Resolved Question What happens when a car sits for a long time? I had a car once that I parked over the winter, and next summer it wouldn't start. I had one of my mates try to jump the battery, but it didn't make a difference. What happens when a car sits? I'm asking because there's a car down the road I could pick up for almost nothing because it was in an accident with a deer and it's been sitting for a couple of years. Other than fixing the obvious damage caused by the deer, what would be needed to get it running? Best Answer - Chosen by Asker Mine sat for 15 months. Nothing. The battery is the one item that needs the occasional charging. If you have a battery charger, you know this. Jumping a battery that is totally dead usually does not work because the jumper cable clamps are not a good enough a connection for a dead battery. Get a good high cranking amp battery. And clean the connectors so that there is good electrical contact. And that should be enough to get the starter to turn over. The starter takes a lot of juice. A high amp battery will not hurt the electrical system in the car at all. Actually the reverse is true - a low amp battery will burn out the starter(because it is trying to get juice) and burn out the alternator(which is always in charge mode to get the battery