Car battery keeps dying because of some car owners’ faults. But, by following simple steps, you can keep your car battery from dying.
Battery keeps dying issues increasing gradually and become one of the major headaches for vehicle owners these days.
Replacing a car battery is an expensive job to do, and noticing dead car battery signs can also be confusing.
By considering this paramount issue in the automobile industry, we bring some absolute causes of a car battery die, how to fix a car battery that keeps dying, and tips to keep car batteries from dying.
What Drains A Car Battery
Parasitic drains, loose battery connections, extreme hot or cold temperatures, and bad alternators are the most common reasons why your car battery keeps dying.
Some common reasons why a car battery keeps dying:
- Parasitic Drains
- Extreme Temperatures
- Bad Alternator
- Corroded or Loose Battery Connections
- Car Lights Left On
- Expired Battery
- Driving Short Distances
- Incompatible Battery Charger
1. Parasitic Drains
Parasitic drains on your car battery are the very common reason why your car battery keeps dying.
Parasitic drains mean when your vehicle’s electrical system continuously drains energy from the battery even if the vehicle is totally shut off.
Car’s electrical components such as the radio, alarm, headlight or any demo lights, car computer, trunk lights, and more are well known for the parasitic drain on a car battery.
Some of the car’s electrical components always stay on after removing the keys from the car.
Whether it’s a new or old car battery, if parasitic drains on your car battery, it will make your car battery keep dying.
Detecting parasitic drains on car batteries is a little bit confusing and also hard to notice.
You might not detect parasite drains when you read the battery gauge in your car.
By testing your car battery using a multimeter, you can easily track parasitic drains on the car battery.
Related: Reason Why Battery Gauge Drops While Driving
2. Extreme Temperatures
Extremely cold and hot temperatures are not suitable for a car battery. Even a brand new car battery can be dead after a week for excessive temperature.
Too much cold or hot temperatures can reduce the battery charge, leading a car battery to die quickly.
Especially for little old car batteries, extreme temperatures sometimes can be the main culprit that drains a battery.
Over time the old battery loses its capacity to hold the charge, and that’s why it easily dies in freezing winter or hot summer.
Therefore, we often see our car batteries die quickly in winter rather than summer.
Parking your car in normal temperature places can save your car battery from dying.
If you need to store your car battery, avoid places with too cold or hot temperatures to store the battery.
3. Bad Alternator
As a car owner, you might know what an alternator is and what an alternator is used for. Alternator’s job is to charge your car battery when it’s needed.
In most cases, whenever there is a problem with a car’s charging system, typically, the alternator is the main reason.
A defective alternator cannot charge a car battery when the vehicle is running.
Over time, a bad alternator or overcharge alternator becomes another cause for a car battery to die quickly.
Most auto repair shops check and test an alternator. So, before replacing your car battery, you should check the alternator in the first place.
See Also: Things To Do When Car Battery Dies
4. Corroded or Loose Battery Connections
The cables are connected to the battery terminal to provide power to the car battery. That’s why it’s important to keep cables clean.
Both loose and corroded battery connections intercept the battery charging system when you drive your vehicle.
So, when battery cables are corroded completely, generally, the battery does not get the proper power, which makes a car battery keep dying.
In the same way, a loose connection also cannot provide the right amount of electricity to the battery.
Loose or corroded connections drain a car battery and make a car hard to start. Excessive corrosion on the battery also can drain a car battery when the vehicle is off.
Check your car battery connection on a regular basis to protect your battery from corrosion.
5. Car Lights Left On
Car lights such as headlights, dim dome lights, fog lights, and tail lights can be a cause for a car battery that keeps dying.
Vehicle lights drain a significant amount of charge from the battery, making your car won’t start the next day.
The car’s interior lights also drain a certain amount of charge from the battery, so be aware of them also.
On your car’s dashboard, you can see which lights are on; if you find unnecessary lights on, then shut off that light instantly.
Check your vehicle’s lights after turning off your car to ensure you are not leaving any lights on.
Check Out: Can a flat car battery recharge itself?
6. Expired Battery
After a while, the car’s battery expired and had lower overall performance.
An old car battery often struggles to hold the charge and loses the battery’s optimal strength.
An automobile battery can actively serve between four to five years.
But, a vehicle’s battery lifespan also depends on where and how you drive your car.
When your car’s battery is expired, it needs to be replaced with a new battery.
Check the date of your car battery and replace it on time to avoid battery dying.
7. Driving Short Distances
The car’s alternator needs to recharge the battery, taking a minimum of time.
When you drive short distances, the alternator is not able to recharge the battery in that short time which causes a car battery to die quickly.
An alternator takes from 20 to 30 minutes to recharge the car battery.
But, if you short drive your vehicle too often, the alternator won’t be able to recharge.
We recommend vehicle owners drive a little longer to give a proper time for the alternator to charge the battery.
8. Incompatible Battery Charger
Just like other chargers, the car battery chargers also use electromagnetic induction to charge the car batteries.
To charge your car battery, you must use a compatible car battery charger that can provide the right amount of charge to the battery.
Choose a quality charger for your car battery, and it will help to prevent your car battery from dying quickly.
Incompatible car battery chargers can be the cause of a car battery’s low performance.
Before buying a charger for your car or track, you can take professional suggestions.
Electronic car manufacturers provide battery chargers for their cars. So, if you drive an electric car, you don’t need to worry about the car battery charger.
Should Know: How To Move A Car With A Dead Battery
How To Fix A Car Battery That Keeps Dying
To fix a car battery that keeps dying, you must know what drains a car battery in the first place.
By doing some tests and also taking some of the required steps, you can fix your car battery that keeps dying.
Parasitic Draw Test
Parasitic draw is always bad for a vehicle’s battery because it consistently draws the battery.
The parasitic draw test helps you to find the causes of the parasitic draw in your car battery.
And when you are able to know the reasons behind parasitic draw in your vehicles, you can stop your car battery from dying.
Clean The Battery
Corrosion and battery leaking are the very common reasons why a car battery dies fast.
Make sure to clean your car battery regularly and watch out for corrosion and leaking.
Test Alternator
You may know how important an alternator is for a car battery. So, you should also know how to test the alternator easily.
After testing the alternator, you can determine whether your car’s alternator is good or bad, which helps you to fix a car battery that keeps dying.
Tips To Keep Car Battery From Dying
Nobody wants to let their car battery die quickly, which costs a decent amount of money.
Fortunately, there are a handful of tips that can save your car battery from keeps dying.
Here are some tips to keep your car battery from dying:
- Test your car battery voltage regularly:
Most vehicle owners have a multimeter that instantly tells your car’s battery voltage. When you check battery voltage regularly, you can notice car battery drawing easily.
- Avoid storing car battery in extreme temperatures:
To keep your car battery from dying, store your car battery in normal temperature places. Too hot or cool weather makes it hard to hold charge for the battery.
- Ensure car battery charging while you drive:
Your car battery charges while you run your car. So, ensure your car battery is charging while you drive.
- Keep the battery clean:
Whether it’s corrosion or leaking, cleaning your car battery on regular bases saves your car battery from various battery issues.
Conclusion – Car Battery Keeps Dying
Car battery keeps dying because owners lack knowledge about automobile batteries.
Parasitic drains in a car are the most common cause a car battery keeps dying.
But, avoiding short drives, unnecessary battery draining, and loose battery connection can help your car battery avoid dying.
Maintain and check your car battery charge using a multimeter that you should have on your car.
Test your car battery at an auto repair shop when you see some sign of your car battery dying.
More Dead Car Battery Solutions:
- Why Car Keeps Dying, Battery And Alternator Are Good
- Can A Completely Dead Battery Be Recharged?
- Top 10 Dead Car Battery Tricks
- Who To Call To For A Jump-Start Dead Car Battery
Hey there,
How is it going?
I’m Meraj Sarker. I am a Car Mechanic and a student of Automobile Restoration here in Florida, USA. I’ve been studying automotive for around 9 years now. So you can rely on my recommendation. For me, studying and getting knowledge about automobile it’s really fun and entertaining. I will help you to get solutions for your car through this website. If you need any help let me know.