Support NeoGAF

[kittoo]

I forgot to turn on my car for around 20 days because of the lockdown. Now it wont start. The headlights turn on, the radio turns on, the screen turns on, the lights inside the car turn on and the car door unlocks automatically etc just fine. Its just that the engine wont start.
Initially when I was pressing the start button, a few times it seemed it might start- the engine made some good noise and effort. But then the more I tried, the deader the engine became (very little effort and sound). I tried around 10 times.
So, is the battery dead or just a jumping required (given that all other electronics work just fine)?

Car- Jeep Compass
Type- Automatic, Gasoline
2 years old
13000 km on it (8000 miles).

Hopefully this thread will serve you all as reminder to turn on your car during lockdown

 

[Cato]

Battery is flat. Call roadside service and get it replaced. Then drive to a shop and have they check why the battery went flat over just 20 days. Maybe the alternator is fucked. (or the battery is just very old and it died its natural death, then this happens.)

 

[V2Tommy]

Drive your car for 20 minutes a week, always.

 

[DKehoe]

Might just need a jump start. I know a couple people who have had this happen because they didn't use their car for a while. Although for them it was more like a week rather than 20 days. Heard from a roadside mechanic who said that's pretty much all they are doing all day every day just now. Once you've got it back up and running let the engine run for 10 minutes or so every couple days. Make sure to not just turn the engine on then off right away, as that will do more harm than good.

Give this a read

 

[kittoo]

Battery is flat. Call roadside service and get it replaced. Then drive to a shop and have they check why the battery went flat over just 20 days. Maybe the alternator is fucked. (or the battery is just very old and it died its natural death, then this happens.)

Replaced? Damn! That will be costly.
But then how are all the lights working just fine. And the car is only 2 years old with only 8000 miles on it.

Might just need a jump start. I know a couple people who have had this happen because they didn't use their car for a while. Although for them it was more like a week rather than 20 days. Heard from a roadside mechanic who said that's pretty much all they are doing all day every day just now. Once you've got it back up and running let the engine run for 10 minutes or so every couple days. Make sure to not just turn the engine on then off right away, as that will do more harm than good.

Give this a read

Yeah hoping it just needs a jump start.

 

[Moogle11]

Unless the battery is near the end if it’s life span, you probably just need a jump and then drive a while to charge. Or get a battery charger and bring it inside and charge and put it back.

Cars vary a lot in how fast the battery will die when not driven, things like alarm systems and other anti theft things draw varying amounts of power when the car isn’t running etc.

 

[Cato]

Replaced? Damn! That will be costly.
But then how are all the lights working just fine. And the car is only 2 years old with only 8000 miles on it.

The lights only use a tiny amount of electricity so they will keep working well beyond the point where there is not enough power to turn the engine.

 

[kittoo]

The lights only use a tiny amount of electricity so they will keep working well beyond the point where there is not enough power to turn the engine.

Aah OK. I meant even the headlights are turning on just fine- fog lighs, DRLs, main headlight- everything. They also use very little and will turn on easily on a dead battery?

 

[DKehoe]

Aah OK. I meant even the headlights are turning on just fine- fog lighs, DRLs, main headlight- everything. They also use very little and will turn on easily on a dead battery?

Yeh, this is what I've heard about people having The display, lights, radio and doors all work fine but once you try to turn on the engine that's where the problem pops up. They got a jump start and then everything was back to normal. So I'm guessing this is all you will need.

 

[Cato]

Aah OK. I meant even the headlights are turning on just fine- fog lighs, DRLs, main headlight- everything. They also use very little and will turn on easily on a dead battery?

Yes, there might be enough amps there to run the lights for a while but not enough to turn the engine.
That is especially the case if at first you tried to start it and you heard the engine turn but not fire and now it wont turn anymore.

A new battery should only be 60-80$ so just replace it. UNLESS you know with certainty that you just forgot it with the lights on and something and that is why the battery is dead. Unlikely in this case since it is not completely dead. It has enough juice to run the lights (for half an hour or two?).

Replace the battery. Then take it to a shop and have them check the car electrical systems. Check that the alternator is ok and there are not short circuits etc. Just tell the guy at the shop what happened and he knows exactly everything he needs to check.

 

[Cato]

Aah OK. I meant even the headlights are turning on just fine- fog lighs, DRLs, main headlight- everything. They also use very little and will turn on easily on a dead battery?

Yes. They all use very little amps. The only thing that takes A LOT of amps is the starter motor that has to try to rotate a few large blocks of steel inside the engine.

All those things will still work (for a short while) on an almost dead/discharged battery.


BTW. I am a mathematician, not a car mechanic. But you pick up on things. You need to go to a shop and have a mechanic find out WHY this happened or it will happen again.

 

[jts]

Yes, there might be enough amps there to run the lights for a while but not enough to turn the engine.
That is especially the case if at first you tried to start it and you heard the engine turn but not fire and now it wont turn anymore.

A new battery should only be 60-80$ so just replace it. UNLESS you know with certainty that you just forgot it with the lights on and something and that is why the battery is dead. Unlikely in this case since it is not completely dead. It has enough juice to run the lights (for half an hour or two?).

Replace the battery. Then take it to a shop and have them check the car electrical systems. Check that the alternator is ok and there are not short circuits etc. Just tell the guy at the shop what happened and he knows exactly everything he needs to check.

Dude, his battery may be just drained but healthy enough to recover. Why go through the hassle and cost of getting roadside service, replacing battery, and then a checkup, without giving at least a chance of jump starting it to try and see if it regenerates for free.

 

[Moogle11]

Dude, his battery may be just drained but healthy enough to recover. Why go through the hassle and cost of getting roadside service, replacing battery, and then a checkup, without giving at least a chance of jump starting it to try and see if it regenerates for free.

This. And they can then go to an autoshop and have the battery tested afterward and see if it needs replaced. Some cars, including newer ones, have features that use some power when off and can drain batteries in 2-3 weeks if not driven at all. You see complaints about it from people who park in long term airport parking for a few week trip and return to a dead battery etc.

 

[Cato]

Dude, his battery may be just drained but healthy enough to recover. Why go through the hassle and cost of getting roadside service, replacing battery, and then a checkup, without giving at least a chance of jump starting it to try and see if it regenerates for free.

Because it will happen again?
If he forgot to turn the lights off and left the car, the battery would be bone dry after just a few days, not 20-ish.
But since it drained over 20 days to have enough charge for the lights but not to turn the engine, something is wrong.

You do you.
I would replace the battery (cheap) and then take it to the shop to have them tell me WHY was the battery almost drained after 20 days of not using the car.
It is a virtually new car, just two years old. This should not happen to it. I would absolutely want to find out and fix electrical problems I suspect on a 2 year old car. There is something wrong. Find out what and fix it.

 

[Cato]

Dude, his battery may be just drained but healthy enough to recover. Why go through the hassle and cost of getting roadside service, replacing battery, and then a checkup, without giving at least a chance of jump starting it to try and see if it regenerates for free.

It is a semi-expensive 2 years old car. This should not happen to it. Something very likely might be wrong with it. Lets find out why and what so he can fix it before it changes from a cheap fix to an expensive fix.

 

[kittoo]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Looks like the first step is to try jump starting it. Hopefully that works. If not, then there might be battery replacement needed.
Hopefully a jump start will solve it.

 

[Moogle11]

Jump it and then get it to an auto parts store and have them test the battery (Most, if not all, do this for free).

If it’s bad, time for new battery. If it is good, and you’re sure there was no map light etc. on, the next step is to go to your mechanic and have them test the alternator and if that passes then test for something drawing power that shouldn’t be (parasitic draw).

 

[Clockwork5]

Jump it, drive it around town for a while, listen to some tunes, roll down the windows and have yourself a chill cruise in the light traffic. Your battery is in all likelihood perfectly fine and just needs some juice from the alternator.

Because it will happen again?
If he forgot to turn the lights off and left the car, the battery would be bone dry after just a few days, not 20-ish.
But since it drained over 20 days to have enough charge for the lights but not to turn the engine, something is wrong.

You do you.
I would replace the battery (cheap) and then take it to the shop to have them tell me WHY was the battery almost drained after 20 days of not using the car.
It is a virtually new car, just two years old. This should not happen to it. I would absolutely want to find out and fix electrical problems I suspect on a 2 year old car. There is something wrong. Find out what and fix it.

OP should get it checked out at some point but that two year old battery is most likely not the problem and there is literally no need to buy a new battery, dispose of a perfectly fine two year old battery and then try to diagnose the problem.

 

[HellforLeather]

Car- Jeep Compass

Well, there's your problem.


In all seriousness, I would jump the battery first to see if the car will start or not. Whats more concerning is that you said the starter and electrical system was working fine and cranking the engine for at least a few attempts before it died. If you were able to have the engine crank 10 times before the battery died with no luck.....thats a lot, especially for a newer car.

Get someone to jump the battery and see if it will start first but it might be something more serious. How much fuel do you have in it? Or had in it when you parked it?

 

[V4skunk]

Why don't you just bump start the car?
You seriously can't be that dumb?

 

[darkinstinct]

I forgot to turn on my car for around 20 days because of the lockdown. Now it wont start. The headlights turn on, the radio turns on, the screen turns on, the lights inside the car turn on and the car door unlocks automatically etc just fine. Its just that the engine wont start.
Initially when I was pressing the start button, a few times it seemed it might start- the engine made some good noise and effort. But then the more I tried, the deader the engine became (very little effort and sound). I tried around 10 times.
So, is the battery dead or just a jumping required (given that all other electronics work just fine)?

Car- Jeep Compass
Type- Automatic, Gasoline
2 years old
13000 km on it (8000 miles).

Hopefully this thread will serve you all as reminder to turn on your car during lockdown

You can not drive a two year old car for months and it won't kill the battery. If all other electric systems work, guess what, it's not the battery. Could be an animal that took a bite on your cables, could be a defective fuse, could be water in the tank, could be bad gas (but only if you bought at very strange stations that don't have a lot of customers, normally it's good for six months). But your battery is most certainly not the problem.

 

[jts]

You can not drive a two year old car for months and it won't kill the battery. If all other electric systems work, guess what, it's not the battery. Could be an animal that took a bite on your cables, could be a defective fuse, could be water in the tank, could be bad gas (but only if you bought at very strange stations that don't have a lot of customers, normally it's good for six months). But your battery is most certainly not the problem.

I’ve seen cars with owner’s manuals before recommending to unplug the battery if you’re going to leave it parked for over 2 weeks. By pure coincidence, we actually had a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the family that faced the exact same issue, don’t think we were able to revive the battery though. This was early 2000s so the car has nothing in common with the OP’s, but this issue is far from unheard. A 2 year old car may be new, but not necessarily a 2 year old car battery.

 

[kittoo]

Well, there's your problem.


In all seriousness, I would jump the battery first to see if the car will start or not. Whats more concerning is that you said the starter and electrical system was working fine and cranking the engine for at least a few attempts before it died. If you were able to have the engine crank 10 times before the battery died with no luck.....thats a lot, especially for a newer car.

Get someone to jump the battery and see if it will start first but it might be something more serious. How much fuel do you have in it? Or had in it when you parked it?

Since all electrical systems and displays are working fine, I was able to see that there is more than enough gas (the tank is 40% full), and there should be since I got it filled just a day before lockdown.
The plan is to get it jumped only. Unforunately everything is closed during the lockdown. Trying to find someone with compatible battery and cables in my own building.

You can not drive a two year old car for months and it won't kill the battery. If all other electric systems work, guess what, it's not the battery. Could be an animal that took a bite on your cables, could be a defective fuse, could be water in the tank, could be bad gas (but only if you bought at very strange stations that don't have a lot of customers, normally it's good for six months). But your battery is most certainly not the problem.

Bad gas is unlikely cause I get gas from the same station always and has never given me any trouble. Probably not an animal either cause my car is inside a walled compound and have been putting it there since quite some time. There are many more cars around too. Rest all are possibility. No matter what the situation, it does look like jump starting is the first step to check.

Why don't you just bump start the car?
You seriously can't be that dumb?

Apparently I am.
Jump starting is the plan.

 

[Patrick S.]

I bought a project car last year in June and got a brand new battery for it that day. Drove the car home and didn't touch it since then, and I stupidly forgot to disconnect the battery. I jump started the car the other day and drove it for like five minutes, but the battery stayed flat after I turned the car off. I went and bought a cheap (€25), electronically controlled battery charger that has some kinds of battery resurrecting programmes, and amazingly enough, after leaving the charger connected over night, the battery is alive again

 

[kittoo]

I bought a project car last year in June and got a brand new battery for it that day. Drove the car home and didn't touch it since then, and I stupidly forgot to disconnect the battery. I jump started the car the other day and drove it for like five minutes, but the battery stayed flat after I turned the car off. I went and bought a cheap (€25), electronically controlled battery charger that has some kinds of battery resurrecting programmes, and amazingly enough, after leaving the charger connected over night, the battery is alive again

Would you have a link, or name, for the charger by any chance?

 

[Deleted member 1159]

Gas won't go bad in 20 days, definitely not to the point where a bigger fuel injected motor couldn't handle it.

Batteries can drain in 20 days if something (USB charger with a light on it?) is left draining it. You won't notice when you're driving daily, but letting it sit for that long can get it to not crank

The battery *could* be bad, but if under normal circumstances of driving it daily or at least a couple times a week and not having trouble starting it, don't worry about it.

Get it jumped, drive it around for 30 minutes, try to start it the next day.

Would you have a link, or name, for the charger by any chance?

I use something just like this on my camper's battery. Just set it and forget it until it's time to go camping again.

 

[Patrick S.]

Would you have a link, or name, for the charger by any chance?

This one:

EUFAB 16616 Intelligentes Batterieladegerät, 6/12 V, 4 A, mit Kabelaufroller : Amazon.de: Auto & Motorrad

EUFAB 16616 Intelligentes Batterieladegerät, 6/12 V, 4 A, mit Kabelaufroller : Amazon.de: Auto & Motorrad

www.amazon.de

 

[TDiddyLive]

Would you have a link, or name, for the charger by any chance?

Just search “battery tender” and you’ll find what you’re looking for.

 

[triplestation]

texting melisandre

 

[darkinstinct]

Since all electrical systems and displays are working fine, I was able to see that there is more than enough gas (the tank is 40% full), and there should be since I got it filled just a day before lockdown.
The plan is to get it jumped only. Unforunately everything is closed during the lockdown. Trying to find someone with compatible battery and cables in my own building.



Bad gas is unlikely cause I get gas from the same station always and has never given me any trouble. Probably not an animal either cause my car is inside a walled compound and have been putting it there since quite some time. There are many more cars around too. Rest all are possibility. No matter what the situation, it does look like jump starting is the first step to check.


Apparently I am.
Jump starting is the plan.

If you filled up the day before there's another possibility, you got the wrong gas. Or better Diesel instead of gas. That would lead to the issue you describe. But that would be an expensive repair.