battery

[miami man]

1993 festiva gl automatic

i accidentally left a toggle switch on that goes to air conditioning and drained battery so i jumped started it and left it running a little bit then turned it off and restarted it with no problem. now this morning it would not start and how long should i keep it running to charge the battery fully?

[WmWatt]

Can you see an indicator on the battery?
Sealed batteries usually have a window that changes color.
The one on my Festiva is a replacement I got second hand.
If it's green the battery does not need charging.
If it's black it needs charging.
If it's yellow the battery needs replacing.
The battery I have off a Toyota uses different colours but the principle is the same.

It's not a good idea to leave the engine idling for a long time.
The manual says no longer than 30 minutes.
I was once told by the tow truck driver who boosted a car of mine to run the engine for 20 minutes. Taking it for a drive would be better.

If the battery keeps losing the charge it may need replacing.
You can get it tested at an some auto parts stores for free.
If it holds a charge then there might be some other kind of leak which can be checked with an amp-meter across the battery terminals.

[miami man]

the battery is about 1 year old but i did not leave the car running a long time to maybe recharge it. i will take it for a long drive to make sure it is charged.