How Long Can a Car Sit Before The Battery Dies? [Updated 2022]

How long can a car sit before the battery dies? This is one of the most asked questions about cars. Actually, this depends on how we use and store it. And a short and simple answer is that a little under 2 months. Today we will discuss this matter in detail.

Cars have clocks, radios, and other things that are constantly draining the battery, even with the automobile off the power. Depending on how old your battery is (older batteries do not last so long) a week is the most I’d want to leave an automobile without being launched.

If you were leaving it for longer, a battery, tender/minder trickle charger would be a good thing. You can disconnect the battery life, but that may be a nuisance with newer cars.

There are items in more contemporary cars that have battery power. It is called a parasitic drain, the thing that releases your battery without you knowing it. Even the dashboard clock, possibly the radio, and the engine will use just tiny electricity daily.

A lead-acid battery will DIE (like in be killed) when you keep pulling power when it has been discharged. The battery chemistry is ruined permanently if you leave the lights on for days, by injury.

If you know you’re not likely to use a vehicle, there are several small solar panel charger (Our Pick: SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger) options that plug into the cigarette lighter outlet and will burn the battery so that it won’t die (literally) if the parasitic drain keeps pulling power from a discharged battery.

If your car is in the garage and not going to be used for a while, you can attach a battery maintainer to the battery to add a little power to the battery every so often. This assumes you have AC power near the car to run the battery maintainer.

A battery maintainer (Best Pick: Battery Tender Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer) is a low-power battery charger that will check the battery voltage every so often and will top it off if needed. It won’t overcharge a battery like a traditional charger can.

How Long Can My Car Sit Before the Battery Dies?

Depending on the car, you can let your car sit for weeks at a time if you intend to get a storage plan set up. Look at what the safe sitting time for a car is. If you really want to know how long can a car sit before the battery dies? There is a basic solution already given above.

BMW says Four weeks is the max for storage without removing the battery, putting it on some life service, or a battery tender. The battery, if eliminated, is perfect for about six weeks to 6 weeks. Then you want to get it recharged.

But to be on the secure side, a battery tender is your best option, with the battery removed if you are planning to keep your car for long-term or winter storage.

If you have a limited budget Here is our recommended best battery tender that you can pick for your next purchase – Battery Tender Junior Automatic Battery Charger

When You Can Understand, Your Battery Will Die Soon or Dying

1. Clicking noise when turning the key

If the engine does not crank in any way, the automobile will often only make a rapid clicking noise, signaling the available power is too low to crank the motor.

You may try turning your key as many times as you’d like, you may even leave your car for a bit and return to try again, but the result is going to be the same. If your car will not start and everything you hear is a clicking sound, your battery is almost dead.

2. Issues with electric parts

Most modern cars have many electronic accessories, including power seats, power windows, radio, dashboard lights, headlights, windshield wipers, and more. Every one of these things requires the power that comes out of your car’s battery to work. If these elements begin acting up, you need to have your battery checked.

3. Slow Engine Crank

This is probably among the most common signs of a perishing battery. The engine pulls amperage in the battery every time it begins. If your battery is near death, you will probably find your engine slow to crank.

If you hear your motor cranking gradually, bring the car in whenever possible. Do not ignore this, or maybe you find yourself in the specific position we described above. If you want to save your car battery, you should use Battery Tender Smart Battery Charger & Maintainer. It works as a battery guard for your car and is a great product that is worth the money.

4. Dim headlights

The headlights dim when they aren’t receiving the power they need to glow as brightly as they should. If your headlights aren’t as bright as you remember them being before, you may wish to think about having your battery checked.

5. The battery is”old”

The automobile battery usually only lasts around four or five years. The lifespan can fluctuate based on vulnerability to extreme temperatures (hot or cold) and your driving habits. Once your battery reaches the lecture mark, you may want to have it tested to see just how much life it has left.

If you’re not sure how old your battery is, the date can frequently be found in the battery situation. But if you can’t find this, and so are still unsure, then you might want to think about having it analyzed.

Need a new car battery? If you are looking for a Powerful and Reliable auto battery the Optima D35 Dual Purpose Battery  is the place you turn to but If you have a tight budget then you can also go for Mighty Max ML35-12 Battery

If Your Car Battery Sitting For A Year

If the battery installed onto your car is quite new, you might leave your car parked for two weeks. However, you need to make sure beforehand that all of the devices that have energy are turned off. Or if there is a need to leave your car parked for a long time like a year, then you’d better disconnect the vehicle battery from your vehicle.

When the weather is cold, you might bring the Car battery home. The matter is that when a car battery is stored in a comfortable environment, it’ll keep its charge more. Nevertheless, you have to remember that it’s prohibited to maintain your vehicle battery near radiators and other heating appliances. It is better to keep your car battery at 25°c temperature.

FAQs

Q: How long will a car battery last if disconnected?

Answer: Batteries are slowly self-discharge. The longer they sit, the more charge is lost. This is the problem “battery tenders” were designed to overcome, a minimal float charge to offset the self-discharge. How long can it set before it doesn’t start the car, colder or a lot hotter will make the time shorter?

Q: Can a car battery go dead from sitting?

Answer: There are so many reasons a car battery may die, but intense temperatures drop relatively high on the record. Cold weather may push a weak battery over the edge since shallow temperatures cause less available amperage to crank within a motor. Still, hot weather is a literal battery killer.

On the other side, a parasitic drain will knock out a brand new battery. Although the battery will almost surely charge back up just fine, particularly if you have a trickle charger available, the presence of a drain in the machine will only cause the battery to go dead.

Q: How long can a car battery last without the engine running?

Answer: Car batteries can keep their charge for two months or longer without running. However, the specific time is dependent upon the potency of your battery and also the draw of your car.

In case your battery and auto are in good form at the garage, then the automobile must start following 2-3+ months without even driving.

If you are returning to a car that has not been launched in many weeks, then have a backup plan in case the battery is dead, and always keep jumper wires (Our Pick: Performance Tool All Weather Jumper Cable) in your car. If you’re storing a car battery on a shelf, you will want to charge it every 12 weeks to avoid it dying once and for all.

Q: How many days can a car sit before the battery dies?

Answer: We won’t be able to figure the specific time, but you will find items to consider to learn how long a car can remain moving ahead of its battery dies. A new car battery fully charged, may last at least fourteen days without charging from the generator.

It’ll get discharged entirely from 2 to 3 months. You won’t have the ability to start the engine of the car if you’re planning to abandon it for 2.5 months on average.

Q: How long does a car battery last without an alternator?

Answer: Normally, you can expect your car alternator (Our Recommended Model: DB Electrical ADR0368 Alternator) to continue between 4 and 7 years. However, it depends on how frequently you drive and how many miles you put on your vehicle.

Most drivers will need to substitute their alternator every 40,000 to 80,000 miles. Some auto manufacturers may assert their alternators last over 100,000 miles, but that isn’t typical. Individuals who buy a new automobile tend to possess alternator problems after the 50,000-mile markers

Q: How long will a car battery last without being charged?

Answer: A brand new, charged car battery in good order ought to continue to keep a high level of charge for two weeks without being charged from the generator. Like an automobile, the battery will become fully discharged during the interval from two to three months.

If you leave your vehicle with a completely charged car battery parked and do not use the car for 2.5 months, likely, you won’t be able to start the motor of your car. You must charge the car battery installed on it.

Conclusion

The more time you use a car battery, the faster it loses its charge. Some car owners complain that they need to charge car batteries in their cars even if they don’t use the cars for only two weeks.

In the event the car battery installed onto your car can’t supply enough energy to begin the engine, you ought to start thinking about purchasing a new car battery (Our Pick: Odyssey PC680 Battery)