8 Things That can Drain Your Car Battery

A car battery is one important crucial piece of equipment when starting and driving your vehicle.

The car battery powers the starter which sends power to the spark plug that ignites your car’s fuel. The battery also powers other systems power like lights, radio, air conditioning, and more.

If you find it difficult to start your car and you notice you have flickering lights, or a weakening alarm system. Your car’s battery is about to die, it is slowly getting weakened..

Here are eight things that could drain your battery:

1. Faulty Charging System: If your charging system isn’t working properly, your car battery can drain even while you’re driving. Many cars power their lights, radio, and other systems from the alternator, which can make the battery drain worse if there’s a charging problem. The alternator may have loose belts or worn-out tensioners that keep it from working properly. Ensure that you check your charging system monthly.
2. Defective Alternator: A car alternator recharges the battery and powers certain electrical systems like lights, radio, air-conditioning, and automatic windows(if your car has automatic windows). If your alternator has a bad diode, your battery can drain. The bad alternator diode can cause the circuit to charge even when the engine is shut off, and you end up in the morning with a car that won’t start. When doing a monthly routine, ensure you check if your alternator is working and not faulty. Fix it, if it is faulty to prevent future occurrence of your car not starting.
3. Extreme Temperature: In Africa, where we sometimes have extremely hot temperatures (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit), such temperatures can cause the lead sulfate crystals in your car’s battery to build up. If the car is left in such conditions for too long, the sulfate buildup can damage the long-term battery life. It may also take a long time for your battery to charge in these environments, especially if you only drive short distances. So avoid driving short distances like 50–200meters.
4. Excessive Short Drives: Your battery may wear out before its time if you take too many short drives. Short drives like 50–100 meters, the battery puts out the most power when starting the car. Shutting off your vehicle before the alternator has a chance to recharge could explain why the battery continues dying or doesn’t seem to last long.
5. Corroded Battery Cables: If the charging system cannot top off your battery while driving if the battery connections have corroded. You would need to check for dirt or signs of corrosion and then try to frequently clean the cables using a cloth or a toothbrush. Loose battery cables make it difficult to start the engine too, as they cannot transfer the electrical current efficiently.
6. Parasitic Drain: Parasitic drain is due to components in your vehicle continuing to run after the key is turned off. Some parasitic drain is normal — your battery delivers enough energy to keep things, like your clock, radio presets, and security alarm operational at all times. However, if there’s an electrical problem — such as faulty wiring, poor installation, and defective fuses — a parasitic drain can exceed what’s normal and deplete the battery. Always perform a monthly diagnosis on your car system to detect any faults.
7. Old or Weak battery: If your battery is old or weak, it will not hold a full charge well. If your car consistently won’t start, it’s possible that the battery is worn out. You should generally replace your car battery every 3–4 years. If old, or poorly maintained, your battery may die on a regular basis. N.B: If you bought a second-hand or Belgium used car and it came with a battery, the first thing you need to do is to change it.
8. Unintentional mistakes: You’ve probably done this at least once in your life — you come home from work, tired and not really thinking, and left the headlights on, didn’t completely close the trunk, or even forgot about some internal lights. Overnight the battery drains, and in the morning your car won’t start. Many new cars alert you if you’ve left your lights on, but may not have alerts for other components. Ensure that every time you are out of your car, that all internal lights or headlights are off and that you close your doors properly.

What to do with a battery that keeps dying:

A battery that won’t hold a charge and can’t start a car is frustrating and figuring out what’s causing the problem can be tricky. Assuming that the cause of the battery drain is not human error, you will need the assistance of a qualified mechanic who can diagnose your car’s electrical problems and determine if it’s a dead battery or something else in the electrical system.

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