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The Car Battery and Reasons it might Drain this Winter

by | Dec 13, 2021 | Uncategorized

The winter season is extremely hard for car batteries. This is why you have to be extra careful when maintaining your car batteries in the upcoming drop in temperatures. Your battery consists of chemical compounds that, when left in colder temperatures will react in ways that impact battery health. Apart from that, there are other things that will commonly drain your battery and you must be aware of them to have a long-lasting battery.

Human Error

Human error is one of the biggest reasons that car batteries drain, regardless of the weather. Most times you come home after a long drive and leave headlights and other utilities running when parking the car. There are many internal lights and functions that utilize battery energy even after you turn off the ignition.

If you leave them running overnight, by the time you attempt to start the car in the morning, the battery drains out completely and your car will fail to start. Keep in mind that leaving the car out in extreme cold temperature will drain the battery faster. Even if the car alerts you if you leave your lights on, it may not alert you towards other electrical components.

Faulty charging and alternator

If your car’s charging system is not working properly, then your car battery will drain even when you are driving it. Many cars power their systems from the alternator which makes the battery drain worse if the car undergoes problem with its charging. The common problems of the alternator includes lose belts and worn-out terminals.

These factors impact the functioning of the alternator. An alternator is an essential battery component for recharging batteries and powering like lights, radio, air-conditioning and several other electrical components. If your alternator becomes faulty, then your battery will drain out energy unnecessarily. A bad alternator causes the circuit to charge even when you shut off the engine. Therefore, to avoid waking up to a car that does not charge in the morning, make sure that your alternator is functioning optimally and there is not corrosion on it.

Even the smallest components around the car battery can make a huge difference when it comes to battery drain. This is why it is very important to make sure that you get an extensive battery diagnosis from a technician, and resolve all issues before the temperature drops to threatening levels.