Car Battery Charge

[Duex Lexi]

So I left one of the lights on in my car. I turned it off and tried to start my car. At first no luck .... then on the second try the car started. I know my battery charge is low. Should I bur a battery car charger? Can I go to my local automotive store? Should I run the car for 10-20 minutes?

Your feedback would be great.

[Chicken]

No need to buy a car charger.

Start it, if it does, drive around for an hour. If you're planning highway trip, do that.

Also, see if you can borrow a Voltmeter from someone. Check the voltage on your battery, and if it's over 12.45, you should be good, unless the experts here have a different opinion

[pj8708]

Hi Justin,

The only question I would add is when you say 'on the first try no luck, then on the second try it started up'. What do you mean by the "first attempt? Does that mean it would not turn over at all, but on the second attempt the starter kicked right in and all was well.

If on the first attempt, it turned over but wouldn't start, then we've got a different problem.

Paul

[landar]

Good point, Paul. If the battery was "zapped", a second attempt would do nothing. And it would suggest that the starter solenoid is highly suspect.

If a light were left on, then you should let the engine run for a good 20 minutes to recharge the battery. On the other hand, I do not know how old the battery is nor how long the light was left on. It could be an older battery (3 yrs or more) or that the light was left on overnight. Lots of unknowns.