Your car battery has several important jobs, including starting, lighting, and ignition. Once your car battery starts, the alternator takes over and changes it,. When you need to start your car again, it’s usually recharged and ready to go. It’s an endless cycle – well until your battery goes bad, and in turn, your car won’t start. Most battery deaths come from these 4 common causes, however, so it should be easy to pinpoint the issue before you replace it. Check them out below:
Outside Temperatures
Cold weather is the number one reason a car battery will die. The weather doesn’t have to be particularly extreme to cause a battery to weaken, either. Even at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which is still above freezing temperatures, a battery is 35 percent weaker. The same can be said for hot weather, too, which we get a little more of in Atlanta. When temperatures are particularly high, it can drain the life out of your battery, causing its fluids to evaporate and damaging its internal structure.
Human Error or Overuse
We have all been there – accidentally leaving the headlights or interior lights on and killing your battery. It’s practically a rite of passage into the world of driving and makes human error a top killer of car batteries. Add to these errors the basic modern uses of a car battery, like charging phones, tablets, or otherwise, and it’s a recipe for an overtaxed battery system. There isn’t one easy fix to this problem, but just remain as mindful as you can while using your automobile. Remember, it’s an investment.
Corrosion
Just in case you weren’t aware, battery acid is corrosive. Although this may be obvious to most, it’s one of the major reasons car batteries die repeatedly or completely. This usually happens where the battery connections meet the alternator. If this portion under your hood is gunky, then your alternator may not be doing an adequate job of recharging your battery. Once you spot blue or green growths or a powdery white substance on your battery terminals, treat it quickly before it worsens and affects the battery.
Time
Perhaps, the most obvious of all battery killers, your car battery will die with time. Like any battery, there will come the day it runs out of juice and no amount of jumping will bring it back to life. On average, a car battery lasts about three to five years. Due to extreme heat during Georgian summers, your battery might have an even shorter lifespan. Try to keep in mind when your battery was purchased and installed, and you won’t be caught off guard during an inopportune moment.
Woodhaven at Park Bridge Apartments in Alpharetta, Georgia goes above and beyond to improve your daily lifestyle with our spacious floor plans, unparalleled amenities, and incomparable customer service. We hope that these tips will inform, educate, and ultimately provide you with a better way-of-life.