Imagine if car batteries were void of corrosion and lasted forever, sounds great, doesn’t it? However, since car batteries cannot last forever and are doomed to need replacing at least every four years, we understand why you would be interested in preventing your car battery from dying before its intended time.
To keep your car battery from dying, you should keep your battery charged at all times. Also, avoid short drives, and parasitic draws and prepare well ahead for extreme temperatures. Furthermore, when purchasing batteries, opt for the best, do not leave dirt to settle on the battery, and lastly, invest in trickle charging.
In this guide, you’d learn the reasons why your battery keeps dying and effective ways to keep this from recurring.
Reasons for Your Car Battery Draining and Their Remedies
A dead car battery could be caused by one or several reasons. Here we’ll take a look at those culprits causing car batteries to die and find solutions to them.
1. Low Charged Battery
As we all know, car batteries allow for optimum functionality of the car, hence the direct implication of an uncharged or low-charge battery will be the battery running down, leaving you unable to start your vehicle. You will need a charged battery to get your engine to start.
You can charge your vehicle’s battery in two major ways:
- Using an alternator
- Using an external charger to get the battery operational.
The alternator operates as you drive your car so that you can charge your battery.
Meanwhile, the second method, which involves an external charger, is the most efficient in charging your battery. It would be best if you regularly tried to charge your battery with the car’s battery charger and confirm that it reads 12.4-12.8 volts, which is the full charge.
A functional car battery charger will use about 10-14 hours for a full battery charge, and you should consider charging the battery every 4-6 weeks.
Remember that if you fail to drive your car often and you don’t charge externally, the battery loses the capacity to hold a charge and eventually, the battery will die.
Solution
The only way to avoid this problem is to charge your battery, especially using an external charger. Make sure you charge every four to six weeks when you use an external charger and confirm that it is full before removing the car battery charger.
Additionally, you should endeavor to keep your car operational on a regular basis by driving around regularly so the alternator can help you charge.
2. Driving Short Distances Frequently
Your alternator can charge your car battery, but only when the operation is at an optimal capacity. Anything short of a fully functional car system operating at its highest level will not provide enough power to charge your car battery.
Short-distance drives will cause harm to your car battery and even your motor oil. Driving short distances can damage your alternator and, in turn, your car battery, which is why various professionals frown upon this act.
These short distances do not provide enough running time to allow an alternator to charge your car battery to give your car’s electrical system enough power. These short charges will also affect the alternator and spoil your battery.
Solution
The only way to take care of this problem is to avoid driving short distances. If a journey takes you less than 10 minutes to complete, you should look into another means of transportation rather than having a short drive.
Furthermore, you should ensure you are driving at a speed of 30-40 mph so that your alternator can produce enough charge power for your battery.
3. A Parasitic Draw
This issue is also called the parasitic drain and is common with many cars. A parasitic drain happens when your vehicle’s electrical system continually drains power from the battery during operation and when turned off.
It is usual that your car battery dies if this draw continues draining the battery charge. This issue requires a quick fix because your battery will not last as long as it should if this problem is left unchecked.
Using electrical features in your car, like the DVD players and your navigation systems at the same time will weaken your battery, and soon, you will have a flat battery.
Solution
Solving this issue requires you to observe how your battery performs against the electrical components in your car. It is wise that you run tests on a regular basis to confirm that these electrical components are not drawing power faster than they should.
If you do not know how to conduct a battery drain test, you can go to an auto shop near you. Another important factor to note is that you should not overload your battery with many electrical devices at the same time so your car won’t be subject to battery drains.
4. Extreme Temperatures
As it applies to your car battery’s health, the implications of hot or cold weather in your region can be dire. If it is the summer months or the cold climate and you don’t make provision for this temperature shift on time, you will end up with a degraded battery.
Many car owners are guilty of this act, which is a principal reason for the number of dead batteries reported around, especially during the winter. The summer season is another period car owners complain about their batteries more.
These temperatures will affect your battery health, and you should be able to control the situation yourself rather than wait for your battery to die.
Solution
In extreme temperatures, you must take extra care of your car and the batteries. You should avoid parking your car outside during these periods and consider your home garage a better parking spot.
If you need to go out during extreme heat, try parking your car under a shade with no sun so your car can stay cool. However, in low temperatures, your garage is the safer option to avoid your battery freezing.
In extreme situations, you may place the battery in a warm environment in your garage because your home temperature is usually suitable for these car batteries.
5. Picking the Wrong Battery
While purchasing your car battery, you may have picked one that does not pair well with your vehicle’s electrical system, which will constitute a major issue for the battery’s health in the long run.
The wrong battery type or size will prevent your car from functioning optimally, and the alternator will not be able to provide the full charge your battery needs, and this will cause the battery to die.
Solution
Only purchase a battery that you are sure will fit your car. It would be best to contact an automobile professional to help pick the right fit for your vehicle to avoid purchasing the wrong battery.
We advise you to pay attention to your battery’s reserve capacity, size, and capacity before purchasing the battery. Confirm that its capacity is right for your vehicle’s electrical system to avoid problems.
6. Dirt on Batteries
The battery leaking acid and dirt from your environment can cause corrosion around your battery, causing it to die fast. Corrosion will cause dead cells on your battery and this way; your battery will wear out faster than it should.
Dirt and grease on your batteries will degrade their health and cause them not to function at the full capacity they should. Eventually, you will end up with a dead battery because you ignored the dirt and grease that gathered on the battery.
Cleaning your battery is easy, especially when you have a toothbrush, baking soda, and water to clean the terminals.
Solution
A dirt-free battery will help you maintain your battery’s health for a more extended period, so the simple solution to dead batteries due to dirt is simply cleaning the battery at intervals.
The battery terminal is responsible for receiving and supplying energy to your car, so naturally, this should be the major focus when cleaning your battery. You don’t have to clean every day but only when you notice dirt around your battery.
Cleaning a battery is easier than washing the entire car, so don’t worry; this is a task you can complete quickly.
7. Avoiding Trickle Charging
The best way for your car battery to charge is through trickle charging, which many car owners tend to avoid because it takes more time to obtain a full charge than the other options provided.
A slow charge will prevent overcharging and maintain your battery’s good health status. This also helps you look out for any loose connections as you take your time to charge,
Avoiding trickle charging which is the best car battery charging option will eventually take its toll since you prefer the other faster methods.
Solution
Invest in trickle chargers and enjoy the benefits it provides. If you are the type to go on a vacation, trickle charging will help you protect and manage your battery when it is not in use.
This charging method will also help you check for any mismatched cables, positive or negative to the terminals, so your battery health does not degrade.
Final Thoughts
Preserving your car’s battery depends on how well you can pay attention to the changes that affect your battery. Whether it is a phenomenon you can control, like how you use the electrical features in your car, or one you can’t control like dirt, your battery’s health depends on how you care for your battery.
The solution to keeping your car battery from dying comes from fixing all the problems that may cause your battery to be flat faster than expected.