- 20 Jan 2023
What can drain a car battery when the car is off
If you’ve ever had your car battery fail when it’s not being used, then you probably know how frustrating it can be. You bought a new battery specifically so that it would last years, and now it appears to have failed suddenly. That’s why you need to learn what can drain a car battery when the car’s off and whilst the vehicle is running.
Here’s everything you need to know about draining a car battery.
What can drain a car battery when the car’s off?
The biggest drain on your car battery is when the car is not being used. When your car is off and sitting in the garage or in the driveway, you’re wasting around 60% of your battery’s charge. That’s why it’s important to avoid sitting in your car for long periods of time with the accessories on. In addition, avoid leaving things on like dash cams, GPS navigation devices, or other electronics in the car. They all consume power, and coupled with any drains from the vehicle can really affect your batteries level of charge.
What Can Drain a Car Battery When it’s Running?
Your car battery has enough power to start your car, but it will fail rather quickly as soon as the engine is off. That’s why it’s important to avoid leaving your car accessories on when the vehicle is not running. The other thing that can drain a battery while the vehicle is running is a faulty alternator. If this occurs, you will only have a certain amount of time depending on the size of battery to get to a service centre, otherwise the cars battery will be drained and the vehicle will come to a stop.
The Best Ways to Keep Your Car Battery Healthy
Keep your car’s battery properly charged. Avoid running your accessories unnecessarily. Avoid letting your car sit idling for long periods of time.
As you can see, your car battery can be drained really quickly when it’s not being used, and it can be even more quickly drained if you have a faulty alternator. So the next time your car battery seems to be failing, try to avoid leaving it sitting idle for long periods of time. Instead, try to find ways to keep your battery charged while your car is not being used. For example, if you’re waiting for someone, try to keep the accessories and your lights off to avoid draining your battery. Hopefully, after reading this article, you now have a better understanding of what can drain a car battery. If you want to keep your battery in good health for as long as possible, then you’ll want to avoid leaving your car sitting idling for long periods of time and avoid letting your battery drain while it’s not being used. Instead, try to keep your car charged up and avoid running your accessories unnecessarily, especially when your car is not being used.