What Causes a Car Battery to Drain?

Nothing is more annoying that getting into your car and it not starting. Usually the culprit behind this is a dead battery.

Here are a few reasons that may cause your vehicle’s battery to drain.

Parasitic Drain

Parasitic drain sounds scary, and it may be if your battery isn’t as strong as it used to.

If you have any sort of presets, alarms, clocks, or even a charging cable plugged in, it may cause your battery to drain.

Parasitic drains over 75 milliamps will drain the battery quickly. A great example of parasitic drain is leaving the headlights on (or any other light inside the cabin or trunk) for an extended period of time while the vehicle is off.

Faulty Charging System

If your battery dies while your vehicle is running, the charging system may be to blame.

A loose or stretched belts and worn tensioners can also prevent the alternator from working, which in turn can cause battery problems.

Corroded or loose battery connections can also prevent the charging system from working properly.

Extreme Temperatures

Extreme temperatures can also have an adverse effect on batteries, especially if your battery is older.

Be sure to update your battery is up to date, that way any extreme weather won’t completely kill your battery.

Payne Auto Group

If your vehicle is in need of a new battery, stop by any of our 6 service centers across the Rio Grande Valley. Schedule service online today!