My Renault Scenic has a battery that drains quickly since March. I have to charge it every two days with my Lidl charger. The engine still starts but it's misfiring. Is it really dangerous to keep going like this?
This isn't a great situation. If your battery's draining in two days, there's probably a problem either with the battery itself or with the alternator not charging properly, and keeping going like this risks leaving you stranded at some inconvenient moment (like when you're far from home). The starting misfires are a sign that you really don't have enough juice, so I really do suggest getting it diagnosed at a mechanic rather than ending up stuck, it'll cost less than getting towed.
It's pretty clear that a discharge in two days like that isn't normal. So before you panic, you really gotta check where it's coming from. Is it the battery itself that's worn out or is your alternator not charging properly? Because if you have to charge it all the time with your Lidl charger, something's consuming electricity abnormally or your battery's reaching the end of its life. Did you notice if the problem really started suddenly in March or did it get worse gradually? And are you leaving stuff plugged in when the car's off (GPS, dashcam, stuff like that)?
For safety, misfires on startup are already a warning sign. The engine running rough because the battery's too weak, it's not really dangerous for you directly, but it's annoying because you're never sure it'll start again if you turn off the engine somewhere. But if you're a taxi driver, you can't afford to get stuck. You really gotta get the alternator tested at a mechanic, the diagnosis costs nothing. It takes 5 minutes and you'd know if it's the culprit or if your battery's just dead.
And honestly, charging your battery every two days with a Lidl charger is just putting a band-aid on a wooden leg. You're gonna wreck your battery even more by recharging it constantly like that. You really gotta get it fixed or replaced and check the alternator, otherwise you're gonna break down on the road one day, which would be a hassle for your job.
That's not normal to lose that much charge in two days. You've either got something that's constantly draining power or your alternator's not doing its job anymore - you really gotta get that checked out by a mechanic because if you break down on the road, that sucks, but more importantly your battery's gonna end up completely dead and then you're really gonna be stuck. The danger isn't really an explosion or anything crazy like that, it's just that you're gonna be stranded somewhere, so go ahead and get it diagnosed before it gets worse.
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