Had to Jump Start Battery Engine Wont Stay Running

I left the lights on in my Jeep Wrangler and the car wouldn’t start.  I jumped the car and the engine would start as long as I kept giving it gas and kept the key turned. Once I took my foot of the gas the car died again.

When it was on the lights could be turned on and the radio could be turned on. Do you think I need a new battery or a new alternator? Should I try a new battery first? Thanks so much

Jeremy

Hey Jeremy

When a battery is totally dead…it sometimes can take driving the vehicle around the block once or twice to build up enough electrical power and to let the on board computer system “re-learn” things and take control again.

The computer system basically has gone to sleep, like your desk top computer does to save power, it shuts down the monitor, then the hard drive. You have to wiggle the mouse, or hit a keyboard key to wake it back up and get to work…and sometimes it takes a few seconds.

If your computer lost complete power for awhile it might take it a mile or two to finally wake back up, figure out where it is and what is supposed to be doing.

If the battery is 4 years old or older…replace it and see what happens, but you are probably ok if you did not have a problem prior to the lights being left on. I don’t see to many batteries last longer than 4 years, and 3 years is about the average life span of a normal driver.

Worse case scenario is you have a problem with the alternator and it is not able to recharge the battery. I would expect the battery warning light to stay on if this was the case.

Personally if I were you, I would install a new battery and drive the vehicle around your in your neighborhood for a few miles until you are comfortable that the problem is resolved.

Please share this with your friends,

Austin Davis