Do I need to buy a new battery?

The battery is constantly recharged by the alternator while driving, so leaving lights on a week ago would have nothing to do with that. As a matter of fact since you tried jump starting it and it didn't start, sounds like its not the battery. If the battery is in fact dead, just have it recharged, don't waste your money on buying new one.

The bad ignition would definitely prevent it from starting. The lights on the other hand, even after jumping the car, seems like another problem. The main fuse might have been blown....did it crank when you tried to start it? If not, it's possible that your ignition switch is bad.

And don't be embarrassed, many people have car issues...and you didn't cause yours. If I see someone stranded I try to help and feel bad for them. Having a car break down like that sucks, I've been there lol

You will definitely have to tow it to a shop. Good luck.

Ps. Next time your car misfires, fix that problem as soon as possible because misfire can cause catalytic converter damage, which would cost a LOT of money to fix.

If you drove for a week and didn't have problems, I'd say your new battery was OK. There are lots of electrical reasons your car might not start. The diagnosis can be complicated and will require some test equipment that you probably don't have in your garage, so you'll need to find a good diagnostic shop. Not a francised brake or tire shop, but one that you find by looking for "diagnostic." If all else fails, I might try Sears Auto shops because I've had good luck with them, though they aren't the only good shops around.

When you get the diagnostic and the shop tells you, "You need this part and that part," make very sure you understand what they're talking about and why they think those parts are defective. "What do you mean?" and "How do you know that?" are two questions you need to ask.

FWIW, I don't think bad plugs or a bad coil would drain your battery. If some other circuit is draining your battery, (radio? trunk light?) it's probably one that doesn't require the ignition switch to be "on." Door lights, horn, brake lights, etc. are a few that will work without the key. The ignition coil and plugs won't work without the key, so I'd rule those out. But if you're not comfortable with doing a complicated diagnosis, we're back at getting help from a professional. Don't go buying parts, hoping what you spend money on will fix your problem. ... Take care!!

I don't think that it is your battery. What tells me that it is fine is that 1) it is a new battery bought just last February (they are good for at least five years). 2) your vehicle started right up when you left your lights on. Before you do anything with your battery, have it tested at an auto parts store. They have the equipment to check it to see if it has the right voltage and amperage.

Your bad ignition coil will not have drained your battery because it is controlled by the ECM (car's computer) and the ignition switch. If the ignition switch is off, so is the ECM and the coil.

You said that you had gotten a jump and the car still did not start. You may not have a dead battery. I would like to suggest that you check the battery cables from the battery to the starter, and have the starter tested. When I used to work for an auto parts store (four of them, actually), I have discovered many times that it was either a bad cable or a bad starter. I would also make sure that your ignition switch is good by checking to see if you are betting a battery signal to the starter solenoid.

Good luck!

A portable battery starter is NOT a battery charger! All they do is start the car if the battery is able to hold a a charge from the alternator if it is charging 13.5 -14.2 volts at the battery with the car running.

The best way to see if the battery is any good is to charge it an an automatic self leveling charger (Sears has them) @ 2 amps till the battery is fully charged. At that time take the battery to NAPA, Carquest, Walmart and request they do a *battery load test to see what the reserve capacity is. It takes 15 seconds of your time. Then and only then will you really know if the battery is any good or not. You can do the same thing at home with an inexpensive battery hydrometer and test each of the six cells. One or more of them may have a dead short which means the battery isn't providing adequate amperage to the electrical systems on the car.

Inspect the full length of both battery cables for limps or bumps under the black plastic surrounding the cables. If you see any lumps under the plastic throw it away and buy a new one from NAPA or Carquest. Lumps under the cable plastic means it has high electrical resistance which will kill starting amperage from the battery to starter or battery to ground.

That battery should be fine. Have the alternator checked, but most important, insist that the charging system fuse be checked. Ford sells more alternators needlessly when that fuse blows and the battery won't charge.

Take it and have a test done on the battery first also have the charging system checked you might have a draw on the system have it tested first

you might have a grounding problem from your bad coil. it could be draining the battery.also maybe a bad or weak alternator. leaving the light on should not have affected it sense you drove it and the alternator would have charged it. hope this helps

i would def go with the grounding cable first. its simple to trace and an easy fix. plus i have had several cars that that i poured money into when it was a three dollar fix

Plug the pc into the charger, if it comes on and works high-quality then it is your battery, if it would not paintings then it is your charger. you may get the two from Maplin electronics.