I have a 1996 Accord, and the battery keeps dying if I don’t drive it for several days. But if it’s a short time between trips, then it starts OK. Could there be something slowly draining the battery? I’ve checked for lights on but don’t see any.
Thanks for any help.
if this is the original battery it is time for a new one.
I live in the desert. We’re lucky if a battery lasts five years here. Do batteries actually last twelve years anywhere? It may be time for a new battery even if it’s the third one.
Honda interior lights have three settings: always off, always on, and auto on/off triggered by opening and closing the door. Are you sure the dome light switch is not set to “always on”?
If the battery is an older one, it is likely bad. Old batteries will develop internal shorts that will drain them over a short time. They will charge up, but internally, current keeps flowing and the battery goes dead. Time for a new one.
The longest I have ever had a battery last is 7 years. It does not matter if you live in the desert; most batteries need replacing after 4-5 years of normal driving.
Whoops, I forgot to mention that the battery was replaced in August 2007, so it’s a little strange.
How old was the battery you replaced in 2007? Did it have the same problem? How long was it before the current battery started showing this problem?
Many auto part stores will check the battery and charging system for free. In general the test they do is good and will find the most common problems.
You could have a battery problem, it does happen that soon, but at least you should be partly covered by the battery warranty if that is it. It also could be the charging system, likely not covered, or it could be an electrical problem drawing current when it should not be. Since the fix depends on the problem, it would be wise to start by figuring out which of the three is YOUR problem.
Stop by the auto parts store and have the test done. Then come back and tell us what you found.
go to autozone and they will check your battery and alternator free. could just be corrosion on the terminals.
Thanks for the help.
The battery is only a year old. The store tested it and says it tested “perfect”. However, after this, I took it out of the car and left it on the porch, and it is dead after 4 days. Not just run down; it’s completely dead.
Thoughts?
Yeah, the battery has an internal short. This can happen when a piece of one of the plates flakes off and forms a bridge with an adjacent plate. It needs to be replaced and it should be under warrantee. Most likely it will be prorated, that is you will have to pay a portion of the new battery price. I.e., if the battery has a 60 month warrantee, so you will have to pay 13/60 of the price of a new replacement battery.
It could be defective but it also might not be fully recharging when you take it out as infrequently as you do. If it discharges after sitting for relatively long periods in between use, a short drive may not be enough to bring it to full charge. Batteries not kept fully charged can develop a condition called sulfating. When this occurs the battery is resistant to normal alternator charging among other things. If the battery is not too far gone you can try to overcome possible sulfating by using a battery charger and slow charge it to bring it back to a full charge. If possible, try that before replacing the battery.
You need to check for something drawing when the car is down. Trunk light, glove box light etc.