Question about "breaking in" battery

[Grimes]

Posting this here because although it isn't FOR NBSs, it doesn't necessarily exclude them. Besides, few seem to check the Other Vehicles section

Anyway, my girlfriend recently inherited a neglected and abused 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser. 67k, probably a little smoke damaged, hasn't been driven in 2 years and was poorly maintained in the years before that. Unfortunately I had to go back to school so could not help her out in person with getting it back up and running. My background is about to be vague, but that is because I haven't had any 1 on 1 with the car and couldn't even tell you which engine it is or the trim.

Relevant information: Battery is over a year old, but probably has less than a few miles on it. For the past 2 weeks it has required a jump to start. She got it to a shop today, and it passed inspection and their 10 point inspection turned up nothing. They said to give the battery time to "warm up" because of the lack of use.

My thoughts were, jump it a few times and be sure to drive it around a bit when you do, take a good stroll around town, and see how it is in a few days, especially as the weather warms. Not like jumping it will hurt. After that, if its still not cooperating, then drop a new battery in.

Has anybody ever heard of such a scenario? Thoughts on the battery? On that note, is there really a "break in" period for new batteries (boom, related to NBS)? Thanks for the help guys!

 

[scoobyxj]

It's not because it's a new battery. It's because it was run dead and left. It may or may not come out of it. I'm guessing it will be fine as long as you drive the car every or every other day, but let it set a few days and you'll be jumping it. Running a non deep cycle battery dead is extremely ******* it. it's damaged for sure, but how much you'll just have to see....

 

[z0lt3c]

The battery will discharge over time and if the car isn't started and run long enough to charge it back up, it may very well not be able to reach full charge. Jumping the battery isn't going to do anything, you need to charge it using a traditional charger or battery tender. If you don't have a charger or a tender, let the car idle for 2 or 3 hours to give the alternator enough time to fully charge the battery. Quite honestly batteries are cheap, I would just tell the GF to take the battery to an auto parts store (Advance, Autozone, Pepboys etc) and have them test it, you will know right away if the battery is just discharging or not able to hold a charge. Most of these stores don't charge to test the battery and a new one can be found for under $100.

 

[SLCHOE]

How cold is it there?

I don't think the tech was implying any "break in period" rather, quite literally, to let the battery warm up. As temperature drops, so do cold cranking amps. This is because the chemical reaction in the battery slows down. A battery performs best at about 85 degrees F. For every 10 degree drop in temperature, available CCA drops about 10%.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Letting a battery die and then charging it at 130A with the alternator is the worst possible thing you can do to it. Replace it, its garbage now.

It takes about 8hr to fully charge a battery from stone cold dead. When a battery is discharged and left dead the plates get coated with lead sulfate and loses its ability to handle a load

 

[Grimes]

36 degrees here, unfortunately.

Anyways, thanks for all the info guys, I passed it on to her and it was enough to convince her folks it deserved a new battery.

No charging capability, so it would have been done by a few hours from the alternator. My major point to her was that its not about whether it works or not, it probably will, it is more so about the life span after that.

Thanks again!

 

[yates ™]

I agree with everyone about just changing out the battery, it will save you in the long run.

 

[NathanJax]

Replace it, its garbage now.

I agree with everyone about just changing out the battery, it will save you in the long run.

yup

 

[ccapehartusarmyINF.(ret)]

its a battery stop messin around with it a go get a new one
i dont understand why people screw around with batterys so much the red top i have has 36 mo free replacement
every vehicle ive owned if theres ever a hint of a possible bad battery it gets replaced first thing since the warrantys are so good these days
and if the batt has been in the vehicle more then 3 years id want a new one anyway

 

[comerz1]

While I realize the OP situation has found it's solution, I wanted to add how incredibly hard it is on the ENTIRE electrical system to try and use the alternator to charge a dead battery. This will be detrimental to your alternator in the long run. Your battery is there to START the car, the alternator is there to RUN the car with minimal charging back to the battery. I never mess around with a dead battery, jump once if it's dead to get me somewhere to charge it, if it won't hold a charge I buy a new one. I have burned up alternators AND starters due to a bad battery before.