So the car was unused and sitting in snow for about 2 months. Now the car will not start, and actually does not make any noise when key is turned. No lights inside the car turn on. No automatic or electronic buttons work at all. Is this a totally dead battery or starter (since it makes no noise with key in ignition) or something else (e.g. electrical)? I tried to jump start the car which did nothing (but honestly not sure if it was done for a good enough amount of time… about 5 minutes). Would sincerely appreciate any advice.
If this happened to me, I’d remove the battery from the car and put it on a battery charger. I’d use the 2 amp setting, and let it charge at that rate for 24 hours. That might revive the discharged battery and you won’t have to buy a new one. Worth a try anyway. While you are doing that, it’s a good time to clean the battery terminals and the cable connectors too.
For future reference, attempting to jump start a totally dead battery while it is still in the car isn’t a good idea. It puts way to much electrical load on both the jumping car, and the car getting the jump. And there’s lots of possibilities to damage sensitive electronic components in either of the cars, like the computer. Even with a slightly discharged battery, me, I wouldn’t recommend to jump start a newer car. Or use a newer car to jumpstart another car. It’s just too expensive if even the alternator diodes get damaged, let alone the ECM gets damaged.
Agree on all accounts with George. Remove the battery and charge it. If the battery is low and won’t turn it over enough to start but still runs th electrical system, I would have no problems using a jumper battery ( never liked jumper cables) to help out. I feel these are safer for newer cars.
YOU NEED A NEW BATTERY… One of the biggest batt killers is LACK OF USE and COLD TEMPS…Combine them and you might as well shoot the battery with a shotgun to boot. SIMPLE…Replace the battery and drive on. In the future if there will be a long period of Non Use I would remove the battery…Place it on blocks of wood or a thick rubber mat and connect it to a battery tender for the duration. It also needs to be out of Freezing Temps…so in the basement will work…
A normally charged battery doesn’t need to be removed from the vehicle, at least not to 20 below.
All you need to do is remove one battery cable. Batteries discharge less in cold temps . Our average temp for all od feb. was 10.6 degrees. Not the average low, the average temp. My 6 year old lawn tractor battery from NAPA started the mower reight up when I moved the mower.
Since my 1978 International Cadet 85 has nothing on it that discharges the battery I don’t even disconnect the battery.
A discharged battery will freeze and that will ruin it. Charge it and see if that works.