Most of us have had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing the dreaded “click-click-click” upon turning the key in your ignition as your car’s starter attempts – unsuccessfully – to turn over your engine. Usually occurring when you’re running late for that critical morning meeting or your kid’s soccer practice, or that first-date, having to jump your car is not something driver’s typically think about, until they hear that dreaded sound.
As a professional towing service company, a good portion of our calls come from stranded motorists with starting system issue. Whether the cause is the battery, the starter, the alternator, or the circuit itself, the end result is always the same: a motion-less car.
With that in mind, we wanted to cover the most common causes for issues with your car’s electrical system and tips on maximizing the service life of your battery.
Why Your Battery is Drained
The most common causes of a battery drain are:
- A Short in your Electric System – If your battery and vehicle accessories connection grounds to the car it causes a complete circuit that will allow current to flow and thus deplete the battery.
- A Defective Charging System – The battery is charged by the alternator when the engine is running. If the charging system is defective, the car accessories get their electricity supply from the battery which is not charged and therefore is drained.
- Car Accessories – The engine runs the alternator that charges the battery and if it is not running, the battery is easily drained of its energy by the car electric accessories.
- A Defective Car Battery – If the battery is defective or permanent charge has been depleted, it will not store electricity as required and this will in turn affect the vehicle operation.
- Cold Weather – Relatively low temperature like that in the winter months can affect the capacity of your car’s battery by up to 50%. Extreme cold temperatures can make it even worse as our starter requires more amperage to get the system moving than normal – more perhaps than an old battery is able to provide.
To avoid another battery drain, please check that you have switched all the car accessories off when the engine is not running, switch off the headlamps and if necessary, disconnect one battery terminal to restrict electrons from flowing through the circuit. Always check your battery acid level and top up with required distilled battery water whenever the levels get low.
On a periodic basis, make sure to clean you battery terminals regularly to ensure the batteries circuit is free to carry your vehicle’s power need uninterrupted. Avoid shorting the battery between the terminals as it shortens its durability.
Car Jump Start Service – Getting You Up And Running Quickly
Top Dogz Towing in Charlotte NC offers comprehensive, professional roadside assistance services available 24 hours a day – every day. And because we’re centrally located in Charlotte, in most cases we can be where you are within 30 minutes of your call or sooner.
Whether its jump-start assistance, mobile flat tire repair, or you’ve been involved in an accident and need a flatbed tow truck you’ll always receive best-in-class service from Top Dogz Towing.
Our experienced team of technicians can quickly be where you are to offer:
- Flexible battery charging service available closeby
- Top battery replacement service for the Charlotte Metro area
- Experienced service technicians on staff to help troubleshoot your car or truck issue
- Emergency 24 hour schedule day or night for your roadside assistance needs
- Call today our top reviewed team is standing by!
Are you a more DIY-type person? Here’s some tips on how to jump-start your car like a pro...