My kids were playin in the car last night after football practice and left the key in the "acc" position, cripes not even the "on" position (boy, havin kids is great cause you can blame them for everything). So about 12 hours later I go to use the car and - crap, dead battery. Give her a jump and drive to work. I Go out at lunch time, and -poof- dead as jimmy hoffa. I mean is that it? its only six months old.... Do I take it home and charge the crap out of it, hoping for a miracle, or hie myself over to ye olde parts barn for a new one? I'm a cheap bastard, so I don't want to shell out 65 simoleons unnecessarily...

How long did it take you to drive to work? After a run flat I would think it would take a good 1/2 hour or more of highway running to get the battery recharged.
--
'96 965 with 16' wheels at 119K. Had '85 745 Turbo Diesel for 200K.

You are correct sir- I only live five minutes away from my place of buisness. It seems to be back - made it through last night and started fine this morning. Now, what do I do with this nice shiny new battery I bought that is still riding around in the back? Maybe I'll have my kids set up a battery stand at the curb...

Like they say, check the charging system also, after charging. You must have a good charge on the battery to do a test on the charging system as a low battery will mess up the test.
If you have a trickle charger that would be the best way to charge it . A fast charge can warp the plates and ruin the battery.
Running a good battery down does not hurt it as some people think. During WWII when subs were in drydock for awhile they would run the batteries down on one side, then re-charge them, then they would do the same to the other side.
(one side at a time in case they had to get underway) Batteries when not used much tend to sulphate or build a plastic like coating on the lead. This causes a battery to fail because the acid cannot work on the lead to produce a charge. Years ago they used to sell a product to extend the life of a battery. it simply broke down the "coating" that built up on the lead. I had a Sears Die-Hard that lasted for 12 years in an old Chevy untill it finaly ran out of lead. When I worked at a dealership, I would get someone that came in and say "I left the lights on all night and ran the battery down, It's a year or so old so just replace it" That battery went directly into one of my cars or a friends as it was still good and the discharge probably helped it.
Good Luck, Dennis

I am cheap, so I'd try charging it first. If it won't hold a charge, surely it has some kind of warranty. I've had good luck with exchanges at both Sears and Wal-Mart - but probably most any battery retailer will do that if you bought it from them.

Also, you might check out the alternator section in the 700/900 FAQs. If your alternator is not charging, even a brand new battery won't stay charged for long. If you've got a multimeter, it just takes a second to check the voltage on your alternator.

Regards,

Calvin (92 940GL 198K, 96 850 Turbo 97K)

Most batteries come with some sort of warranty. I usually go for the ones with warranties lasting 72 / 84 months for this reason. Even with a one or two year warranty, I would think you could get the battery replaced with very little prorata charge (no pun intended).

I think I've even had a battery or two replaced at no charge under warranty with no proration when they've failed within the first year. Have you looked into going this route?

Robert