Car battery that is discharged: what to do

6. Playing with the opening of the doors and the trunk or leaving the open engine off

How to kill the battery of a car in 9 lessons or what should not be done

A battery failure can be boring, but most of the time it can be avoided.

Modern vehicles have a Energy gourmet technology. If we add to this a change in driving habits after the confinements linked to the COVVI19, A flat or out-of-service battery is more common than three years ago.

CTEK, specialist in vehicle load solutions, details The 9 worst practices likely to empty and/or affect the battery performance of a vehicle.

1. Make small journeys

By regularly performing short journeys, especially in urban areas, the battery is exhausted more quickly.

It takes 150 to 350 to battery power just to start the car. On small daily journeys, the alternator does not have the time or the capacity to replace this energy consumption. On several short short trips, the battery is quickly flat.

2. Let the vehicle undergo extreme temperatures

The outside temperature influences the vehicle battery condition. A battery in a temperate area will last 47 months against 30 months in a very hot area.

During heat waves, the most frequent problems are essentially battery and engine cooling problems. The battery is much more stressed (air conditioning and ventilation run at full speed and electrolyte tends to dry out).

In the same way, a battery can lose up to 35 % of its performance when the temperature reaches the freezing point, and up to 50 % if the temperature drops below 10 degrees in winter in winter.

3. Leave the key near the vehicle

By leaving the key to the car overnight or even on a hook near the vehicle, it can continue to communicate with the car, which can unnecessarily empty the battery.

4. Let the battery unload without reacting

A standard lead battery naturally discharges 0.1 V per month, even if it stays on a shelf. This may seem little, but if we consider that a fully loaded battery is 12.72 V and a chemically discharged battery, with which the car has trouble starting, is 11.8 V, in just eight months of non-use, the battery may seem flat.

This without taking into account other discharges which may also have an impact on the lifespan of the battery.

In addition, from 12.2 volts, the sulfating phenomenon appears: it is destructive for the lead elements of the battery.

5. Promote continuous energy consumption including parking

When the car is stopped, the battery supplies elements such as clock, radio, electric parking brake and alarm system, even if these elements do not have a major impact on the battery.

On modern vehicles, engine cooling fans and other systems continue to operate after the contact has been cut to quickly cool the engine and avoid damage.

The vehicle can manage its own network and communicate with the manufacturer’s servers through the telematic control unit (TCU).

Automatic updates sent, the possibility of lighting lights, heating, etc., From his phone via an application can also go through this network.

6. Playing with the opening of the doors and the trunk or leaving the open engine off

Whenever the driver opens the doors or the trunk to get something out, the car comes alive and the interior lights as doors empty the battery.

Unlock the vehicle, opening the trunk and locking the vehicle again can consume about 50 A battery. It may seem trivial but doing this regularly can have an impact on battery tension. The impact is both harmless as all the systems of the vehicle are busy during the short time when the car is open.

7. Promote parasitic discharge

The parasitic discharge of the battery constantly drains the battery. It can be a light/lighting switch, an alternator or another electrical problem. To avoid this, the driver can take care to turn off all the lights and ensure that the trunk, the glove box and the doors are completely closed and locked before leaving the car.

8. Leave an alternator breakdown

The car depends on the battery when the driver turns on the engine.

When the vehicle is running, the battery depends on the alternator that helps it stay loaded.

If the alternator does not work properly, it will not load the battery correctly, which can make it difficult to start the car.

9. Do not worry

A chemical reaction called sulfate occurs if the battery falls below 12.2 V.

Lead sulfate crystals then begin to accumulate on battery plates, which degrades the battery, reduces its capacity and its potential for starting.

The vehicle will start easily if the battery is 12.2 V, but 12.2 V, the battery is already dying.

“Nothing is eternal, including the battery of your car. In many cases, it depends on where you live, how you drive and how you maintain your battery. More than 87 % of batteries returned under warranty are not defective, but suffer from sulfating. Load the battery of your car at least once a month prolongs its lifespan up to three times. The purchase of a reliable battery charger and the installation of a regular battery maintenance routine are therefore completely logical, all year round. And as a battery failure can damage or compromise the electronic components of a vehicle, a charger is certainly a useful investment ” explains Abel Santirso, Regional Manager CTEK.

Source : CTEK

Eric Houguet, written on 07/29/2022

Car battery that is discharged: what to do ?

Find the best garage to change your battery:

The battery supplies the electrical systems of your car. But she wears out over time and can come to the charge less well. A battery problem that discharges when you stop is often a sign of a worn battery or a car that has not been rolling for a long time, but the alternator can also be involved.

• �� What are the causes of a battery discharge ?
• �� What are the symptoms of an HS battery ?
• ⚡ How to know if the car battery is HS ?

Find the best garage to change your battery:

See the price for my car

�� What are the causes of a battery discharge ?

The battery is often the reason for a car that does not start. A car battery recharges normally while driving and it has a lifespan of 4 to 5 years on average. Of course, some batteries can last longer. or less !

If your car stays up for a long time, the battery will slowly unload until it falls completely flat. But in how long a car battery is unloading ? If you don’t run often, plan to run the engine immediately at least once every 15 days If you don’t want to unload the battery.

If you have not been rolled for a few weeks, it is not surprising that your battery has been discharged when stopped, even if it is new or almost. Nevertheless, it is not completely normal that:

• You have a battery that unloads regularly;
• You have a battery that discharges while driving;
• You have a car battery that discharges overnight.

Several reasons may explain the too fast discharge of a battery. Among these explanations are found in particular:

• A Bad (re) loading of the battery : there is a defect in the load circuit and your battery does not recharge properly while driving, or even discharges when you ride. This explains in particular that your new battery discharges after being changed, because the problem did not come from the battery itself but from its load system.
• A human error : you have badly closed a door or left the headlights on, and the battery was discharged overnight.
• A failure of thealternator : It is he who recharges the battery. It also operates certain electrical organs of the car. An alternator failure can therefore cause a fast battery discharge.
• There abnormal consumption of an electrical system : an electrical problem in a component like the radio of your car can shoot abnormally on the battery, which then discharges faster.
• L’battery age : when the battery is old, it recharges more difficult and discharges faster.

�� What are the symptoms of an HS battery ?

Your car does not start when you turn the key ? You have starting problems ? Here are the signs that your car battery is HS:

• THE battery lightis on on the dashboard;
• THE Electric accessories (radio, wipers, windows, headlights, etc.)) ill -functioning, even not at all;
• THE Klaxon does not work or very weakly;
• The engine launches and makes a start -up Without managing to really get started;
• THE start is complicated, Especially cold;
• You hear a nickname Under the hood when you try to put the ignition.

Nevertheless, the battery is not necessarily the cause of these symptoms. A starting defect may have another cause. It is therefore advisable to test the battery of your car and to make a diagnosis of its load system.

Do not rush to change the battery if the problem comes from the circuit: you will pay a new battery for nothing. Before making a decision to examine your battery by a trusted mechanic by going through Vroomly.

Find the best garage to change your battery:

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⚡ How to know if the car battery is HS ?

You can test your battery with a voltmeter to find out if it defective. Put your voltmeter in DC and connect the black cable to the negative battery terminal, the red cable on the positive terminal. Ask someone to start the engine and accelerate several times while you measure the tension.

• Battery voltage Between 13.2 and 15 V : this is a normal tension for a loaded battery;
• Tension greater than 15 V : this is an overload of the battery, generally caused by the voltage regulator;
• Tension less than 13.2 V : you probably have an alternator problem.

There are also commercial car battery testers. Available for a few euros, they are composed of lights that light up to tell you the battery voltage and also allow you to test the alternator.

You now know why your car battery discharges when you stop and how to make sure it works. Remember that a battery should be changed periodically. In addition, have your charge circuit checked by a professional mechanic, because the battery may not be responsible for your breakdown ! Take going in a trusted garage without further delay with Vroomly.

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