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Car Battery Still Good?? Left headlights on...

Hi,

My sister needed to use my car to drive to work in, so I let her use it. Well, it was raining today and she left the lights on. So my mother was out in her car and went over to help jump start it because the car would not start. They finaly got the car started, but now I am worried if I need a new battery or not? This is the first time the battery has been run down like this and the battery is around 2 years old.

So I am wondering if I need to replace the battery or if it will be fine?? or what should I do..

thanks

-fro

Reply to
afro
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Approximately 10/11/03 14:11, afro uttered for posterity:

It *can* happen.

Drive it around a coupla hours, then get someone close with a set of jumper cables or spare battery. Shut it off, wait a few hours and try it again. If it spins up fast as normal, I wouldn't worry about it....

...except that batteries have a bad habit of failing suddenly and without warning pretty much on schedule, depending on whether they are cheap OEM's or more expensive aftermarkets. The only thing that differs is the time before they disappear.

If nervous, have an alternator repair shop check it. Sears auto stores will also do so, some are extremely honest, some will insist you need a new DieHard.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

So If it starts up fine for the rest of the week I shouldn't worry about it?

Reply to
afro

|So If it starts up fine for the rest of the week I shouldn't worry about it?

If it were mine I'd put a small (1 - 4 amps ) battery charger on it for a few hours, then check it with a digital voltmeter. Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

A consumer protection agency in canada recently rated a sears in calgary as the worst shop in the entire country. Their test car came out with $1500 in unecessary repairs and they actually did more damage than good to the vehicle.

Reply to
paint8oy

Approximately 10/13/03 18:36, paint8oy uttered for posterity:

Sears has also been hit several times in the USofA for pushing unnecessary repairs. Possibly something to do with putting the shop manager and sales types under a commission structure that makes it hard for them to eat regularly unless they sell.

Still, for getting an alternator or battery checked, they do pretty good. And I'm not saying *all* of them are crooked or unduly aggressive.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

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