Killed my 12v battery last night (2005 Ford Escape HEV) and have questions after jump
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Bodacious
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1
From: San Luis Obispo, CA
Killed my 12v battery last night (2005 Ford Escape HEV) and have questions after jump
Hi all,
I'm not at all car savvy as my questions will show.
I accidentally left my keys in the ignition, in the accessory ON position, overnight. The next day, I found the car would not start-- there was no sign of electricity at all, no dinging, no lights, no sound when I turned the key, just complete silence and darkness. I couldn't even press the button on the stick shift to go from Park to Neutral in order to roll the car out of the garage for a jump-start.
I read the manual, figured out how to override and shift to Neutral.
Got it jump-started. This 12-volt battery is only 2 months old; I got it because the original 2005 battery finally died after having lasted me for 8 years.
Questions:
- Have i irreparably damaged the 12volt battery because it was COMPLETELY discharged overnight? I read about sulfation on Google.
- Since this is a hybrid, and has no alternator, will driving the car eventually recharge the battery?
- The mechanic I spoke to over the phone (he didn't know I had a hybrid at the time) said that an alternator provides a low level of charge, and that to fully recharge the 12v battery, I'd need to bring the car in and let them do a deep high-voltage charge over 3-4 hours. Since this is a hybrid and has no alternator, does what the mechanic said still hold?
- What do you recommend I do to keep the new 12v battery running as long as possible? (Another 8 years would be nice)
Thank you in advance for your answers. My 2005 Ford Escape HEV has been remarkably problem-free for its 8 years of life (*original owner*) and 70,000 miles. Averaging about 30 mpg overall without any special driving techniques.
I'm not at all car savvy as my questions will show.
I accidentally left my keys in the ignition, in the accessory ON position, overnight. The next day, I found the car would not start-- there was no sign of electricity at all, no dinging, no lights, no sound when I turned the key, just complete silence and darkness. I couldn't even press the button on the stick shift to go from Park to Neutral in order to roll the car out of the garage for a jump-start.
I read the manual, figured out how to override and shift to Neutral.
Got it jump-started. This 12-volt battery is only 2 months old; I got it because the original 2005 battery finally died after having lasted me for 8 years.
Questions:
- Have i irreparably damaged the 12volt battery because it was COMPLETELY discharged overnight? I read about sulfation on Google.
- Since this is a hybrid, and has no alternator, will driving the car eventually recharge the battery?
- The mechanic I spoke to over the phone (he didn't know I had a hybrid at the time) said that an alternator provides a low level of charge, and that to fully recharge the 12v battery, I'd need to bring the car in and let them do a deep high-voltage charge over 3-4 hours. Since this is a hybrid and has no alternator, does what the mechanic said still hold?
- What do you recommend I do to keep the new 12v battery running as long as possible? (Another 8 years would be nice)
Thank you in advance for your answers. My 2005 Ford Escape HEV has been remarkably problem-free for its 8 years of life (*original owner*) and 70,000 miles. Averaging about 30 mpg overall without any special driving techniques.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,468
From: Jupiter, FL
Re: Killed my 12v battery last night (2005 Ford Escape HEV) and have questions after
The mechanic you spoke with wants your money only. The 12V battery got as much of a fast charge possible from the HV battery through the DC/DC converter. Every one of us has had this same issue once, and never had a serious problem with a new battery. Keep your money for a rainy day for serious problems.
Gary
Gary
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