogen from charging went bang. No question about replace. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 It sounds like you have a digital charger. Disconnect the battery from the car. You can leave it in place. Connect the charger and set it to full charge 12 volts. The charger may not indicate anything at all for hours. Just leave it connected and walk away. Check it in the morning. If it isn’t charged you’ll need a new battery. More than likely it will be charged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Smart charger needs to see some battery voltage to start charging. Try jumping from a garden tractor, mower or whatever to get engine started. Then let the vehicle’s alternator charge the battery? I’ve got a high tech smart battery/charger. Would not charge a dead ATV battery. Instructions told how to bypass the charger’s “brains” to jump start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 Well, it's a 30-month battery and it's about 5 years old, so I figure I got my 30 months out of it. I reckon I'll just get a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 19 minutes ago, Alpo said: Well, it's a 30-month battery and it's about 5 years old, so I figure I got my 30 months out of it. I reckon I'll just get a new one. Best choice. After five years in the Florida heat/etc, it probably isn't long for this world anyway. As far as the battery water goes, some batteries still have filler caps and some are sealed. I've seen some that look sealed but like Cliff Hanger said, there may be caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Matthew Duncan said: Smart charger needs to see some battery voltage to start charging. Try jumping from a garden tractor, mower or whatever to get engine started. Then let the vehicle’s alternator charge the battery? I’ve got a high tech smart battery/charger. Would not charge a dead ATV battery. Instructions told how to bypass the charger’s “brains” to jump start. This. Modern smart chargers need to see voltage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 What I had hoped for, happened. Letting it sit overnight with the light turned off, and the battery came up with a little bit of charge. Enough that my smart charger recognized it, and it is now charging the battery. 12 or 15 hours from now it will probably have enough charge to start the car, and I can drive down to the parts house and get a new battery. Yay. I always love those unexpected $150 - $200 charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Our 2016 is still on it's OEM battery. Am expecting it to die by winter, told the wife it's gonna need replaced BEFORE it fails. She's not on board with that idea............yet.Probably take it stranding her some place before she changes her mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 Well hell. After only 9 hours on charge, it started to rain, so I figgered I best unplug it. Guess I ain't getting a new battery tomorrow. Maybe Friday. Damn rain. On a lighter note, the grass fairies cut my front yard. I cut the backyard, came in and showered off the sweat and took about an hour and a half nap. Then I went out to see if the little yellow light was still on and my front yard had been cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 10 hours ago, Alpo said: What I had hoped for, happened. Letting it sit overnight with the light turned off, and the battery came up with a little bit of charge. Enough that my smart charger recognized it, and it is now charging the battery. 12 or 15 hours from now it will probably have enough charge to start the car, and I can drive down to the parts house and get a new battery. Yay. I always love those unexpected $150 - $200 charges. My Audi sat in the garage for 2 months, and would not start when I tried it. No clicks. No solenoid sound, No growls. I have an emergency starter battery pack - nada. Used jumper cables from the Jeep; lights, door buzzer, but nothing more. Called AAA; they got nothing more. Battery was less than a year old. Zippo. Had the car towed (flatbed) to the dealer. Battery was $265; install was $135; that's a $400 battery replacement. Still wouldn't start. Dead starter. Replacement was $650; labor was $900. With tax, $2000 plus the tow. All good now, except that I'm broke.....I love German cars. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 yes - you need a new one , if you lived here it would have happened sooner the cold kills em faster in my experience , we get three years or four generally , boat battery's two to three even when maintained Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patagonia Pete Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 On 7/13/2021 at 4:21 PM, Alpo said: Well, it's a 30-month battery and it's about 5 years old, so I figure I got my 30 months out of it. I reckon I'll just get a new one. Wait!! You were not supposed to announce "that" until this thread was at least 3 pages long!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassnetguy50 Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 On 7/14/2021 at 10:24 AM, Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 said: Our 2016 is still on it's OEM battery. Am expecting it to die by winter, told the wife it's gonna need replaced BEFORE it fails. She's not on board with that idea............yet.Probably take it stranding her some place before she changes her mind. Sometimes it is fun to let it die to so you'll truely know how long it does last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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