Why do cars not start after sitting for a long period of time?

Cars fail to start because their batteries drain. The battery is present within the car and acts as a power bank that starts the car’s engine. When you turn off your car, it will drain its energy, and this process can take up to 24 hours, depending on how much energy needs to be replenished.

Cars and other vehicles do not start after sitting for a long period for various reasons. Several common problems can cause a car to not start, which may be more serious than others. If the reason is minor, it will likely be eliminated quickly. Otherwise, there could be damage resulting from sitting or something preventing the vehicle from starting in the first place. In any case, this article aims to help identify what the problem might be and how to fix it when your car does not start after sitting for a long time.

Cars go through many changes while they sit over long periods or in hot weather conditions or very cold weather conditions. The fluid levels inside the car drop slightly as they are used, which changes the car’s weight. The battery may drain after sitting for a long time because there is no way to recharge it while not in use. There could also be damage caused by sitting or even something preventing the vehicle from starting at all.

1. Fluid levels drop, causing vehicle weight change

The fluid levels inside vehicles drop slightly as they are used, meaning that the car’s weight is different upon restarting it after a long period.

Generally speaking, most vehicles can easily handle this new weight, requiring only slight adjustments to the braking system and suspension until everything stabilizes again. However, heavy vehicles may need more serious readjustment due to having less give in their suspension systems than normal vehicles. When a vehicle’s fluid levels drop, this might cause problems with the brake system if they are too low.

A single bottle of brake fluid typically costs around $5, and replacement is quite simple, so simply adding some to your car every six months or every year should be enough to eliminate this issue quickly.

2. Drain of battery after a long period of sitting

The battery will drain gradually over time while it is not in use because there is no way to recharge it while not in use. Generally speaking, most vehicles can handle this drain level without any serious consequences for the owner until the next time you want to drive it again.

Still, if it has gone long enough, your vehicle may have trouble starting up when you try to turn it on. This can be fixed by purchasing a battery charger for vehicles at most auto parts stores, which will allow you to recharge your engine’s battery without needing to replace it.

These are relatively inexpensive, considering the cost of repairing an aging battery might be more than the cost of a new one. Hence, they are worth owning if your car does not start after sitting for long periods.

3. Damage caused by sitting over a long period

Some parts may degrade considerably when left unmoving for extended periods, especially in extreme conditions like very hot or cold weather.

There is also a chance that what caused your car to not start in the first place has not been rectified and is still preventing your vehicle from starting. For example, if you left your lights on or your windows down while it was raining, there could be damage to the wiring that will cause it to not start when you attempt to turn it on again. There could also be damage caused by sitting or even something preventing the vehicle from starting at all.

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4. What caused the car not to start initially may still be an issue

Today’s cars are very complex, with many different systems working together at any given moment in time. If one of these parts were damaged during a long period without use, it would make sense that replacing or fixing this part may solve the problem of why your car does not start after sitting for long periods.

This could be anything from a blown fuse, a dead battery, a faulty starter, or ignition coils that need to be replaced.

Conclusion

There are many different reasons why your car may not start after a long time, and you need to understand what is going on with your vehicle before you attempt to fix it yourself or call an expensive tow truck without knowing the problem at hand.

Using this knowledge will help you save money and understand how the parts of your car work together to make sure everything runs smoothly. In most cases, checking fluid levels and adding new ones will usually do the trick.

For more serious problems like damaged wiring, faulty starters, or dead batteries, take your vehicle into a shop for repair instead of trying to solve these issues yourself. Doing so could save a great deal of money in the long run, and you will have less to worry about.