Accidentally left ignition turned on for several hours. When I attempted to start it there were no dashboard lights and nothing at all from the starter. Headlights and accessories all ok, tried jumper leads but same result. What damage have I done? :-(
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1Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! What is the year/make/model/engine of the vehicle in question?– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦Commented Nov 14 at 16:44
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2When you provide vehicle info per Paulster2's request, if you have a voltmeter, please report battery voltage at the battery terminals with headlights off, measure again with headlights on, and report both voltages. NOTE: Some jump starters will not provide power at all if the battery voltage is very low, though voltage may be enough for headlights.– MTACommented Nov 14 at 22:59
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It's happened to me many times in my life. No harm done.– CarguyCommented Nov 23 at 2:24
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1 Answer
Most likely, you ran the battery dead. On a conventional vehicle, it's not a huge deal. Charge the battery back up and see if it will continue to hold a charge. You will need a battery charger and a volt meter to test it. Either it will still hold a good enough charge and you will be fine, or it won't and you'll need to replace it. Running the battery dead reduces its capacity and lifespan, the question is how much, and you need to test to find out.
To test, Charge the battery fully, then disconnect the charger and allow it to sit for an hour or more. After sitting, the voltage should measure 12.4v or higher. If it does, the battery should still be OK. If not, you will need to replace it.
