Causes for a Dead Battery? Not sure why mine died...

The most common causes I'm aware of are:

1. Constant start and stop driving will gradually run down a battery, because the alternator never gets a chance to replace the electricity.

1. Another possibility is that one or more interior lights or the parking lights were left on over night.

My suggestion would be to have a mechanic check the battery with a load or stress test.

Many things can cause that. You could have an INTERMITTENT switch failure on a light somewhere. Everybody has seen cars with the brake light still on after the driver has parked the car. Those switches can be out of adjustment or defective. They might work for a month without draining the battery. Whatever it is will probably repeat itself so stay on the lookout for the cause. And if the battery is quite old, it doesn't take long for a small drain long to discharge it.

Hmmm...interesting...thanks for the theories.

It's strange because I actually started the car - then it immediately stalled and wouldn't start again. Normally when it's the battery, this does not happen - you just can't start the car. I was convinced we'd have to tow it to the mechanic, but my husband managed to jump start it and it's been running fine for the past several days now.

Doesn't that seem unusual - to have started the car, it stalls, won't start again and then the battery is jumped and everything is fine afterwards?

Thanks again, Paula

You did not say how old the battery is. Sounds like the battery is shot. Start the car at night, turn the lights on, turn the car off. If the lights dim appreciably, then I would suspect the battery.

just one of those things, maybe. in addition to what you have mentioned the

battery's top surface at times acts as a conductor between terminals - drains the battery, keep it clean - pour some coca cola on it and wipe it up, or soda solution. the terminals might be loose / corroded.

some batteries have only a surface charge when not charged-up fully due to an usual drain.

I left my dome light on, whamo, dead battery, wouldn't even - buzz.

I buy the die-hard for about 60 bucks, 5 year deal, it usually last about 4 years. I drive my cars 10-15 years - so I have to have good juice.

you can buy these little gadgets that has three lights - red, green, yellow

thingys on the top front of them - you plug it in the cigarette lighter socket and it checks the

condition of the battery - plus your charging system after 15 minutes of

driving. radio shack had them, maybe sears, and such stores. buy one, try it, you might like it.

"every battery should be charged up and ready to go. dead batteries, flat tires,

unpolished automobiles, cars in need of a tune-up, dirty oil, is for the

- birds. floor

boards / mats inches deep in dirt to be recycled by the ac if it has enough

snot to push it through the fins - is a no-no. and dirty cooling systems are breeding grounds for w p trouble.

there is more to owning a car than monthly payments.:--)

mho v=83e

while on the subject of batteries - getting the last drop of JUICE out of one is a no one priority for some.

It doesn't hurt to remove the battery from the car periodically, use a terminal cleaning tool to brighten the terminals, a soda wash to neutralize the surface acid,

and here is the kicker, a guy told me once that while you have the battery out, INVERT it, and let the stuff that has settled on the bottom re-coat the plates on it's way up and down, this applies to maintenance-free batteries. they have little vent holes hidden around somewhere on them that - leak, so stop them up

before you flip them over. and if you have a battery charger - let it charge-up while you have it out. might do your electrical system good to

- bleed-it, at least it

erases the memory - if it's that type. DO YOU BUY THIS? btw - reset the clock, and as little as you think about it - an electrical system that is working at it's

optimum - makes your car chug-a-lug better. (watch your speed):--)

mho v=83e

cause of the starting failure was the battery.

People tend to assume that events which happen close together are related by cause and effect.

Two things happened at the same time: jump-starting the battery, and the car starting. That doesn't mean that one was necessary for the other.

Maybe the car would have started anyway after repeated attempts, with or without the boost.

Indeed, that doesn't sound like battery. Ignition switch, or other ignition components.

Moreover, the alternator takes over when you do start it.

It sounds like your battery is fine, and never needed that jump at all.

No. You can jump a perfectly good battery and there won't be any difference. So you can remove that from the equation; it's a red herring.

You started the car. It died. Then it wouldn't start. On some later attempt, it started again. Because in the meanwhile, you fiddled with the battery, you think that's what it was.

But in fact, this kind of behavior can be seen when there are flaky ignition components, such as the ignition switch itself.

Good advice.

Sounds like a shade tree fix to me.

Even if it could be done, why would you want to apply the material to both plates. Also, why would you want to risk shorting out the plates in one or more cells.

Bleed what...the battery????? Whaaaat is that????