Common Things You Don’t Know That is Draining Your Car Battery!

Who likes to be stranded in the middle of the highway owing to a dead battery? The battery is one of the most important parts of a car. It transfers power from the engine motor to the spark plugs, igniting the fuel in your car while also providing power to other components like lights, radio, AC etc. But a dead car battery prohibits your vehicle from starting. There are many causes of a dead battery. Some of them are the common mistakes that we do unknowingly which will drain our car’s battery.

Things or Mistakes That Drain Your Car Battery:

Even if you have the finest rated car batteries or you have just purchased a new car, several reasons might cause your car batteries to drain. A few reasons are as follows:

1. You are being inattentive – Many times we do not pay much attention to minute things we do that will drain our car’s battery. Some unnoticed things include keeping the headlights ON and the trunk or door open for no reason. Your car battery can even drain overnight if you forget to turn OFF the interior lights.
2. Poor maintenance – Your car battery will keep draining if you do not maintain it properly. Not cleaning properly, allowing accumulated corrosion, not checking loose battery cables etc. will drain your car battery faster. Ensure that your battery is not corroded and that the negative and positive terminal connections are regularly cleaned with a cloth or brush.
3. Exposure to extreme temperatures – If your car is exposed to extreme weather conditions like too hot or too cold, then it causes lead sulphate crystals to build-up resulting in a damaged battery. In warmer conditions, the corrosion process is accelerated, weakening the battery and causing it to age prematurely. In the cold, the pre-depleted battery has to work extra hard to keep the car running. Limiting your battery’s exposure to temperature immoderations is the maximum approach to ensure that it lasts longer and does not drain faster.
4. Using poor quality batteries – Poor quality of a battery can affect its performance and can also shorter its duration. It is highly recommended to use standard or good quality batteries for overall performance. When you see your battery draining more frequently, it can be time to consider replacing it with a high-quality battery.
5. Not replacing the old battery – With time, your old battery becomes weak and needs replacement. A weak battery cannot survive longer as it will not be able to hold the charge well. It will drain faster and will eventually die. So it is advisable to go for car battery replacement every 3 to 4 years.
6. Taking too many short drives – The alternator will not get time to recharge itself if the engine will shut down soon after starting. When you drive your car for shorter distances, the battery drains more quickly. Thus consider taking more long excursions so that your battery can recharge fully as often as feasible.
7. Faulty alternator – A common mistake is failing to recognise whether the issue is with your battery or an alternator. A battery cannot survive much if the alternator is faulty as it is required to charge the battery. Any loose belt to the alternator or worn-out tensioner can cause the system to stop charging and you would not even know it’s occurring. Thus changing your damaged alternator can save your battery from draining.
8. Parasitic drain – When other parts of your car, such as your radio or car alarm, drain power from the battery even after the car is turned off, then parasitic drain occurs. If you detect a frequent loss of battery power, you should pay attention to any electrical issues with the system such as defective fuses, faulty wiring or poor installation. You should consult an expert mechanic to fix the electrical malfunction.
9. Bad ignition relay – The ignition relay works as a switch for powering the ignition system. It supplies the electricity from the battery to different parts of the car. And this is not possible with a defective ignition relay. A faulty relay will drain your battery and will create difficulties in starting the engine.

FINISHING UP:

In this blog, we have understood what factors can drain your battery if you do not pay proper attention to it. Your car battery is an unrecognized hero. It gives so much and asks for so little. If you fail to maintain it properly, then your car battery may die soon and you would have to run for an urgent car battery replacement. A combination of proper maintenance and regular servicing will help you achieve optimal battery functionality.

You will need the assistance of expert mechanics like Swift Battery Specialists to diagnose your car’s problem and provide you with an accurate solution. We provide 24hrs car battery replacement services all over Singapore. You can contact us at any time of the day for your car battery issues. Get in touch with us now.