My Vehicle Battery Keeps Dying - What Could Be The Problem?

Certain types of driving (and external) conditions can be rough on a car battery. If you keep having to jump-start your battery, then you're most likely encountering a battery problem. Your bad habits could be the reason why you're overworking your battery and shortening its overall lifespan. To figure out what is wrong, please pay closer attention to your actions and how they can impact your battery's performance.

CHARGING TOO MANY DEVICES

Unless you're practically living in your car, you shouldn't be charging multiple electronic devices in your vehicle all the time. If your automobile battery is old and only holds a 2% resting charge, charging your phone could quickly kill your car. It's even worse if you are charging tablets and laptops since these devices have larger batteries and would draw a lot of power from your car battery's reserved charge.

HOT TEMPERATURES

In the summer, you have to be more cautious with your battery. If temperatures outside are well above 90 degrees, the temperature under the hood may be closer to 140. Everything under the hood is substantially hotter than the outdoor temperature. The intensive heat can cause battery acid to evaporate, increasing the likelihood of corrosion, and cause your battery to energize at a higher rate. All of this can significantly reduce your battery life. We recommend parking in the shade, using sun shades, or even tinting your windows to keep your battery in good shape for the summer.

DRIVING TOO SHORT OF DISTANCES

If you are the type of motorist that tends to make lots of short trips, your battery will be doing some heavy lifting. You should know that starting your engine over and over wears out your battery and shortens its lifespan. It takes about 8 hours of consecutive driving for the alternator to charge a new car battery fully. A battery that's often fully charged tends to last longer than a battery that's constantly somewhat charged. We're not suggesting that you take a cross-country road trip to recharge your battery, but please consider your actions and how they could limit/extend the life of your car battery.

If you require any battery repairs or tests, please come by BIG G TIRE & AUTO today! Our experienced and certified team will happily assist you and get your vehicle back up and running in no time.