Car battery died after idling...

**bjorkmae** · 08-02-2011, 12:52 AM

Ok I sat in a parking lot for about half an hour on my phone in 95 degree outside temps with the ac on high and the headlights on, radio on, and the cell phone plugged in. I went to take off and I couldn't put the car into drive no matter what I did. So I turned it off and tried restarting it and it went click click click like a dead battery. In addition nothing else worked, fan, power locks ect. The battery light never turned on. I checked the connections they are tight and completely clean like new. I got a jump start drove across the street to a parts store and got the alternator and battery tested. The battery came up 54%, not surprising as I had only had the engine on for maybe 5 minutes after the jump start. The Alternator was putting out 13.8 volts. So I believe that I couldn't get the car into park because there wasn't enough power to energize the interlock from park solenoid after idling for half and hour with everything running. I drove the car home about a 20 minute drive and was able to let it idle with everything on for about 5 minutes and then shut it off and restart it at least 6 times and never had another problem with the shift from park interlock either. Could it be that the battery meraculously recovered? Seams odd, never had a problem like this before, seams like it would be a bad connection but the alternator should have provided enough power to energize the shift from park solenoid. Could it be that there is a bad cell in the battery that seams to have recovered? It was hard to shift from park yesterday too after idling for a while, with headlights and AC on high, but I eventually got it into gear without shutting off the engine. I don't want to just throw money at it but autozone wanted way too much for a new battery to diagnose by changing parts. Can't imagine its the alternator since it recharged the battery so quickly on the way home.

**thehunterooo** · 08-02-2011, 01:50 AM

Strange, I would replace the battery to be on the safe side, would be interesting to see what the alternator is putting out when the car is idling/having problems. Seems like batteries go for 3-4 years, sometimes less, sometimes more (mine is 4 years old, did not start and needed jumped one time, did not leave my lights on or anything, may change it one day lol)

**petrified.rabbit** · 08-02-2011, 04:23 AM

freak things can happen once. if the battery is ok, and the alternator is ok.. then your probably fine.

the alternator in the aveo isnt necessarily strong enough at idle to power all those items, so given enough time i can see the issue.

**gclark8** · 08-02-2011, 10:32 AM

Next time switch the car off and use a pay phone.

**bjorkmae** · 08-02-2011, 11:06 AM

Fortunately by the time I needed my phone it was charged enough. Unfortunately most pay phones have been removed because of lack of use with all the cell phones around.