Top Reasons for Car Batteries to Die

What if your car suddenly stops while you are driving and won’t start again? Sudden mishaps like these occur due to several reasons, battery death being the most common of them. Every car owner has or will experience a dead car battery sometime during their car’s life. Being aware of the reasons for a dead car battery and staying prepared to deal with them will save you plenty of hassle.

Why Do Car Batteries Die?

All automotive batteries consist of an electrolyte and a minimum of two electrodes. The electrolyte stores chemical energy which gets converted to electrical power on receiving a signal from the car’s engine. With time, it is common for the electrolyte to get weaker or evaporate. Corrosion of the electrodes is also common as the battery ages.

No matter the model of your car, its battery only has a life of about 3 to 5 years. But more often than not, batteries die a premature death owing to several natural and man-made causes. Let’s find them out.

1. Drainage Due to Headlights Left On

As a car owner, you might often forget to turn off the headlights of your car once you park it in for the night. Headlamps that remain turned on for long durations while the engine is not in the active mode drain the car battery rapidly. Sometimes, the battery gets wholly discharged even due to interior lighting that is turned on for the entire night. If this happens, your car’s engine will most likely fail to ignite in the morning leaving you with both a dead car battery and a dead motor. Whenever you face such a problem, call a mechanic or car battery service company that offers doorstep battery servicing.

2. Climactic Conditions

Frigid cold remains one of the primary reasons for the death of an automotive battery. Even at temperatures as mild as 32 degrees, your car’s battery is roughly 35% weaker than average. At 0 degrees, the strength of your car’s battery goes down by 60%. This is why a lot of car owners face dead batteries or slow cranking engines in unusually cold winter mornings. Scorching heat can also damage the internal systems of your vehicle’s battery. Overt heat can cause the automotive electrolyte to evaporate, thereby reducing the active surface area of electrode plates and leading to Sulphation. While there is nothing you can do to control the weather conditions, monitoring the health of your battery can help you ward off premature failure.

3. Parasitic Drain

When the electrical components of your vehicle continue to remain on even after the engine has been stopped, they use the battery’s power. This continuous discharge of power even when the engine is in the dormant state is called a parasitic drain and it has the potential to kill your car battery. A poorly maintained and extremely aged battery does not hold a charge for long, making it susceptible to natural drainage in such situations. Even minor features like radios or car clocks can drain a weak battery. However, a parasitic drain might arise as a result of faulty installation, incorrect wiring or weak fuses as well. If your car battery is old, it is wise to get it checked regularly to avoid parasitic drainage. However, if a new battery gets drained, you should get an expert to check the electrical systems of your car.

4. Corrosion or Loose Connections

Battery electrolytes are made up of acidic compounds. Leakage of the acid can lead to corrosion of battery terminals - another widespread reason for premature car battery death. Corrosion is apparent in the form of blue or green or even whitish deposits at the positive and negative terminals of the automotive battery’s connection. Corrosion causes electrical resistance in the terminals, thereby preventing your car’s battery from getting charged effectively. Sometimes, a faulty alternator might also be responsible for a corroded battery. While little corrosion can be cleaned off using a soft cloth or a toothbrush, well-corroded batteries must be replaced.

Loose battery connections are also responsible for a dead battery. Loose terminals prevent the effective charging of your car’s battery, leading to eventual failure. Check the connection points on your battery regularly and tighten them whenever you notice that they are loose.

5. Defective Alternator

An alternator is an electrical component of your car that is responsible for recharging your battery. Additionally, it powers the electrical system of your car while the engine is running. An alternator with a faulty diode can cause your battery to keep recharging even when the engine is turned off. As a result, the battery dies due to charging irregularities. If you find that even your newest battery keeps dying repeatedly, have a car battery service provider check the electrical systems of your car.

At AIS Windshield Experts, we provide you with genuine, affordable, convenient and timely car battery service. Our experts carefully inspect your car battery to determine any faults and if needs be, replace it with utmost care. We also offer doorstep battery replacement services and partner with brands such as Exide and Amaron to provide you with high-performance batteries. While performing installation, our experts observe the strictest safety standards. Contact us today to enjoy hassle-free car battery check and replacement services!