Sudden Death of Battery (vehicles, left turn, buy, engine)
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So I was just bragging on my car battery starting right up every morning with no problem, even though it's been in the single digits and even below zero one day, yet I go to start it this morning when it's warmer than it has been in a week and it's deader than a doornail.
Is this how batteries die? Why today and not yesterday or two or three days ago?
So I was just bragging on my car battery starting right up every morning with no problem, even though it's been in the single digits and even below zero one day, yet I go to start it this morning when it's warmer than it has been in a week and it's deader than a doornail.
Is this how batteries die? Why today and not yesterday or two or three days ago?
It is possible that the battery is not dead, but discharged. Unless you drive your car for extended periods each day the battery may not be fully charged when you park the car at home or anywhere else, overnight. This is very common in places where winters are cold. In this case, lets assume that you park your car at your front driveway for the weekend at sub-zero temperatures, and then try to start the engine Monday morning: if the battery was already partially discharged, it may not have enough "crank amps" let to start the engine.
It is not a good idea to rely on the headlight circuit to always turn the headlights and cabin lights off for you when you leave the vehicle, specially if the battery is partially discharged already. Also, things like the dome light, trunk light, and things like that can discharge the battery if left turned on overnight.
There is something else that could happen to a discharged battery, mostly on extremely cold temperatures, and that is that it can freeze. That's why the local automobile stores in Alaska where I live, void the warranty of a battery that has frozen.
How old is the battery. 3 or more years and yes it can die suddenly. Mine recently dropped dead after 3 years and one month. Started it up late AM and 1 hour later started again click click click it was a gonner. AAA came out to jump it and the meter he had said it only had 100 cc's left out of original 700 cc's.
I've been driving quite a bit every one of these very cold days, with lots of stops and starts. Thank goodness it didn't strand me in the middle of nowhere in these temps! I just thought that would have kept it going and/or it would have died on the very FIRST frigid night. It's definitely more than three years old, although I don't remember exactly off the top of my head. Yes, I've had it jumped before, but only because I left something on and ran it down, and have replaced it before, but only because a test told me I needed a replacement. Hopefully AAA will tow me to the battery replacement store if they can't get it going again.
My wife reminded me today of a friend of ours (years ago) that came out of work one night and his car wouldn't start. He lifted the hood and found that his battery had been stolen. He put a new battery in and the next night he came out of work and bingo, same thing, wouldn't start, lifted the hood and his new battery was gone. Some one from his work said , "I saw an old battery over by the garbage bin" yesterday. Some smart ass did the whole thing to get a new battery for themselves.
Maybe it's just me, but seems like my old vehicles, the battery would show signs of dying before going completely. Enough to give me warning to go buy a replacement. But the one in my new vehicle, when it went, it went. Cranked fine at work to go to lunch. After lunch; dead as a door nail. Was able to get a jump from a friend at work to get to the parts store. Then to top it off, the actual battery was buried deep in the engine compartment. Instead of a simple couple of wing nuts and done, I had to take it to the dealer where they had to pull half the cooling hoses to get it out. Nothing is simple on a modern car anymore.
it does happen, a cell collapses and internally shorts it with resistance, it might charge back up, but will die again.
I've rarely had a battery die with no warning. You usually can tell when the weather gets cool and the starter doesn't spin as fast as usual. Or, you left the headlights on, or an interior light.
In the OP's case, I'd agree with RetireinPA, something broke internally and shorted out one or more cells. In that case the battery is toast and has to be replaced.
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