How Long Can A Car Sit Before The Battery Dies?

Depending on how old the car battery is, it takes about 2 and a half months on average to drain out a whole car battery. In case you have a BMW, it’ll drain in a month!

So, that means when you are planning to not use your car for a long time, you have to keep in mind that the battery will drain in 2 and a half months if not removed from the car. Does it mean you have to start your car once every 2 months and 14 days?

Not at all! To keep that battery alive you have to take some measures. Unless you want to spend the money to buy a new battery every time you want to ride the car, you have to imply one of these ways to keep your battery alive.

No one wants to buy a new battery every time. Let’s face it, you started using public transport to save money. Let’s show you ways you can actually save money by not letting your car battery die.

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How To Prevent Car Battery From Dying?

There are two basic ways to do that. One is by not removing the battery from the car, another one is removing it. Let’s see how you can prevent battery death by not removing it from your car.

How To Keep The Battery Alive Without Removal?

When a car battery is plugged in, the car always eats the energy emitting from the battery. Yes, even if you keep your car parked, the car soaks the power inside the battery. If that happens, the battery should run out in a week of regular use, right?

The main work of the car battery is igniting the engine. That doesn’t eat much power. But you run all the other accessories like headlights, music system, heater, etc., these also run on the battery. So, it’s not obsolete to think that the battery will run out in a week. But would it?

The answer is no. Just like any inverter, the car engine juices up the battery. When the RPM hits at least 1000, the battery starts recharging itself. So, that means, when you drive your car, you’re technically adding more life to the battery.

It’s understandable that battery dries out when the car ignites or the accessories run, but why does it drain while the car is parked? The answer is very easy. Think about TV in standby mode. It doesn’t take much electricity but still eats a little bit off the line. In the case of cars, the same thing happens.

So, if you ignite a car and keep the engine and the accessories running without driving it, it’s like watching TV or running the ac. That’s when more electricity is consumed. But when the car is parked, it’s in standby.

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So, How Can You Keep The Battery Okay Then?

It’s easy but repetitive. All you have to do is start the car every now and then and run it for at least 5-10 minutes in neutral and reach at least 1000 RPM. That way, you can fill up the lost charge when your car was idling.

But it’s not only about the repetition but also about the fuel. When you ignite the car and accelerate putting it in neutral, it’ll consume some fuel. So, to make this happen, you need to waste some fuel for preserving the battery. So, it’s not considered the ideal way although the battery remains in the best possible shape.

How To Keep The Battery Alive With Removal?

This process is cost-free but you need a special skill to make it happen. All you have to do is remove the battery from the car and keep it in someplace safe.

Someplace safe means keeping it far from your loved ones, especially the children. The battery has a toxic substance inside. That is quite harmful to your skin. So, keep it somewhere children don’t have the access.

Now, you know when to keep your battery, let’s concentrate on how. The idea of removal has two reasons. One, to keep the battery unplugged and ensure the preservation of power and two, keeping it in a dry and moderate temperature place.

A little bit of moisture can cause the battery to lose the optimal temperature for staying alive. What you can do is clean it every once in a while with a dry piece of cloth.

Do not keep the battery directly on the surface. Always keep a floor mat that soaks moisture to keep it dry and nice. This method is more acceptable because you don’t have to waste any money to store the battery and you can keep the battery alive for a brisk 4 to 6 months. Not bad, huh?

How To Store Unused Car Batteries In Winter?

Now the winter season is one of the times when we can’t get out of the house let alone with cars. So, car batteries require a minimum preservation method. We have explained two ways. Which one would be preferable for you?

If you have access to fuel nearby and don’t mind the expenses you can apply the first way. But we recommend the 2nd method because it will save your money and also the time. So, during the winter, use the removal method. For that, you may have to learn how to remove and re-attach the batteries. If you learn, it’s worthy.

Final Words

During the winter season, our car may be stuck for 3-4 months straight in our garage. So it’s natural to wonder how long can a car sit before the battery dies. So, if your concern is winter, you should apply one of the above-mentioned methods to keep the battery alive.

That way you can just re-attach or immediately start the car without any problem. If you don’t apply any of these, you may have to jump-start the car or buy a whole new battery.

So, the choice is yours.