Why Does My Car Battery Keep Dying?

“Why does my car battery keep dying?” If you are asking yourself this question, we understand that it can be incredibly frustrating! Without a healthy battery, you’ll be stuck wherever you are. To avoid that hassle, it’s important to make sure your battery remains in good condition, and you can do that by avoiding some of the common causes of a dead battery in modern vehicles.

Let’s dive right into a list of potential causes of a dead battery in your car or truck. Once you know what to watch for, it will be much easier to avoid these problems and keep your battery on track for a long and healthy life.

3 of the Easiest Ways to Kill Your Car Battery

#1 Long periods of inactivity

The battery that serves your vehicle is recharged each time you take a drive. A component in the vehicle called an alternator captures energy and uses it to charge up the battery while you are on the road. Of course, if you don’t hit the road very often, the alternator won’t be doing anything, and the battery will gradually lose its charge. So, if you have a vehicle that doesn’t move often, consider this as a potential reason for battery troubles.

#2 You left something on

One of the classic reasons for a dead car battery is leaving the headlights on after you park and walk away. Those lights will keep pulling from the battery until there isn’t enough energy left to start the engine when you return. Fortunately, this is not as common as it used to be, since modern vehicles usually turn auxiliary equipment off after a period of time.

#3 An old battery

Car batteries are impressively durable, but they do wear out after a while. Getting three years out of a battery is pretty standard, and while you might be able to stretch it out another year or two after that, the performance is going to start to decline pretty quickly. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to have a new battery installed, and you should then have plenty of power for the years ahead.

The Impact of Weather

It’s easy enough to figure out if one of the three points listed above is your problem, but where do you turn if those aren’t the issue? Start by thinking about the weather conditions. Has it been particularly hot or cold where you live? If the temperatures in your area have been extreme, and you park outside most of the time, your battery could be suffering as a result.

For example, if you try to start your car on a very cold morning, those low temperatures could have pulled enough energy out of the battery to prevent it from starting the vehicle successfully. To combat this problem, look into finding indoor parking for your vehicle – at least during the hottest and coldest periods of the year. If your primary concern is heat, then even covered parking—like a carport—can help.

Whether that means cleaning out an existing garage or building a new one, having some indoor parking available goes a long way toward protecting the condition of your battery There are plenty of other nice benefits that come with parking inside, as well, so this one is a win all the way around.

It’s None of the Above: Now What?

As you keep running down the list of what may be leading to your battery troubles, there are a couple of other points to consider. For one, you might be having trouble with your alternator. If you are driving a lot but the alternator isn’t working correctly, the battery won’t be getting recharged as it should.

It’s also possible that the connections for the battery have come loose or corroded. If the connections aren’t firm on the terminal posts at the top of the battery, the transfer of power from the battery to the vehicle and back again will be interrupted. To learn more about how to remove corrosion from your car battery, the Family Handyman has an excellent video available on YouTube that will show you exactly how to get the job done.

American Steel Has You Covered

We hope you found this guide helpful! The next time someone asks, “Why does my car battery keep dying?” you’ll be armed with the knowledge needed to answer that question perfectly. Remember, keeping your battery out of extreme temperature ranges—both hot and cold—is one of the best ways to make sure it keeps working properly for its entire lifespan. On that point, consider turning to American Steel Carports, Inc. to build an insulated garage or stainless steel carport for your property. With a garage serving as a protected parking spot, your car—and its battery—will avoid the worst of the weather throughout the year.

Try our Build & Price tool to explore the possibilities. Special features like windows, doors, skylights, and insulation are also available to add to your project. If you have any questions, contact our team for help. Thanks for stopping by our blog, and we hope to serve you soon!