Why Car Batteries Die - Temperature and Warning

A dying or dead car battery is one of the most frustrating things. When it properly works, the engine should be started by the battery. When you use the alternator for driving, it can be recharged. If there is a bad battery, your car cannot start and it can be very frustrating, particularly in case you are unaware of what led to its demise. 

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Why Car Batteries Die in Cold Weather?

One of the biggest reasons for the death of car batteries is - Cold Weather. A battery can get 35% weaker even at a mild 32 degrees. It can be 60% weaker at 0 degrees. Even starting your interior lights can be a challenge with such a weakened battery. In winter, dead car batteries are a big problem. 

It can be tough to fix that issue. The best thing to do is make the necessary preparations, to be ready for the problem. 

Warning Signs of Car Battery Dying Out

Look out for warning signs that your battery might be dying. 

In case you find headlights dimming as your vehicle idles 

If you can listen to an odd clicking sound while starting your car

These might indicate that your car battery is fast dying out. 

You may verify this by testing the battery on your own or having it tested at a nearby auto shop. This is needed in many states as a part of the process of inspection, and it is a good time to check the expected life of the battery. 

Why Car Batteries Die So Quickly?

Most cases of dying or dead car batteries can be linked to causes like:

Defective Battery

It could be that you have a defective battery in your car. This might have been caused due to various factors, such as:

Deteriorating plates

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An electrolyte leak

Low electrolyte levels

Even when you install your battery into your vehicle, and it has worked well for some road trips before, do not assume that the battery is a good one. It might have had a leak right from the start, which can reveal one day as your car failing to begin. You can use a battery checker and find out whether the battery is the source of the problem.

Aging Battery

With age, a battery can go dead. As time passes, a battery can get less able to contain a charge. Naturally, it is advisable that you get your battery replaced after every few years.

Dirty, Corroded or Loose Battery Terminal Connections

In case your cables are in such a condition, these can mar the ability of flowing of current from or to the battery. Get all your cables changed, so as to make sure that the connection is proper and strong. 

Charging Issue

Battery problems might also be caused by some issue with the alternator of the vehicle. The alternator is that area of the car that can get the battery recharged while the engine is still running. In case an alternator belt is loose or alternator is faulty, the charging process of the battery will get interfered with and a full charge of the battery will be prevented as well. 

In case you doubt that the alternator of the vehicle is the cause of the problem, get it checked on your own or by a mechanic. If that is the case, the alternator should be fixed or replaced. 

Extremes of Temperature

Over a wide temperature range, batteries of vehicles are intended to operate effectively. However, they can be affected adversely due to very cold or hot weather. It is a good idea to get a battery that is more defect-resistant during temperature change.

Parasitic Drain

It happens when you do not drive your car for an extremely long time period. It occurs when the car’s electrical components, like the alarm and the clock, still draws energy for operations. Even when you keep your engine shut off and exit the vehicle, these electrical components will go on operating continuously. Even when only very low current is consumed for operations, over a period a lot of power of the battery will be consumed. Naturally, over a long time period, the battery will be drained out completely.

You can fix it by keeping the entire electrical system disabled. Have your car parked inside your driveway, so that, over time the battery will not get drained. You may get the battery removed and put it back at the time of using the vehicle once more. 

Leaving Electrical Equipment On

In case lights or any other electrical equipment is still left turned on in a vehicle, such as within the car – when the engine is not operating, there can be a draining of the charge of the battery in as less time as just a few hours. It happens because when the engine is not operating, the energy is exclusively obtained from the battery for electrical components - such as lights. 

Try to ensure that when leaving your car all the electrical units and lights are turned off. You should check it once while going out of your vehicle. These days, most of the headlights of vehicles will automatically shut off after the engine gets turned off after a few seconds. However, you should get habituated to checking this manually, in case you do not have a car of such type. 

Why Car Batteries Die Without Warning?

There are various reasons why the batteries of cars die. For instance, batteries can freeze due to low air temperature. When a car is running, the battery is charged by the alternator, and when the alternator’s voltage regulator or the diode bridge fails, the battery dies as well. Also, when the terminals are not kept clean, and there is insufficient battery maintenance, the car battery can die as a result. 

With proper maintenance, you can manage to make your car keep running even in winter. A car battery often gets dead without any warning, and you can get left stranded. Once you check the battery date, you should also get any white corrosion surrounding the terminals get cleaned off.