Once the battery was left on overnight and thus (apparently) dead, would it recharge on it's own or only after a jumpstart? I don't remember leaving the vehicle in the "ON" position, but it doesn't start now and there's a faint beeping like the door chime when the door is open, despite the key not being in the ignition.

If it's not one issue it's another

 

Batteries don't recharge on their own. Either jumpstart it or put a charger on it. There are too many possibilities of why you may have a slow drain on your battery, so pretty tough to guess at this time. If your ignition cylinder is wearing out, it may still maintain contact to allow power to run thru the system, and, for instance, your radio could have been playing all night....

 

How long would I need to run the vehicle after a jump? It's making a weird sound (which I put in my other thread) so I didn't want to run it too much extra.

 

responded to you on that thread... there's not much to go on with that video. You're gonna have to get more descriptive.

 

It would be better for your alternator to recharge the battery first.

 

Would this kind of charger work?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher...arger/15140194

Going to have a friend pick it up tonight, attach it by 11pm and try the vehicle around 8am and see if it works.

I was going to go with a jump and drive, but as I've read, it's best for the vehicle to get a charger.

 

The max output for this charger is only 6 Amps. It'll be slow. Make sure there is water in the battery up to the wink line for each cell before you charge the battery. You might be better off to take the battery to an auto parts store to test it. They will charge it before testing.

 

Doesn't it take a few hours to charge? There's two auto parts stores somewhat nearby but finding someone to take me with my battery would be semi-difficult.

Edit: How long would 6 amps actually take if the battery is completely dead? I was going to set it up tonight by 12am and would think 8 hours would be sufficient? Also, I found this in a review, does this mean I can't use it since my battery is dead, or is this for something else?

edit2: An engine start charger is basically a jump start charger, so that doesn't matter if I don't want to jump my own vehicle correct? The 6 amp charger would get the job done, just slowly? (and there should be no further issues with the battery, assuming someone doesn't leave the radio on again)

 

Yes it will take a few hours... and you are better to use an overnight charge rather than a fast charge anyway. The charger you picked out should be just fine for what you are trying to do. It likely has an automatic shutoff anyway, so you would be unlikely to overcharge it. Does the battery say "maintenance free"? Most are these days. If so, you won't be able to pry off the covers to check the water level. If it's a cheap, basic battery, it may require you to check the water level as mentioned above. That's where you would pry off the covers, look into each hole, and check that the water level is topped up. But if the water level is low in one or two cells, it's a sign that the battery itself may be starting to degrade (that doesn't mean you can't get some more life out of it... just check the water level regularly).

Once you get the battery charged, run the van to a garage or parts store and have them load-test the battery.

 

When I just checked the vehicle now, more lights are coming on inside as well as the door chime, and the dash is lit up. Does that mean the battery wasn't completely dead, or something else?

I'm trying to figure out the manual on how to use the charger before going further, though. Is there somewhere to see where it's grounded - negative or positive?

edit: And for the record, it still isn't starting, but it seems like it's still low on battery so hopefully it'll start after a charge.