If you depend on your vehicle to get you where you need to go every day, whether that’s to work or the supermarket, you know how important your car battery is. More motorists than ever before have had trouble starting their vehicles this year because of a dead battery. It’s annoying and bothersome in equal measure.
To help you get to know your car’s battery better, we’ll cover topics like how long it may lay unused, how long it will last, and how to maintain it so it doesn’t die.
Understand the Basics
Car batteries, like other electrical and mechanical components in a car, have a limited lifespan. As a result, they need regular maintenance. Just like how you are expected to take your car for electrical and mechanical repairs from time to time, you need to be equally mindful about battery replacement.
The reason for this is because all car batteries eventually die from internal leaks. The rate of self-discharge may change depending on a number of variables, such as the battery’s age, kind, and storage conditions. This doesn’t usually take place over the course of a single day or even many weeks. It may take months, or even years, for a brand-new, fully-charged car battery stored in a cool, dry place to lose all of its power.
However, the rate of discharge may be accelerated by installing a car battery in a vehicle. Because of something called “parasitic draw,” or the amount of energy a parked automobile continues to drain from its battery even after the engine is turned off. The effect of these parasitic pulls varies widely, depending on the kind of vehicle and the draws that are using energy, much as the circumstances for batteries to self-discharge do.
When Left Unused, How Long Does a Car’s Battery Last?
The health of your car’s battery is crucial. If you know your car battery is quite new and has been well-maintained, you could leave it in the car for roughly two weeks without using it before it dies.After more than two weeks without driving, it’s probably time to call in the pros. It’s important to remember that if your battery dies, your brakes may have corroded from sitting in water for too long.
What is the Average Lifespan of a Car’s Battery?
Again, numerous factors come into play here. A car battery, however, has a useful lifespan of roughly 1 to 2 years. This is an average, so your mileage may vary depending on how you drive, how frequently you have your vehicle serviced, how well your electrical system functions, and the environmental conditions you drive in.
What Can You do to Keep Your Car’s Battery from Dying?
If you haven’t driven your car in two weeks, or if you leave an electrical accessory on, such the lights or radio, without the engine running, you may find yourself with a dead battery.
Here are some simple measures you may do to extend the life of your battery:
- Once a week, take a brief trip in your car; even a 15-minute drive can help recharge the battery more effectively than leaving the engine running all the time.
- Invest in a trickle charger, a little device that can be used to replenish your car battery with a trickling current; just be sure to choose a charger that is compatible with your vehicle.
- It’s important to unplug your dashcam while you’re not using your vehicle so it doesn’t deplete the battery.
- The majority of modern vehicles will make a noise if the door is opened while the lights are still on, so you won’t have to worry about leaving your lights on accidentally.
