why does my car battery keep dying when i don't drive it

Check under your hood. And leaving your car in extreme conditions will speed up the process.

Will Your Car Battery Die If You Don T Drive It

Oops I did it again The most common cause of battery drain is human error ie.

. A weak or poorly maintained battery is usually the main reason a battery dies. I drove it once a month about 6 miles. However if this isnt the case theres some other mischief going on.

Battery acid is corrosive. If you would like to have this checked for you a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your cars location to inspect the charging system and let you. Starting the engine draws 100 to 130 amps and idling the car for.

Yes as we have mentioned above any problem with the alternator directly attacks the efficiency of the battery it also causes draining of the car battery due to overcharging the voltage regulator also does not work properly due to overheating of the battery because of excessive power given to it. I put a 12V solar panel in the back window and. However you can locate the fuse holder from the drivers seat by touch without seeing it.

A failed diode in the alternator creates a closed circuit that drains your battery even when the engine is off. Some of the most common reasons for a car battery to die repeatedly include loose or corroded battery connections persistent electrical drains charging problems constantly demanding more power than the alternator can provide and even extreme weather. If youre not going to be driving that often just idling the car will do your battery more harm than good Brown-Harrison says.

Find and Pull the Fuse. Forgetting to turn off your headlights. Two fuses are ganged together in a yellow plastic holder.

Up to 8 cash back However a kill switch would prevent your battery from being drained. A weak or dead battery cant provide the power needed to get the engine started. If you start the car and then only drive it about five miles or less then you are not recharging the battery sufficiently.

If you do not have a sealed battery remove the battery caps and top off the battery cells about 12- to one-inch from the top of the battery with distilled water. Your alternator powers the electrical systems in your car. Up to 8 cash back If you do not drive your vehicle very often and when you do it is only a short drive then yes the mechanic was correct.

You cannot see it while sitting in the drivers seat but must kneel beside the car with the door open. The battery will last a about a week before needing to be recharged with enough power to start the car. Answer 1 of 21.

Well perhaps you have a parasitic draw. Your car battery dies for one of three general reasons. Luckily most of them can be fixed by simply replacing it.

Some of these problems are enough to kill a battery on their own. Have you ever said my battery keeps dying but I know the battery and the alternator are good. What can you do to keep your car battery from dying when you dont drive very often.

The average lifespan of a car battery is only four to six years so if youre in that range or over its probably time for a new battery. Problems with your car battery. A dirty battery top can leak voltage between the terminals draining the battery when not in use.

That might sound obvious but one of the other reasons why car batteries repeatedly die is due to corrosion at the connections. To prevent this keep a trickle charger connected to the battery when it is not in use. I stored a car for 5 years or so.

Why car batteries die. If your alternator is having problems then it may not be able to properly charge your battery. The battery terminals are the points of contact on the top of your battery one is marked with a positive the other a negative.

You might also check the alternator output just to be sure the charging circuit is performing to specification. However if youve successfully started your car then there is a big possibility that your battery will. This is the one thing thats worked AMAZING to get my car battery to keep its charge overnight in cold weather.

Or your headlights or radio. A car battery dies when you are not using the car because it is not being charged by the alternator. Im not a professional.

If you run your vehicle properly and on a regular basis keeping your car battery charged isnt something you have to think much about. If youre too busy during the workweek and cant get to it until youre off some short term fixes are to disconnect the battery at. There are few common causes of regularly dead batteries.

One of the major culprits is its simply an old battery. A parasitic draw i. I didnt have an AC outlet handy.

Car battery keeps dying when not in use. It turns out that car batteries eventually experience battery sulfation a build-up of lead sulfate crystals. But over time that changes.

What Causes a Car Battery to Keep Dying.

Disconnecting A Car Battery Over A Long Holiday Should You Do It Torque