My battery died after a week at the airport

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The guy who came to recharge my dead year-old battery told me I wasn't driving it on long enough trips - I live about a mile from my office. He showed me the battery warranty that described how much driving I had to do to render the warranty valid.

But that was a couple of years ago and it hasn't happened since.

This. The alternator needs to recharge the battery. Also, only driving short one mile trips will ruin your exhaust.

OP here, my commute each way is over a half hour. No signs of a problem until I parked it at the airport for a week. It was hot, but even so, it was in a parking garage undercover.

It takes you 30 minutes to drive one mile??

Can you walk, bus, bike, scooter? Why would you drive that distance?

OP again. That poster isn’t me. My commute is 36 miles in the mornings.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, OP, I just had to replace an alternator in my RAV4 that also killed an otherwise healthy battery, pretty much overnight! (Battery had just been tested a few weeks ago.)

The telltale sign that something was wrong was a "woooo, woooo, woooo" ghostly sound when I started the car.

[Anonymous]

My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

Most likely this is the issue. The car keeps the key module on looking for the key fob. It’s a small amount of power but over many days could drain the battery. Car batteries go dead in airport lots all the time.

Keep driving and see if you have any more issues in normal usage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

Most likely this is the issue. The car keeps the key module on looking for the key fob. It’s a small amount of power but over many days could drain the battery. Car batteries go dead in airport lots all the time.

Keep driving and see if you have any more issues in normal usage.

Wow, I already think the keyless technology is stupid and pointless but this takes the cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, OP, I just had to replace an alternator in my RAV4 that also killed an otherwise healthy battery, pretty much overnight! (Battery had just been tested a few weeks ago.)

The telltale sign that something was wrong was a "woooo, woooo, woooo" ghostly sound when I started the car.

Your car was possessed.

[Anonymous]

Make sure your brake light is not sticking when you get out of the car. That switch can go bad or stick, leaving the brake light on and draining the battery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

Most likely this is the issue. The car keeps the key module on looking for the key fob. It’s a small amount of power but over many days could drain the battery. Car batteries go dead in airport lots all the time.

Keep driving and see if you have any more issues in normal usage.

Wow, I already think the keyless technology is stupid and pointless but this takes the cake.

It is particularly bad with the Prius because it has a small battery but can happen to any car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

Most likely this is the issue. The car keeps the key module on looking for the key fob. It’s a small amount of power but over many days could drain the battery. Car batteries go dead in airport lots all the time.

Keep driving and see if you have any more issues in normal usage.

Wow, I already think the keyless technology is stupid and pointless but this takes the cake.

It is particularly bad with the Prius because it has a small battery but can happen to any car.

Doesn't the Prius have a big battery because it is a semi-electric car?

[Anonymous]

Do you listen to the radio when the car is off?

This can drain any car battery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Prius did this. Someone told me it’s because the car is actively searching for the key. Know how the car knows you have the key and let’s you in?

Most likely this is the issue. The car keeps the key module on looking for the key fob. It’s a small amount of power but over many days could drain the battery. Car batteries go dead in airport lots all the time.

Keep driving and see if you have any more issues in normal usage.

Wow, I already think the keyless technology is stupid and pointless but this takes the cake.

It is particularly bad with the Prius because it has a small battery but can happen to any car.

Doesn't the Prius have a big battery because it is a semi-electric car?

Yes it has a big battery for big power things but it also has a small 12V battery for normal car electrical things (lights, radio, keyless entry, etc...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you listen to the radio when the car is off?

This can drain any car battery.

I used to do this to relax for a few minutes before work or whenever, killed a couple of batteries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you listen to the radio when the car is off?

This can drain any car battery.

How is this relevant to the situation being discussed? Do you think OP pulled into the airport parking, turned off the engine, and bumped tunes for an hour before going to the terminal???