When I came back, i noticed that my keyless entry did not work.
So when I got in my car, i realized i had my headlights and fog light switch on.
The lights were not on, they went out by the time i got there.

i got a jump start and now i'm happily home (damn, it's cold out).

Do i have to get a new battery for my max?
i had the battery for one year.

 

no, you don't.

if it happens again (battery drain) but there weren't any lights left on, then yeah you might have to start checking.

 

You shouldn't need a new battery. Though having the lights on for 3 hours in cold weather will definately kill it. Just drive it to get the charge back up and you should be fine. You should only need to replace a battery if it's not holding a charge, or you decide to get an optima red top.

S

 

no. you dont need a new battery just cuz you left your lights on. it should last a couple more years but just remember to turn off your lights. plus the car tells you somethings still on with that beeping sound when you open your door. and the battery is recharged when the engine is running anyways so dont worry about it.

 

Heh, I did the same thing early last year. Was sitting in class, and then suddenly it hit me, and I dashed out of the class to go turn them off. Only had been about an hour, but was long enough to completely drain the battery (although somehow during the day it regained some charge and everything bar the stereo, head lights worked). Jump started it later in the dayand still have the same battery, works fine

 

Yeah, ever since my door switch broke (that's why my air bag light is still on, or else i would have done that "press it 7 times" thing to turn it off)
So i don't hear any sound when i leave the lights on and leave the car..

i was really late for class and i completely forgot about the lights.

ok, thanks for the info guys.

 

I really think they should have made the beeping for keys in ignition and the beeping for lights on different from each other. I've come acustom to the beeping from hearing it so often with opening the door with the key in the ignition, that I don't "hear" the beeping with the lights on. Ever since I left them on that time, I now always look back at the car as I leave it to check everything is ok.

 

You should be just fine. The same thing happened to me last year except I had my lights on for 4 hours! I had my car jumped, and let the alternator charge up for a little while and it was good as new.

After that I always make sure to check the headlight switch.

 

What they should've done was to make all the lights automatically turn off as soon as you took the key out of the ignition.

 

thats kind of impractical... having them turn off as soon as the car is locked would have been a great idea though...

 

How is it impractical? Most if not ALL the new cars have this.

 

does your car have it? I don't think so, you could do it but you need to get some kind of timer hooked up to you alarm system and to you light switch.

 

Agreed, think about it, you really have to have a serious case of ADD or be really lazy or have a defect with the chiming sound to forget your lights. Plus, i think you'd notice at night aswell.

 

um... no, i'm pretty sure you can turn on the lights on any car without having keys in the ignition

 

i had my lights on for 4 hours and it didn't drain my stock pos battery. though the ambient was 50F.

 

You sure of this? On 5th gens, they have an option that leaves the lights on after you get out and lock the car and then turns them off after a certain many seconds. I've seen newer cars that have left thier lights on and the owner no where near the car.

S

 

I can't leave my lights on!! If I have it on auto, which I do 90% of the time they shut off with the ignition. If I turn them on manually (for rain/snow whatever) they turn off automatically after a certain amount of time!

 

3 hours.. thats nothing.. try 13 hours.. tried to start car.. nutin.. jumped car.. fried climate control.. $70 later and a 99 i30 cliamte control.. i now have AMB button and burlwwod dash cover for just climate control..

blake