My X-types battery died while I was swapping out the stereo and climate control system. I had the door open and interior lights on for too long during the process. (I know, not the brightest...) Any way the battery died, I jumped it, drove about 5 miles, and then parked it. Left it over night and it was dead again.

I then jumped it drove it about 100 miles on the highway to recharge the battery. That worked, and I drove it for about a week. We then got hit by a huge snowstorm, and it has been in the garage for about two months. Now the battery is dead again.

Can I get opinions on if the battery is dead because I let it sit too long in moderately cold garage, or if you think this battery is shot?

 

How old is the battery? Did you have a check done on the battery? Dead cells, etc. If not check the charging system

 

No I have not done any of that yet. I don't have the means without taking it in. That's why I was looking for advice and next steps here. More looking for whether or not it would be unusual for the battery to die after sitting for almost 2 months? Is it something I should be concerned about? Or do you think it is pretty normal for this to happen.

This is the first time I have had two cars, so I am not used to having one sit for extended periods of time over the winter.

 

It would be normal for a modern car to go dead in a two month period, there's plenty of electrics, such as the alarm system, that are still alive.

If the battery hasn't been ruined by neglect, buy yourself a battery charger and tender. The car's alternator should not be used to recharge a flat battery- repeated use for this purpose may shorten it's life. Use the charger to bring the battery back up to full voltage, and use the tender for when the car is not being used for more than a week or so.

 

Thanks for the info, I don't think it has been "ruined by neglect", I live in Montana, and we got hit by a snowstorm in the beginning of January and had 3 - 4 feet of snow on the ground. Needless to say, Jaguar X-types are only a little taller than that at the roof. So the car was snowed into the garage for a couple months. I would of started it and let it run, but I was afraid of exhaust going into the house, as the garage is attached.

I will take your suggestion, and charge it with a battery charger as soon as I can.

Thanks!

If anyone else has any advice, I'm still listening. Thank you.

 

Get a BATTERY TENDER, and use it regularly if the car is left for weeks on end. It is better than just a trickle charger, and I have used them on my cars, bikes etc for many years. Ask anyone..they will all say the same thing...lots of luck. You can even keep one connector permanently on the battery, so it is just a matter of plugging in the Tender.

 

Thank you, I will look into one. I don't intend to leave the car for this long, as snowstorms like this, don't happen that often, but in the future, I will definitely think about this when and if it does happen again.

However in the mean time, I am just looking the quickest easiest way to get it up and running right now. I am going on a road trip, and want to try and make sure I am not stranded while I am gone. The car will sit for about a week, at my friends house, and want to make sure it will start when I get back.

 

Allowing a battery to go flat on multiple occasions is more than they were designed to withstand, many won't withstand one cycle.

Do NOT regularly run a car's engine just for the sake of charging the battery. It does the engine more harm than good, never mind the health and pollution aspects.

 

Trust me, I wasn't trying to do this. It was a series of unforeseen circumstances that led to the battery dying, twice now. Once was due to draining it on accident, and the other was due to adverse weather. (There was more pressing issues at that time, than the car, like the roof callapsing)

So rather than a lesson on over what not to do in the "car abuse" world, I was looking for more constructive help as far as what to do now. What happened was circumstantial. I am not looking for pointers on what to do when you leave your car for extended periods, but more about what I can do now, to get it back up and running well, without hurting it, or causing more damage. I am going on a 500 mile trip next week, and would like the car to be reliable for that.

 

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