Battery Math

I have a theory that a recent dead battery on a 2001 Civic is the result of a short work commute and the inability for the car to recharge itself from the drain of the start.

Does anyone know if there's a general 'time it takes to recover from a start' amount of time?

If not I should be able to calculate a ball park figure by looking at the cranking amps of the starter, and the output of the alternator?

I could probably go a bit further and see how long it would take to drain the battery by taking that number and applying it to the amp hours of the battery?

it's possible. The Battery is probably dying a sulfery death as it never completely recharges

maybe … my commute was 2 miles (for 13 yrs) and the OEM battery in my Integra lasted 8 - 9 yrs ….

It can be calculated, but it will depend on the size/health of your battery, size/health of the alternator, and even the temperature on any given day.

A short commute is probably a harder life for a battery, but as a general rule, 10min of driving should be more than sufficient to replenish the drain from a start.

If you put a voltmeter on the car you will see that it takes a very short time to recharge from a start. Most likely your battery was on it's death bed.

Thanks fer the input. This commute is probably less than a mile. I had it charged/checked at autozone who reported it OK. I'll double check the alternator but I've dispensed the advice to take it for a longer drive or leave it running for 10 min every few days.