dead battery

[Nightster09]

Hi all, I have a 87 GMC with a 350. Took it out the other day,It started fine at the house but when i stoped to get gas (about 20-25 min. drive) the battery was compleatley dead. Bought a new battery started up and ran fine on the way home. Havent driven it, but have started it since and seems to be ok. Just woundering why that happend?

[firefighter]

How old was the battery?
It is possible that the battery just failed. It can happen.
I had one of the lead plates inside the battery come loose before and short out against one of the other plates. The battery was toast.
If the bad battery will recharge, something was drawing a load on it without recharging it. If the bad battery won't take a charge, it has failed and your new battery should fix your problem.

[Nightster09]

The battery was from early 08. I thought it was a little odd that it was working and then nothing.

[78 Chevyrado]

Check your alternator.  if it failed, the truck would be running only off the battery and would eventually die, even driving down the road, if the alt quit.  Should be 12.6 volts approx, with engine off.  and approx 14 volts running.  anything less than 13.8 volts, Id replace the alternator, but check all your connections first and if the alt. belt is slipping.

[bake74]

Check your alternator.  if it failed, the truck would be running only off the battery and would eventually die, even driving down the road, if the alt quit.  Should be 12.6 volts approx, with engine off.  and approx 14 volts running.  anything less than 13.8 volts, Id replace the alternator, but check all your connections first and if the alt. belt is slipping.

     Also make sure you battery post and cables are clean.

[Irish_Alley]

did it make any sound when you tried to turn it over? i.e. one click or multiple clicks or nothing. I find it odd that it would be completely drained down to nothing and wouldn’t even turn a tad

[muddpuppy01]

being the battery is almost 4 years old it could have lost its crack capacity. I had batteries drop a cell before and it just happens out of the blue with no warning. As the other guys are saying put a volt meter on the battery to check the alt

[bake74]

being the battery is almost 4 years old it could have lost its crack capacity. I had batteries drop a cell before and it just happens out of the blue with no warning. As the other guys are saying put a volt meter on the battery to check the alt

     
     Exactly true, you have to think of a battery for what it is, a electrical storage device.  Simply put, inside you have plates, that have positive and negative charges on the sides.  These plates wear down with use, so if you are the lucky ones, you use your battery ( unlucky you misuse it and it wears out prematurely ) until these plates simply wear out and break, or crack or loose the connection, and your battery just dies out of the blue.
     I have used a battery in a motorcycle for 8 or 9 nears without changing it.  I drove it everyday, so it started and ran everyday, here recently I quite riding it, after only 4 days the battery was dead, even charging it did not use.  Had to get a new battery. I just wore it out to where there was nothing left of the plates inside. 

[Irish_Alley]

i only once have i had a battery  that i know of lose all power. it was a dual terminal and the top post were dead, while the side still had power the guy only used the top but besides that one its the only one i know of in working for autozone and on my own not show power