2007 Kia Spectra battery drained

2007 KIA SPECTRA
39,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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BARRY12
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went to start the car and the battery was dead. When i tried to jump the car, the alarm sounded. I disconnected the battery and used a trickle charger. The car started fine after that, but after driving just a few miles, the car shut down (dash lights first, then headlights, and finally the engine). Warning lights on the dash are brakes, engine and TPMS.

This could be the altenator. Could there be something else causing the engine to not run? Something attached to the alarm sytem (a shutoff)? Could I have caused some damage when I tried to jump the car?
Jan 19, 2010 at 7:13 PM
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MYMAZDALZ
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Buried in the Kia manual there is a procedure to go through when parking the car for a "prolonged period"--the fact that this "prolonged period" is only two days was not revealed to me at the time of sale. Yes, that's right. The battery will not start the car on the third day if it has been sitting parked for two days. Overnight parking is no problem but leave it parked for another day and the battery will not start the car.

What is the procedure described in the Kia manual, you ask? "Turn off the headlights and tail lights and pull up the MEMORY FUSE in the fuse box that sits in front of the driver's left knee"--this procedure disconnects the clock, the audio (radio), the door chimes, and the interior lights. But the rest of the electrical components in the car work (ignition, headlights, tail lights, etc.). Following this procedure, I was able to leave the car parked for four days at the end of which the battery voltage was 12 volts and the car started right up!
Jan 29, 2010 at 11:09 AM