I went to a Honda dealer to check out a CR-V the other day. I tried opening the rear hatch but couldn't because, according to the salesperson, the battery was dead. She explained that the car had been sitting in the showroom for the past month without being started, and so the battery lost all it's juice. She brought in one of those portable car chargers, connected it to the battery and everything seemed to work, lights came on, car started, rear gate opened, etc.
The car is new, but an '07, and not a new '08, so I assume it had been sitting in the showroom for quite a while, probably for longer than the one month she claimed. However, it is still a new car with only 34 miles on the odometer.
Is it normal for a brand new car's battery to lose all power after a few months of idleness? Is it possible someone used one of the electrical ports to charge up a cell phone or laptop, and drained the battery? Is the battery bad, or is it an indication of a larger electrical issue?
2007-10-11 05:09:35 · 10 answers · asked by ET 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Yes they go dead. Remember that car only has clocked 34 miles and left sitting. Some dealers would disconnect the battery so people don't drain the battery when opening the doors or hitting the horn in the showroom.
But in general they slow go dead by themselves and because of "passive" electrical devices (like the clock). They call them passive because you don't activate them but the stay on all the time.
You will probably NOT get a new battery even if you asked. They may claim you got a new battery when delivered but how would you know?
Good Luck.
2007-10-11 05:24:31 · answer #1 · answered by Lover not a Fighter 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
if there are only 34 miles on it, then this really does not sound serious. just have them put in a brand new battery and start it up. be sure to check ALL the lights, electrical equipment (rear door, power windows and locks, high beams, interior lights, etc)
the fact that there are so few miles shows that the dead battery has not been caused by driver negligence (no driver.)
it highly unlikely, if the car is still at the dealership, that anyone connected a cell phone or laptop to charge. this usually isn't what happens when you are looking to buy a car. lol.
2007-10-11 05:22:25 · answer #2 · answered by Isaac Y 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One thing you could check is to see if there is actually a drain on the battery when everything is off. It takes a long time for a fully charged new battery to run down and unless you got something that is pulling juice all the time, it is unlikely it just
My guess is that somebody left something on and it ran the battery down.
If it turns out that there is a drain on the battery when everything is off, there might well be a problem, but then, it would fall to the dealer to make it right, so either way, you win.
2007-10-11 05:18:37 · answer #3 · answered by Gnome 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To be on the safe side, I would request they put a new battery in before I bought it. Highly unlikely, though possible it has an electrical problem. That vehicle has probably had it's door opened (interior lights on) over 1000 times, thus draining the battery.
2007-10-11 05:15:02 · answer #4 · answered by JT 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
this happens on a daily basis. all the cars on the lot not getting started to let the batteries charge, some of them will go dead. this has always been a gripe between the service and sales departments. we always tell them to start the cars once a week and let them warm up, but they are too busy drinking their coffee and reading newspaper to do it. no hard feelings to any salesmen reading this.:) the dealer will replace the battery if they haven't already.
2007-10-11 14:21:28 · answer #5 · answered by sprinkles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. All batteries will die within a month or so if the car is never cranked. It might be possible to jump start it though and that should recharge the battery after about 30 mins of driving.
2007-10-11 05:17:11 · answer #6 · answered by chad f 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you buy the car, have them install a new battery. This one probably went dead from repeated starts and not being run enough to keep it charged.
2007-10-11 05:13:42 · answer #7 · answered by Otto 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
1
2017-03-04 23:39:54 · answer #8 · answered by Berger 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In short.....Yes.
There are a bunch ef electronic things that draw battery power ALL the time.
2007-10-11 05:15:22 · answer #9 · answered by Mr. KnowItAll 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
personally i would not purchase that vehicle unless you get a guarantee from the dealership that they WILL replace anything in the electrical system that causes the battery to die.
2007-10-11 05:24:42 · answer #10 · answered by smokey 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋