HELP! I left my car in on position without it started for a short time and the battery died! Is this normal?

10

Asked by Katie Jul 09, 2015 at 06:29 AM about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Sedan FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hey there! So I am currently unable to sleep worried about my car situation.  I bought a
2011 Chevy Cruze LTZ two weeks ago. It has 77k miles on it.  Tonight I was sitting in it
with my co worker talking with it idling for maybe an hour.  Then I decided to shut it off..
But my co worker wanted light so my headlights were on.. I had the key turned to the
utility mode.. maybe for like 20 minutes.. Well then the radio died and I tried to start the
car and it wouldn't start.  I thought that twenty minutes was not long enough to make my
car die completely... I mean maybe it was longer then I was remembering because we
were talking, but still I am a little worried.  I had AAA jump it for me (by this time it was
almost 2AM) So the car started right away no issues.. The tow truck guy said that
leaving it like that will kill the battery I guess.. But then my navigation screen and radio
wouldn't turn on.. I drove home and waited.. nothing.. turned it of and on.. nothing.. My
heart sank.. I waited another hour and just now went and checked it and it is working!
Regardless I am going to take it to the dealer because I have a 30 day warranty since I
just got the car. But I was wondering how normal this is.. Does it seem like it makes
sense that it died? Or do you think maybe it has a bad battery?  I had everything on
looking back now.. headlights heater, heated seats, radio.. the screen was on with the
navigation map.. Any thoughts?  I will NEVER leave the car on without the engine ever
again!  I feel like I have left the car on like that in my old POS car hundreds of times and
that never happened though :/

15 Answers

9,765

the lights drain a battery in minutes, try next time to shut them off;-)

3 people found this helpful.
23,590

I was thinking the amps in use if you were to compile the list are enough to use the starting power. after that, you would lose illumination. if those circuits were still active. the list is pretty healthy for using up the storage capacity of a standard battery. If you did this alot, upgrading the battery to a greater capacity one may be recommended for your future. You could get a self rescue station for jumps, adding air to tires, etc for emergencies. they sell them now for less than the price of a real set of quality jumper cables of decent length.

1 people found this helpful.
23,590

You could learn about the usage by a circuit if you looked up the fuses. They are rated to safely protect each component up to its needs and just beyond, so you said, heated seats, thats gotta be 30 amps right there. headlights, thats one 20 amp per side. we are up to 70 amps already. I dont know if you are aware, but 1 little lamp like a glove box light uses 1/4 amp. ....say, your battery was 40 amp hour, the battery would probably not start the car after sitting with one little lamp on, unbenownced to the driver, and the car sat unoccupied for a day and a half............Now at 100 amps, how many lite bulbs would that be...400? Use a battery charger, not just your alternator if you can , to charge it up, is reccommended if at all possible.

23,590

How much copper is used in a house ? but they run on 110 or 220 or both, so what was your point? a self help jumper and air station is like 50 bucks. A large capacity car battery of decent make is over 100 bucks. be smarter and be prepared is the smart money here......Did you mean why sit in the car? you are right they could take their party indoors. but that was the askers point, they already hadnt

23,590

She's worried and cannot sleep, but without a battery charger, all she can do is run the engine above 2K RPM for several minutes to try and get some juice back in there. You have to put it back at 120% of what the car needs, so shut everything off except the engine, hold the accellerator and wait. It should start in the AM, all else you can say is the OEM alternator has A/C delco redundant circuitry, thats good. In this instance at 77K it is prob the GM part...hooray.

1 people found this helpful.
23,590

Someday they will have a car that turns into a motel room, then a bottle of champagne, then a pizza. But starts right up after a few hours of .....

23,590

Just put everything on the underhills bill, I saved his life during the war

10

It was a female friend who lives in a different city. She sat in my car to see what it looked like because it was new and then we got distracted talking. Anyway. about my actual question. I think I will buy a battery with more amps and one of those jumper boxes. My dad has one and ill be better off. I bought this car so I would never get stranded again.

1 people found this helpful.
23,590

It is sad when we do not even know what we dont know, then we miss trading in our own economy to help ourselves. Your GM garage is there to help you and solve your electrical questions. A/C delco has been the manufacturer other makes goto to emulate. If we read the directions and maintain our vehicles we have good service from that product, spend less, and help our fellow citizens. It is a well informed set of choices you make, Katie. And I would answer your comments and questions positively.

9,765

KATIE....... get a jump starter, get a new battery with more amps and dont listen to any of the above, the hole thing is getting a joke.

I stopped at rest area and thought I turned car off in music mode but when woke up my battery is dead will my battery recharge its self

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