Just checking with the mechanically inclined out there...if your car is jump started, and then you drive it for 30 minutes,

@LoneVoice
Batteries don't last forever. After 3 or 4 years they need to be replaced especially if it's a small battery in a compact car.

@Onestarlitnight It was a new battery before covid...supposed to last for five years. Die Hard.

@Onestarlitnight That wasn't the question.

@4meAndyou Then it should be okay. You can take your car to any auto parts store and have your battery checked to see if it's bad. Batteries often die before their expected lifetime. You can also check to see that your alternator is operating efficiently, and to see that all of your cables and connections are sound. If your battery, alternator, cables and connections are good, you do NOT have to use a battery charger on it. The alternator and voltage regulator will keep your battery charged just by having the engine running. It doesn't matter if you're driving the car or just letting it idle. It charges just as quickly one way or the other. So, if all components are good and your battery is low, you don't need to waste gas by driving the car to charge the battery. Just letting it idle for a while will supply the same charge.

@PhoenixPhail Just at the end of the pandemic, when my mechanic finally re-opened, I took the car down there and they discovered there was nothing wrong with my battery. I had a bad alternator at that time, and they fixed it. It should still be good. It's only been about a year.

Thank you for the tip about gas. I am going to get blistered. My friend never replaced 1/2 tank of gas he used, and I don't want to waste what little I have left...but if I say that, he will be nasty, I am sure.

@4meAndyou I'm glad you got the problem solved.

Anyone who would get angry about your asking him to replace the gas he used, doesn't sound like much of a friend. If it were I who were graciously allowed to use your car, I would replace the gas without even asking, and top of the tank just for that much use of the car.

@PhoenixPhail He did...the first time. The second time he borrowed my car he forgot. I figure we are even now...I am not going to ask him for the gas, because he was kind enough to drive over here and give me a jump.