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Did a lack of driving cause my car’s battery to fail?
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader wondering what caused a battery failure.
Q. My wife purchased a 2024 Audi Q5 Sportback in May of 2024. It now has 2,200 miles on it. We went away for six days and upon returning the battery was dead. Nothing was left on. The car was taken to the dealership and looked at. I received a call from a service rep stating that since I do not drive the vehicle enough, that was the cause of the battery failure. I was told I did not properly maintain the battery by not driving enough and leaving the vehicle for 6 days. I read the manual backwards and forwards. It said if the vehicle is left for over one month, it is recommended to be periodically charged. Nothing further. I was responsible for a new battery at a cost of $850. I read your articles religiously and value your expert opinion.
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A. The dealer is sort of correct. What happens is every time you start the car you take away some charge out of the battery. Years back we would say it takes about seven miles of driving to recharge the battery after each start. With today’s computer-controlled cars, it probably takes longer. And today, the charging profile of many cars may not even charge the battery at certain times to improve fuel economy. I recommend that drivers should try to drive (not just run) their cars for 30 minutes each week. You might want to consider, if you park in a garage, a battery maintainer to keep the battery fully charged. Many people use these maintainers with sports cars that only get driven periodically. Today’s cars have so many computers that stay on retaining memory, the batteries work hard and are the most important part of the car’s electrical system. Saying you did not maintain the battery is a bit of a stretch and a little insulting. A fully charged battery should allow the car to start even after weeks of sitting. But the short distance or lack of driving is what slowly discharges even the best battery.
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Q. The dealer recommended that I replace the lower front control arms on my 2015 Mazda6 because the ball joint seals are cracked. Would replacing just the ball joints at much lower cost be a satisfactory alternative or would it be penny-wise and pound-foolish?
A. The ball joints are pressed into the control arms and Mazda does not sell the ball joint separately. That being said, the aftermarket does sell the pressed-in ball joint. It is sort of a tradeoff; more labor to save the control arm or less labor and replace the entire assembly. As a side note, the dealer finding cracked boots is interesting. Most will just ignore it until the ball joints start to wear from water, sand, and salt contamination.
Q. Could you recommend a headlight refinish kit to clear oxidized and yellowed headlight lenses? How long does this last before it needs to be redone?
A. I have had the best luck with the Sylvania headlight restoration system. To restore the headlights requires a bit of “elbow grease” but of all the products I have tried, the Sylvania kit seems to have the longest lasting results.
Q. I am looking at a small SUV, perhaps a hybrid or fully electric. If you had to pick three vehicles, what would they be?
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A. As a hybrid, the Honda CR-V is quite good. The fuel economy is estimated at 43 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. The Hyundai Tucson plug-in (PHEV) has a 33-mile electric range and total range of 420 miles with a combined mpg rating of 35. The Chevrolet Equinox all-electric is a good performer, priced very competitively, and has a range in the FWD model of 319 miles.
Q. How can I tell if the valve cover gasket on my Volkswagen Eos needs replacement as the dealer suggests? I don’t see any drippage, but I do see a very small amount of what I think is probably called seepage. It has looked like that for more than a year. Is there any additive or spray that would be an alternative to replacing a valve cover gasket?
A. No additives or spray, and the leak won’t get any better by itself, but it may never get worse. If this were my 9-year-old car, I would go with, as some doctors call it, watchful waiting. Just check on the oil leak at every oil change and see how it is doing. As a sort of additive, you could also try high-mileage oil on your next oil change. The high-mileage oil has additives that help slow seal/gasket leaks.
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John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
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