Reasons Why the Car Battery Drains & its Prevention

On average, car batteries can last up to three years. However, there are certain factors that can drain the battery and leave it dead much earlier. Keeping an eye on your car battery’s health is crucial for extending its useful life. Regular maintenance will save you the cost of battery replacement and the trouble of dealing with bad battery issues.

This guide will explain why a car battery drains quickly and how you can avoid this problem. Let’s take a look at the seven most common culprits.

Seven Reasons Why Car Battery Drains

Extreme Temperature

Whether it’s extremely hot or cold, the fluctuating temperature builds up lead sulphate crystals in the battery. If a vehicle is left in such a condition for a longer time, the build-up of the sulphate can damage the battery and reduce its life. It may also increase the charging time of the battery, especially if you frequently do short distance driving.

Leaving the Radio or Headlights On

Leaving electric devices on is one of the main reasons for car batteries dying early. The lights, the radio, the air conditioning or the vehicle starter need electricity, generally drawn from the car battery. Leaving any of that equipment on by mistake can drain the battery too quickly.

Infrequent Use of the Vehicle

If you are restarting your car after months then check its battery. Not using a car for a long time can cause the battery to drain without usage. To avoid this, do not leave your car unused for more than two weeks, especially during extreme weather. If you don’t have to go anywhere. Start the car at least twice a week and move it around a little to keep the batteries working.

Age of the Battery

The useful life of a battery is generally specified by the manufacturers. For most batteries, it can be between 2 to 3 years considering the temperature in the UAE. After they have passed that time, they discharge too quickly and do not recharge up to their full capacity. That is when you should consider a replacement. A battery that is past its expiry date specified by the manufacturer will quickly lose charge even in storage.

Parasitic Consumption

Do you wonder what is draining my car battery when it’s off? Well, that’s called parasitic consumption.

Parasitic drain can be caused due to those components that continue to run even after the key is turned off. Some parasitic consumption is normal. For instance, the vehicle’s clock, radio presets, and security alarm operate all the time.

However, poor installation of equipment, faulty wiring and other defects can cause excessive battery drainage. Also, new gadgets might also consume much of the standby power, so be careful when installing new components, like speakers.

Frequent Short Trips

Short trips are discouraged due to many reasons. They aren’t good for fuel economy and they will cause the battery to drain quickly. Due to frequent short trips, the battery does not recharge completely and wears out before its time. Also, the battery uses more power when starting the car so you lose more charge with every trip.

Loose Battery Cables

A battery also doesn’t work properly if its connections have corroded. If you find any sign of car battery corrosion, clean the cables with a cloth or a toothbrush. Moreover, loose and rusted battery cables make it difficult to start the engine as they can’t transfer the current efficiently.

How to Prevent Car Battery Drain

It is important for all vehicle owners to know how to prevent a car battery from draining. Below are some tips that can help you to extend the life of your car’s battery.

Check the manufacturing date of the battery and try to replace it after the period specified by the manufacturer.
Frequently, check your vehicle’s battery for any sign of corrosion. If it seems corroded and worn out, it’s time to get a new one and to buy new car batteries in the UAE.
If your battery is still draining, check the installation, wires, radio, and LED lights that might be consuming its power.
Keeping a check also make the car battery last longer and you will not have to change it as often. You can test car battery performance by following this guide.
Plan your trips to run more errands in one go. Try not to drive to a place that is within walking distance.

Car Battery Cost

The starting price of new car batteries in the UAE is AED 200; however, it varies from one brand to another. The popular batteries used in the UAE include:

Exide Battery: The cost of Exide batteries ranges from AED 200 to AED 600. The battery has a reserve capacity of more than two hours.
Amaron: The Amron batteries cost around AED 250 to AED 900 in the UAE. The battery comes with an 18 months warranty.
AC Delco: AED 250 to AED 800 are the price range of AC Delco batteries in the UAE.
Solite: The price range of a Solite battery is AED 300 to AED 900. The internal rust-free calcium metal makes the battery ideal in extremely hot weather.
Optima Battery: The corrosion-free batteries are a little expensive. The batteries cost around AED 1500 to AED 2600.

FAQs

Do LED lights drain a car battery?

Yes, LED lights can drain a car battery drain which is also called a parasitic drain. These lights are among the components that continue to run even after the engine is turned off.

Why does my car battery keep on draining on its own?

There can be several reasons that drain your vehicle’s battery such as LED lights, radio, AC and car’s headlights. Also, leaving any of that equipment on by mistake can drain the battery too quickly.

How to prevent car battery drain?

You can prevent car battery drain by keeping a check on it. Always keep a check on the vehicle’s installation, radio and other components that might consume its power. Also, you must avoid short trips to extend the battery’s life.

Now you know all the reasons why car battery drains and how to prevent it. We hope that this guide might help you if you are facing a similar problem. However, if you are still unable to identify the reason for car battery drains overnight, then visit a qualified mechanic who can diagnose the main issue and fix it for you.

Keep an eye on your car battery and replace it if you see it is not charging properly. You can buy car batteries online as well:

For more information, updates and tips, stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog.

Everything You Need to Know About Car Battery Drains