Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online!
Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! 
-
Latest | 0 Rplys
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Engineering/Technical
Engineering/Technical Ask technical questions about cars. Do you know how a car engine works?
Reply Show Printable Version Show Printable Version | Email this Page Email this Page | Subscription Subscribe to this Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 12-19-2019, 11:58 AM   #1
cqcq42
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Northampton, Massachusetts
Posts: 1
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Question Minimal car use to maintain battery charge

In an effort to reduce my carbon footprint and help the planet, I have started shopping more locally and walking or bicycling more often. I probably didn't help the planet much, but I was 'rewarded' with a dead battery.
My 2013 Honda Accord has electronic entry so the car is always on for at least that, plus the clock, plus the engineers probably decided the computer should be on as well.
Given that drain, what is the minimal running time per week that's needed to maintain a battery charge?
Also, is there an add on that can help? It should warn me that if I shut the car off now, the battery may not last another week or so. (I sure don't want something contributing to drain with the engine off!)
cqcq42 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2019, 06:32 PM   #2
shorod
SHO No Mo
 
shorod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Posts: 10,946
Thanks: 99
Thanked 350 Times in 344 Posts
Re: Minimal car use to maintain battery charge

Do you park somewhere that you can use a plug-in battery maintainer? These don't take much power but will keep the battery topped off and ready to go when you need to drive the car somewhere.



The starter draws quite a lot of current to start the engine so if you were to start the car to keep the battery charged, you'd probably need to drive it for 5 or 10 minutes, preferably at a time that headlights are not required and with minimal stop and go traffic (to reduce brake light use and idle speed).


-Rod
shorod is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD


Tags
carbon-footprint , indicator
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Engineering/Technical

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:34 AM.

Community Participation Guidelines | How to use your User Control Panel

Powered by: vBulletin | Copyright Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
 
 
no new posts