There are a number of factors that can leave your battery drained. Drains on your battery can prevent you from starting your engine or can reduce the lifetime of your battery. Even the best car batteries can become drained, so check out these top three reasons batteries are usually drained. Explore ways to prevent battery drainage before ordering a new one at your local auto parts store or online.
1. Too Much Draw
Listening to your music or turning on your headlights while parked can be convenient, but they can also be a drain on your car’s battery. A few minutes shouldn’t harm your battery, but leaving your speakers playing for long periods of time can cause significant drain.
Probably the most common instance of too much draw is forgetting your headlights. Leaving them on all day can drain your battery and prevent you from starting your engine. Most vehicles have a warning sound or automatically turn off your headlights, but you should still get in the habit of checking your headlights and not leaving electrical devices on after you stop your engine.
2. Poor Battery Connections
The two terminals on the top or side of your battery need to be securely connected to the battery cables. These positive and negative terminals can experience poor connectivity due to loose connections or excessive corrosion. Even motorcycle battery systems are prone to this issue.
Create a cleaning routine for your battery connections. Monitor them and remove any corrosion to prevent this insulator from draining your battery. Use caution when working around battery connections, particularly if both the positive and negative cables are still connected. Use a terminal brush or old toothbrush to scrub away the corrosion. You may need to use a baking soda and water mixture, then rinse it away and wait for your battery to dry before connecting it again.
3. Failure To Charge
Your car’s starter requires a significant amount of power. A car battery is properly sized to perform this task even in the coldest weather, but your battery will need to be recharged after starting your engine. Failure to fully recharge your battery after every start can slowly start to drain it. This could mean a reduced lifetime or a reduced reserve capacity.
An alternator is designed to recharge your battery while your engine is running, but a damaged alternator won’t perform this job effectively or at all. Another common reason your battery fails to charge is too many short drives. The alternator recharges your battery fairly quickly, but it does take time. A large number of short drives can draw more power from your battery than it replaces, which slowly drains it.
Restore Your Battery Performance Today
Avoid battery drain and protect your battery today by preventing these common sources of drain. If it’s too late and your battery isn’t holding a charge, order a new battery today. Whether you shop online or at your local auto parts store, you can find great deals on leading replacement battery brands. Learn how to install a top post car battery and other helpful information online before making your order.