≡ Menu

Can a Car Battery Go Dead From Sitting for Too Long?

Do you have a vehicle that you haven’t used in a while? Is there a car sitting on your driveway that is almost forgotten? Has it been months since you even thought of turning a key in the car’s ignition?

If so, then you may be in trouble. You may have heard that various mechanical problems can result from a car sitting for too long. Thus, you may be asking yourself the question, “can a car battery go dead from sitting for too long?” 

In this article, we’ll answer that exact question and more.

Can a Car Battery Go Dead From Sitting?

The short answer to this question is a resounding yes! The nature of how electrical batteries work is that they are constantly losing charge over time. When your car runs, the motion of the engine actually recharges the battery.

Thus, when the engine hasn’t been rotating in a while, the battery slowly loses charge without an opportunity to regain charge. The end result there is that your battery will sooner or later go bad and become pretty much unrevivable.

Whether you choose to keep your car with a bad battery or get rid of it, always choose to use an old vehicle recycling service to get rid of bad parts.

What Other Maintenance Should I Do on My Car?

Keeping a car in good shape requires more than just turning it on every once in a while. There are several other maintenance tasks that you should add to your regular routine for your vehicle.

The first such task is regular oil changes. Your car’s oil is crucial to the health of the engine. Bad oil means that your engine will rub metal against metal and eventually go kaput.

Another important maintenance tip is to change your tires whenever the tread wears down. When the tread wears down, you lose traction on the road, which can in turn result in a severe accident should you lose control of the vehicle while at speed.

Other fluids in the car should also be changed as often as possible. This includes the coolant (which keeps your car’s engine at operating temperatures), brake fluid (which ensures that depressing your brake pedal slows your car), and transmission fluid (which keeps the gears running smoothly in your transmission).

Taking a few minutes out of your day every month to go over these items will go a long way towards ensuring the long-term health and safe operation of your vehicle.

Keep Your Car in Tip-Top Shape

There you have it. Now that you know the answer to the questions of can a car battery go dead from sitting and how do I keep my car in good shape, all that remains is for you to implement these maintenance tips in your car’s regime.

For more auto advice, you’re in the right place! Be sure to take some time to take a look at the rest of the articles available to read on our website before you leave!