Why does battery keep draining

Reasons for a car battery to drain There could be more than one reason for a car battery to drain. The most common problems however are: Parasitic Drain - If the electrical devices in your car or the lights on your car are left running even when your ignition is off, they will suck the juice out of your battery slowly but dramatically.

This is often eerily described as parasitic drain. Defective charging system - A car battery drains quickly if something called the alternator on your charging system fails to push out enough voltage, ideally between In this case, the battery will continue to drain even while the car is running.

Defective alternator diodes - Alternatively, the alternator could have defective diodes which would drain the life out of your battery. When everything is working correctly, you can walk away from a vehicle like this, and everything will shut off on a timer. If you come back half an hour or an hour later, and things like the headlights are still on, that's probably why your battery is dying.

If you don't see anything obvious, like headlights or a dome light left on, then the next thing to check is the battery itself. A lot of battery problems can be headed off with basic maintenance , and a poorly maintained battery won't hold a charge like it did when it was new. Battery cells should be topped off with distilled water, but going straight to the tap is usually fine depending on the quality of the water where you live.

You can also test your battery with an inexpensive tool called a hydrometer, which allows you to check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell. Another way to check your battery is to use a more expensive tool called a load tester. This tool puts a load on the battery that simulates the draw of a starter motor and allows you to see both the loaded and unloaded battery voltage.

If you do decide to pick up your own load tester, it's important to remember that batteries that are shorted internally can explode under the right conditions. This is why it's so important to wear protective gear when working around a battery. When you perform a visual inspection of your battery, you may notice corrosion around the battery terminals, cables, or connectors.

The corrosion may not even be noticeable in some situations, or you may see large white, blue, or green blooms of corroded material. If any corrosion is present between your battery terminals and cable connectors, it will interfere with the ability of the starter motor to draw current from the battery and the ability of the charging system to top the battery off.

Battery corrosion can be cleaned with baking soda, water, and a stiff-bristled brush. However, it is vitally important to avoid getting any baking soda inside the battery cells.

Corrosion can also be removed from battery terminals and cable connectors with sandpaper or a specially designed tool.

These tools usually take the form of wire brushes that are very easy to use. If you are able to trace your ground and power battery cables to the frame, starter and junction block or fuse box, you will also want to make sure that these connections are tight and free from corrosion. If your car battery keeps dying over and over again, one of the simplest explanations is that there is some kind of drain on the system that persists after you remove the keys and lock the doors.

Even if you've already ruled out obvious things like the headlights and dome light, there may still be a drain in your system. The easiest way to check for a drain is to disconnect a battery cable and check for current flow. Doing otherwise runs the risk of blowing an expensive fuse inside your meter. Some meters also include an inductive clamp that can check for current flow without disconnecting anything. You can also check for a drain with a test light, which is less precise.

This is done in the same way, by disconnecting the negative battery cable and completing a circuit between the negative battery terminal and ground. If the test light illuminates, then there is some type of drain present in the system. The problem with using a test light is that it can be very difficult to tell how much of a drain is present just from the brightness of the light. Some of the most common causes of a parasitic drain include the trunk, glove compartment, and other lights that are on due to some type of malfunction.

These and other interior lights are designed to shut off automatically, and if they fail to do so, they are fully capable of draining a battery dead overnight. In most cases, the only way to track down a parasitic drain is through a process of elimination. The easiest way to go about this type of diagnostic is to leave your multimeter or test light connected and remove individual fuses until the drain disappears. You will then need to identify the corresponding circuit, which will help you track down the specific component that is causing a problem.

Extremely hot or cold weather can also spell trouble for your battery, but this will usually only be an issue if the battery is already weak. Charging system problems can also cause a battery to die repeatedly, although you will usually notice some level of drivability problems as well.

An easy thing that you can check at home is the alternator belt, which should be relatively taut and free of cracks. If its diode is corroded, it will cause the circuit to draw power even when the engine is not running. If the car consistently shows the problem of not starting, the problem might be a worn out battery. An old battery is the last reason of what drains a car battery.

Typically, car batteries have a lifespan of 4 to 5 years. Changing a new battery is the right choice for you by going to the trustful garage. A normal lifespan of a car battery is about 3 — 4 years. After that, the battery can start wearing out eventually and need to be replaced by a new one. If you have got a new battery for your car but you find out that your battery keeps dying? Here are 3 reasons for it:.

If you often drive your car in short distances, it could be a reason what drains a car battery. There is no surprise that your battery has a tendency to end too soon. If the weather gets too high above degrees or drops too low below 10 degrees Fahrenheit , this will result in a bad impact on your car battery.

Leaving your car in these bad temperatures for a long period of time will force a build-up of lead sulfate crystals. The sulfate buildup is one of the main reasons shortens your battery life and increases more recharged time that your battery needs.

What drains a car battery could be a faulty charging system. In order to recharge your car battery, the alternator of your vehicle must provide it with energy. If some parts of the system go wrong, it is not surprising that your car battery will be dying too soon. So most of the time you can not start the engine. Think about you are driving on the highway, and you have a dead battery. You will be in trouble since everything will be delayed and it affects other drivers too.

Or you are about going to work or date but your engine does not start? What a bad day. So remember to check your car or go to the garage to make sure your car works continuously. Or else, you may also learn these tricks to perform at home. In case your battery is still new car batteries have a lifespan of approximately six years , a jumpstart should be all you need to get your hand dirty. This solution comes with jumper cables or a standalone jump started stashed away in the truck.

Before taking off though, remove the battery cables in the reverse order they were attached. That means the black cable attached to the metal ground first, and so on.

A new battery is all you need here. There are a few popular signs of a bad battery. One evident sign would be the complete absence of any lights or cranking when you try to turn on the car. Another would be the engine cranking furiously but not actually starting. The best way to know for sure is by taking your battery somewhere that does free battery testing.