Here are the common 10 things that will drain your car battery:
- You forgot some also components turned on
- Your battery terminals are corroded
- Your batteries cables are broken or corroded
- You do not maintain the battery properly
- Your vehicle's battery is old
- Your battery has a parasitic drain
- You take a lot of short trips
- Your ignition relay is not working properly
- Your alternator is not working properly
- Your battery exposed to extreme weather conditions
Your vehicle's battery is a core component that is responsible for getting your vehicle started every morning. The battery provides your engine with the initial charge that gets it to crank whenever you insert and turn the key in the ignition switch.
One of the most frustrating things that one could deal with is when the car battery has an issue and can't get your vehicle to start. Things get more complicated if you're trying to rush to an important meeting or drive the kids to school.
While your battery will eventually reach the end of its lifetime, there are things that we can do mistakenly cause the battery to drain faster and to lose some of its lifetimes. This article will provide you with 10 things that will drain your car battery if you do. You must avoid these things as much as possible to enjoy a longer lifespan and prevent dealing with sudden battery problems.
10 things that will drain your car battery
Your vehicle’s battery plays a major role. Without the perfectly running battery, you'll deal with a lot of complications that start with preventing you from starting your vehicle and ends with problems in many electric components around your vehicle.
Let's take a closer look at some of the common things that will do in your car battery that you should avoid completely:
1. You forgot some also components turned on
Have you ever been in a situation where you forgot to turn off the headlights and woke up the next morning to deal with a completely drained battery? Unfortunately, we've all been there! That's why it is very critical to be present and confirm that you turn off all auto components before leaving your vehicle.
You can build the habit by turning off all components when you leave the vehicle overnight and anytime you get out of the car. For example, confirmed that you turn off the headlights, closed the doors all the way, and turned off any interior lights that could drain the car's battery.
2. Your battery terminals are corroded
At some point, corrosion can build up on the battery terminals. When this happens, it prevents electric charge from flowing freely from the battery to the different letter components. When this happens, your battery might drain.
3. Your batteries cables are broken or corroded
Like the corroded battery terminals, broken or loose or probably corroded battery cables might lead your battery to drain here. Therefore, you'll need to replace them if they're not in good condition to prevent draining the battery.
4. You do not maintain the battery properly
We all know that the car batteries will die out and will reach the end of their lifetime at some point here; however, if you do not maintain the car battery properly, you'll deal with a shorter lifespan. So, if you realize that the car batteries box is slightly broken or if there is some rust on the terminals or the cables, you should take this seriously.
For example, your mechanic can clean up the rust from the battery terminals and help prevent further breakdown and help you enjoy your battery for a long time before installing a new one. But, of course, if the battery terminals are broken or have some cracks, the mechanic will advise you to replace them rather than clean them up because this will have some hazardous issues.
5. Your vehicle's battery is old
Although the battery will reach the end of its lifetime at some point, many of us might not pay attention. In other words, if you know that your car's battery has been in the vehicle's were somewhere between two to five years, it could be it, and it could be the time to replace the battery because it ended its lifetime.
You can confirm the battery expression date by looking at some of the dates mentioned on the battery case or other details from the manufacturer where you bought the battery.
6. Your battery has a parasitic drain
Your car's battery might drain due to an internal problem with one of the different electrical components. There is a common issue called the parasitic drain, where one of these components might continue draining some of your car’s battery is charged even after you turn off the vehicle. When this happens, your mechanic needs to perform a thorough inspection to detect the issue and replace the faulty component. Otherwise, you continue dealing with battery problems all the time.
7. You take a lot of short trips
If you don't already know, the engine drains much battery discharge when you start the vehicle. Then, the alternator used the engine's energy and converted it into charge to operate the different culture components, including charging the battery.
If you take your vehicle for many short trips, the alternator won't have enough time to charge the battery completely, and that's why you'll deal with sudden drains in the car's battery at some point in time; you might not be able to start your vehicle.
Therefore, you must try to eliminate as much as possible from these short trips and combine them for longer trips that will allow your vehicle to charge the battery and never have it drained completely.
8. Your ignition relay is not working properly
The ignition relay allows the battery's charge to flow from the battery to the different listed components around your vehicle. When this relay is not working properly, it can easily drain the battery and cause it to lose its charge.
9. Your alternator is not working properly
Like the ignition related, Alfredo is not working properly; it can also drain your car's battery. As we indicated before, the alternator is responsible for charging the different looks of components when your engine is running. However, with the alternator is not working properly, your vehicle will rely on the batteries charge to get these components to run.
The battery is not designed to provide continuous electric charge to these electric components, and that's why you'll deal with battery drain at some point in time. Therefore, to prevent this issue, you'll need to adjust the problem by replacing the alternator.
10. Your battery exposed to extreme weather conditions
Finally, did you know that extreme weather conditions can lead to shortening the battery's lifetime? Yes! If your battery got exposed to extreme hot or cold weather conditions, it can easily lose its charge and continue draining until it's completely dead.
That's why automotive experts recommend if you're driving in very harsh weather environments, you should consider some isolations or other covers or protecting material to prevent the battery from getting damaged.
How do you stop a car battery from draining when not in use?
There are many situations where we need to leave our cars without driving them for a long time. For example, most of us have been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of us had to deal with completely drained batteries related to this issue.
Therefore, it is essential to indicate yourself with different methods to prevent your car battery from draining when it's not driven. Let's take a closer look at some of the expert recommendations:
1. Consider a trickle charger
Trickle chargers are great options for someone planning to leave his vehicle not driven for a long time. These treasures are very slow, and they will supply your battery with the required amount of charge over a long time without needing you to come switching it on or off.
Trickle chargers are great options if you're planning to leave your car for a very long time. For example, if you're planning to stop driving your vehicle for a couple of months because of your innovation, using a trickle charger helps prevent common situations like those related to a drained battery because of a dashboard clock.
2. Be mindful about turning your vehicle on and off
As we highlighted earlier, the primary job of your car's battery is when you turn on your vehicle. That's why you must prevent turning on and off your vehicle continuously without any reason.
3. Combine your trips
Since short journeys might lead to draining your car's battery, consider planning and combining your trips and making your driving longer if possible. Experts recommend driving your vehicle for at least between 15 and 20 minutes.
4. Alternate the vehicles
If you are living in a household where you have many vehicles, consider alternating between these vehicles. For example, if most of you are working from home and planning to do grocery shopping, consider using one of the vehicles each time. This way, you prevent battery drains problems in all vehicles in your household.
5. Follow recommendations for electric vehicles
Battery drains become more complicated if you're driving an electric or hybrid car. Therefore, you must do yourself with other methods to extend the battery's lifetime and prevent battery drains in these vehicles. Because the battery is the core element in the electric car, if its drain, you won't be able to start the vehicle or drive it at all; on the other hand, if you're driving a gasoline car, you can skip the battery part by performing a jump start and getting your vehicle going for that trip.
6. Turn off on needed accessories
If you know that your car's body has a draining problem, it might be worth turning off unnecessary equipment spirit. For example, if you're not driving a car for a long time, you might need to turn off the dash camera that could drain the battery. Other elements might also not be necessary during the lockdown, and that's why you should go through the list and see what you can't leave turn on and what you should turn off.
7. Replace the battery if needed and check with your manual
If you confirm that the battery reaches the end of this lifetime, it's worth installing a new battery. However, you must follow the specified new vehicles owner’s manual and ensure that you bought the right battery designed specifically for your vehicle's make, model, and year.
Conclusion
The battery is a core component in any vehicle, and dealing with a completely drained battery is never a fun situation. This article provided you with eight things that will drain your car battery which you should avoid completely. Some things include leaving electric components turned off, ignoring corrosion on the battery terminals and cables, missing the battery expiration dates, and others.
If you realize that your battery is reaching the end of its lifetime, you'll need to install a new one. However, if your vehicle has other major mechanical problems, it might not be worth your time and effort in replacing the car battery. Instead, you might want to consider selling your vehicle using its money to buy a better car that doesn't have any problem.
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