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08-19-2009, 03:38 PM | #1 |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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Battery completely drained
Does anyone know if a car battery normally suffers any long term ill effects from being totally drained? It was foggy this morning on the way to work, so I had my headlights on, and when I pulled into my parking spot at work, I forgot to turn them off. When I went out at lunchtime to start the car, the battery was dead, and I had to get a jump from someone.
I wish our Yari had that automatic headlight feature, but I know we can't have everything at such a low MSRP. Tom |
08-19-2009, 03:56 PM | #2 |
Audio Junky
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a single full discharge should have no noticeable impact on the battery from your standpoint.
YES it does do damage No, you shouldn't go out and buy a new bat now (unless it starts doing this very often) Yes, try to get in a rythym or schedule so this doesn't happen again Yes, You should trickle charge that battery overnight as soon as possible to ensure it has the best charge possible as soon as possible after you do drain your bat. |
08-19-2009, 03:57 PM | #3 | |
Drives: 2013 Chevy Spark 1LT 5-speed Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,185
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Quote:
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08-19-2009, 03:58 PM | #4 |
Beast
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Don't you get that annoying yet useful long beeep when you turn the ignition off and the lights are on?
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08-19-2009, 04:40 PM | #5 |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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08-19-2009, 04:42 PM | #6 | |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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Quote:
Tom |
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08-19-2009, 05:10 PM | #7 |
1stToyota meant 10 volts. If you have a multimeter, check the voltage across the terminals. You want at least 10. AutoZone near me checks/charges batteries free as a courtesy
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08-19-2009, 05:15 PM | #8 |
DWEED
Drives: 3DR 2008 Metorite Metalic Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Arizona
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The few times in my life where I let a battery go completely dead it has never been the same again. No matter how I recharged it. I would wait a few weeks and then go get a load test on the battery from an auto part store.
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08-19-2009, 06:12 PM | #9 | |
Audio Junky
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Quote:
A 10amp charge is meant for a quick jump start. go for a 1-2amp trickle charge, its meant to give a much fuller charge. Charging batteries is like pour a glass of guiness. if you do it fast you will fill up the glass, but it won't actually be full, it'll be a wierd frothy mixture of liquid and air bubbles.... You'll get some, but its not really a full glass. You pour it extremely slow and you'll actually get more in your glass. remember, batteries use chemical reactions to produce electricity, it takes awhile to get all the chemicals set up for those reactions when re-charging. |
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08-19-2009, 06:27 PM | #10 |
It's the illusion you see
Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brossard, QC
Posts: 3,888
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draining it once will not totally damage your battery. Doing it often will destroy it, but well.. Btw, if you noticed your lights were one at lunch time... your battery was probably not COMPLETELY drained.
I think driving ~30mins put enough juice to the battery to not die on you tomorrow. _I_ wouldn't worry about it. but like talnlnky says, putting it on a tickle charger is best for the battery. |
08-19-2009, 06:32 PM | #11 | |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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Quote:
Oh, it was drained alright. Even the automatic door locks wouldn't operate. When I used the key to get into the car and put it in the ignition and turned it, I got NOTHING. There was absolutely no response at all from the ignition, not even a feeble attempt to start. Tom |
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08-20-2009, 08:24 AM | #12 | |
Drives: 2013 Chevy Spark 1LT 5-speed Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,185
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Quote:
Any time I quick charge I remove the - battery cable...charging volts can go beyond 16v when charging is near complete. |
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08-20-2009, 08:27 AM | #13 |
Drives: 2013 Chevy Spark 1LT 5-speed Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,185
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You probably just warmed up the alternator a bit more than usual. A trinkle charger for a few hours would be better than just getting in and driving the car again.
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08-20-2009, 12:37 PM | #14 |
Drives: '09 Yaris carmine red 2d HB Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Middletown, NY
Posts: 1,502
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My experience has always been that it you completely discharge a battery, it will recover.
However the life of the battey will be cut. How much life it will lose can vary depending on the overall condition /age of the batterey. If the battery is fairly new, you should still have years of life in in it. |
08-20-2009, 04:07 PM | #15 |
Audio Junky
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if you start to develop a habbit of leaving the lights on... you might consider buying a deep cycle battery when you have to buy a new battery.... Deep cycle bats are designed to be discharged and recharged many times. I ran an Optima Blue top Deep Cycle in the past and loved it... never had any problems. Deep cycles generally cost more money.
Last edited by talnlnky; 08-21-2009 at 12:05 PM. |
08-20-2009, 04:13 PM | #16 | |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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Quote:
Tom |
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08-21-2009, 12:28 PM | #17 |
Is now a Corolla S Owner
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Thanks for all the replies, Peeps.
The car seems to be doing fine, and I guess only time will tell if I did any permanent damage to the battery by leaving those lights on until the battery was flat. Since I had to drive it home after getting the jump start, I never did put the battery on a trickle charger. I'm sure that would have been the best thing to do, as some of you have suggested. Tom |
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