What To Do When Your Car Battery Suddenly Dies

What Causes A Car Battery To Die?

The most annoying thing in life is finding out you have a dead car battery since it never happens when you want it to. With the help of this short article, you can learn what to do if your car battery dies. Numerous factors, such as cold temperatures, frequent short trips, extreme strain, and battery age, might result in a dead car battery.

Because of this, flat vehicle batteries are the most common cause of calls to breakdown services. Therefore, it's a good idea to learn the top warning indications that a car battery may be on its last legs. So how would one go about fixing a dead battery? Well, jump-starting a dead battery is the most common solution.

A pair of jumper cables and also another automobile nearby with a working battery are all you need to jump-start a car that won't start. Remember that if a car battery is damaged and is leaking acid, you should never attempt to jump-start the vehicle. We will learn a lot more about automobile batteries in this post, including what to do if your car battery dies.

Why Does A Car Battery Drain?

Although it might be inconvenient, you could also prevent a dead car battery. You must first understand what causes a dead battery to avoid one. Put the jumper cables away and have a look at these potential causes of your car battery dying instead.

A parasitic draw

The clock, radio, and alarm system all receive power from your battery even while your car is not moving. These items shouldn't significantly impact your battery. Factors like interior lighting, door lighting, or even faulty relays can deplete the battery when a car is not in use.

You usually might not have to worry about your battery dying when you're blaring the radio on your commute to work since the alternator recharges it while your engine is running. However, while the engine is turned off, the alternator cannot replenish the battery, allowing minor electrical malfunctions to empty your battery. A parasitic pull is a term for the battery stress brought on by these electrical gadgets or electrical faults in your car.

By turning off all of the lights and ensuring that your doors, glove box, and trunk are entirely closed and secured before exiting the vehicle, you may help prevent parasitic draws.

Headlights left on unknowingly

Your lighting is the first thing to examine if the car battery continues depleting. The headlights on many modern cars are programmed to switch off after a particular period. However, if your automobile lacks this function, your headlights can continue to operate either until you switch them off or until your battery is fully depleted.

Corroded or loose battery connections

Your battery's positive and negative connections may occasionally become loose over time. Additionally, these terminals might corrode. You can have difficulties starting the car if your connections get loose or corroded since your battery can't effectively transfer its power!

You may lose control of your car while driving and harm its electronic systems and, in the worst case, yourself and others. Cleaning the battery connections on your automobile regularly will help prevent corrosion-related issues.

Battery not charging while driving

When you start the engine, your automobile depends on your battery. However, the alternator is what keeps your battery charged while your car is operating. Even if you were just travelling, it could be challenging to start your car if your alternator isn't functioning correctly since it can't charge your battery efficiently. After driving, if your car still won't start, it can be your alternator.

Taking too many short drives

When you start the engine, your battery loses a lot of energy; however, your alternator recharges the battery as the engine runs. However, if you often take short journeys, the alternator wouldn't have enough time to fully recharge your battery in between stops, mainly if your battery is older. Over time, making lots of short drives might reduce the life of your automobile battery.

You have an old battery

Even the battery in your automobile has a limited lifespan. Depending on your driving habits and where you reside, the battery in your car may occasionally last up to five years. You might reduce your battery's lifespan to two to three years with extreme temperatures, numerous short excursions, and routine daily use. It is likely the time for a replacement if your car's battery dies fast, even after a jump-start.

Extreme cold or hot temperatures

Your car's battery may have issues during the chilly winter months and the hot summer months. More recent batteries often survive high seasonal temperatures better. Nevertheless, if the battery is older, extreme cold or heat might degrade or kill it.

What To Do When Your Car Battery Dies

Ask for help from another motorist

Your alternatives may differ depending on your location and what time of day your battery has chosen to call it a day. The first things you'll need are some car jumper wires and a willing driver who can back up next to your car and jump-start your battery. Try approaching another motorist to see if they'd be ready to lend help. Don't be afraid to ask; practically everyone has been in a similar circumstance and can likely relate to your predicament.

Call a friend or family member

Take out your cell phone and begin scrolling through your contact list. To find out if they have jumper cables and whether they can reach you, call your spouse, your best friend, or a member of your family. They can, at the very least, provide you with a ride to your location if you urgently need to get there but do not have the chance to deal with jump-starting your automobile.

Avoid wasting time on the internet or other sites that drain your battery while you have your phone out. The worst moment is to have both a dead phone battery and a dead car battery in the middle of nowhere.

Push and start for a manual transmission car

This technique now calls for manipulation and physical help. The idea is to shift the car into neutral and push it forward along the road. Once the vehicle has built up enough momentum, shift into second gear and start the engine. The automobile battery will quickly begin to charge as a result of this. This approach is tried and true but calls for strength and endurance. You will need assistance to pull off this trick, but it is effective.

Call for professional assistance

Roadside support is an extra for auto insurance that can occasionally come through in a pinch and rescue the day. Get on the horn and ask for assistance if you have roadside assistance. Uncertain if you do? Contact your insurance provider to discover more.

Most towing firms will travel to you for a cost to jump-start your car, or they can tow you to a repair who will assess whether your battery needs to be changed, recharged, or only jump-started. After being jumped, your battery may still die, in which case you will need to get it replaced. Fortunately, you can replace batteries for not too much money.

Signs Of A Dead Car Battery

Swollen car battery

If the car battery is bloated or bulging, it means that it is dying. The battery manufacturer always creates a set size for your battery, and if the battery expands in size, you ought to be able to see it. If your battery is swollen, the alternator has malfunctioning voltage regulators and overcharges it. The battery becomes overcharged because hydrogen gases accumulate quicker than your battery can dissipate them.

A slower, sudden start

When temperatures fall below 20 degrees, any car's starting cadence will generally slow down. When it falls below zero, it becomes considerably slower. If you suddenly observe this behaviour and the temperature isn't too chilly. Still, if a slow, sluggish start suddenly occurs, get your battery examined as quickly as possible, and don't ignore it. The car will eventually stop starting.

Suppose a slow starting battery appears to be able to maintain a charge and test properly. In that regard, it is likely that a parasitic drain, or draw, is depleting the battery while the car rests, and your electrical system will have to be inspected.

An unusual smell from your battery

If your battery smells - This is a clue that it is about to die if it hasn't already. By definition, a battery has no odour. If you detect a rotten eggs smell, it signifies your battery has released gas and discharged sulfuric acid, which may destroy other engine components. So, if you don't take action to fix this scent, it could be the most expensive problem.

The vehicle starts, then dies immediately

This is a weird issue that can occur on some vehicle makes and models. Your car battery may have sufficient voltage to start your car, but it will subsequently die and refuse to idle. Several things could be wrong if you face this problem, but the first and easiest place to start is with a quick battery check.

Clicking sound when turning on the ignition

If your engine does not start, the car will frequently emit a quick clicking sound, indicating that the current power is insufficient to start the engine. You can turn your ignition keys as often as you like, even leave the car for a while, and return to try, but the result will be the same. If your car won't start, but all you notice is the clicking noise, likely, your battery is nearly or entirely dead.

Where To Get Lasting Help

As you can now see from this article, a dead vehicle battery can occur for a variety of reasons, such as cold temperatures, a faulty starter motor, numerous short trips, extreme strain, and battery age. That's why dead car batteries are among the leading cause of breakdown repair calls and why it's essential to first establish the top indications that a car battery is likely to die. If you want a long-term solution, please contact a professional car servicing provider for help.