Cars won’t last forever. Yes, there are probably lots of cars that are considered vintage, and these properly maintained and cared for. However, even with that amount of care, they still risk degradation and damage.
So is true for modern vehicles. While the technology available today has helped improve cars and their parts to last for longer periods of time, they will still naturally deteriorate.
Tires are the most common car part that needs to be replaced. On the contrary, one of the most robust parts of your car is the car battery. Still, they still need to be replaced eventually. Some people don’t really know when the life of their battery is up and get surprised when it suddenly dies. Usually, car batteries will last you about 4-6 years.
However, it is also possible for your car batteries to die prematurely. That can be surprising especially if you think that you’ve done your best to keep your car in its best condition. Here are a few reasons why your car battery prematurely died on you.
Smaller Battery For Vehicle
Car batteries come in different sizes. Sometimes one can be compatible with the other but that may not mean that it is the best one for the job. Smaller batteries may be cheaper but that also means that they do not have enough reserves for your bigger car. If you use them in the long run, they’ll run out quicker than the bigger ones. That doesn’t really save you money because you’d have to replace it sooner than later.
Some may think that going for a more powerful would be the best thing to do. You could certainly do that to avoid premature car battery death. However, you should make sure that it still meets the rating of your car. If not, just stick to the ones that are specifically made for your vehicle.
Combining Short Trips And Cold Starts
When the engine is cold, it takes a bit more electricity to get things moving. This will consume more of the stored electricity in the battery. If you combine this with taking short trips, you simply drain your car battery without charging it.
The car battery automatically charges when the car runs with the help of the alternator. Short trips won’t charge your battery and draining them more than charging them will result in drained batteries. These aren’t really dead batteries but if you often have drained batteries, then the life of your battery could significantly decrease as well.
Extreme Temperatures
We can’t really do anything about the weather and the seasons but you just have to know that it has an effect on the car battery. With colder temperatures, the chemical reaction in the battery is slowed down.
Alternatively, when the temperature is too hot, the car battery also suffers. With higher temperatures, the liquid electrolyte in the battery is likely to evaporate. This causes sulfur to be deposited and left behind. This could build up in the lead plates inside the battery and cause long-term damage.
Corrosion And Moisture
Corrosion can happen on the battery terminals as well as the other electrical connectors. This can be due to the moisture present in the engine bay. When this happens added resistance is present. Such a scenario also drains the battery prematurely.
Traffic Congestion
When your stuck in traffic, your head isn’t the only thing that heats up. You could also expect the engine bay to heat up and that could also lead to reduced battery life. Additionally, traffic congestion also leads to slow engine speed, which will also affect the alternator and the charging of the battery.
If you turn on the air conditioning and radio to entertain yourself, you’d also be consuming electricity from the battery. All those combined will cause damage to your battery leading to premature death.
Electrical Problems
Sometimes, you won’t easily notice electrical problems because it may seem that your car is still running smoothly. However, electrical problems can cause discharge in your battery. Such electrical problems could include corroded contacts, loose ground straps, wiring shorts, and many others. Having your wirings checked regularly will prevent this kind of problem.
Alternator Problems
Sometimes, the cause of the problem isn’t the battery itself but those that work with it such as the alternator. If you have a faulty one, it wouldn’t efficiently charge your battery and you’ll end up with a prematurely drained one.
Replacement of the alternator should be done. If you do not fix the alternator, your battery would be the next thing that you would have to replace.
