There are three important functions performed by your car’s battery: starting, lighting, and ignition. Whenever your car battery starts the engine, the alternator kicks in and charges your battery, so that when you need to start your vehicle again, it will be fully charged. Your car will not start when it has a bad battery, which can be frustrating, particularly if you do not know what caused the problem.

Here are five common causes of car battery failure:

freezing temperatures, time, corrosion, electronic drain, and parasitic drains.

Both of these are closely related, however, the first can be controlled while the second is harder to detect. These are the five things to check first if you are having problems with your battery holding a charge and what you can do about each of them.

1. Cold weather 

Cold weather is the primary cause of car battery failure. It is not necessary for the weather to be particularly extreme in order for a car’s battery to become weak. A battery is 35% less effective at 32 degrees, even if the temperature is mild. When the temperature drops to zero, the effectiveness plummets to 60%. In the event that the battery is that weak, even lighting up the interior of your car becomes difficult. It is common knowledge that dead car batteries are associated with winter months. This is because it is during this period when most batteries, even those in marginal condition, cease to work.

There are no easy solutions to this problem.

Identify the early symptoms of a failing battery. It is a good indication that your battery is in need of replacement if you notice your headlights dimming while your automobile idles or hear a peculiar clicking sound when you start your vehicle. If you wish to confirm that the battery is approaching the end of its life, you may test it yourself or take it to a local auto shop where the technician will be able to perform the test.

 2. Batteries age overtime

Unsurprisingly, time is also a leading factor in the deterioration of car batteries. Eventually, your remote’s batteries will also run out of power and will not be replenished by any amount of cajoling or jumping. Car batteries typically fail after three to five years of use. In areas subject to particularly cold winters, car batteries have a shorter lifespan. You should observe the ‘birthdays’ of your batteries and watch out for any warning signs of battery failure. Regular battery testing should be done.

A second factor that affects car batteries is “time spent idle.” The longer it is between driving sessions, the less likely it is that your car will start. An alternator recharges a car’s batteries when the vehicle is running. A battery tender is a worthwhile investment if you will not be able to drive your car for a while. In addition to providing a method of charging your battery, battery tenders ensure that it remains fully charged without overcharging.

In the same way that cold weather cannot be changed, neither can time. It is possible to reduce the likelihood of these events occurring while you are unprepared, however, by keeping track of them and being observant.

3. Corrosion is battery killer

The acid in battery batteries is corrosive. It may seem obvious, but corrosion at the connections of the battery is one of the reasons why car batteries fail repeatedly. Please inspect your car battery on time. A battery terminal is the point of connection at the top of your battery. One terminal is marked with a positive, the other negative. You use these points to jump your vehicle, and they are also how your alternator charges your battery. It is possible that your alternator is not providing adequate recharge to your battery if its connection is clogged up.

If you notice blue or green growths on the terminals of your battery, this indicates that the battery has been slightly damaged by corrosion. A battery that is corroded may also show signs of a thin white powdery substance, similar to dandruff on a battery. Even though this is a completely normal and expected process, it isn’t beneficial for your battery and you can improve the charging ability of your car by improving the connection.

Clean dirt and grime from the surface with a dry rag if there is little corrosion. In the event that this does not work, use a stiff wire brush to remove the corrosion (carefully, of course). With little effort, you will be able to keep your connections shiny and clean and your battery will be able to charge more easily.

An individual scrubs a car battery’s corrosion with a wire brush.

4. Human Error

Our batteries have all been killed by accidentally leaving our headlights on. We are practically accustomed to it. Human error is one of several reasons why batteries are destroyed by human error. Human error is inevitable and can lead to battery death.

We often forget how much batteries have become capable of, and this is one of the greater mistakes we make. Vehicle batteries are extraordinarily powerful. As a consequence, they power everything in the vehicle, and they have expanded their functionality to include digital navigation and displays. Additionally, if you consider that people charge their smartphones, tablets, computers, and mobile entertainment units while on the go, you have a very overworked battery system.

There isn’t much that can be done about this issue. Evidently, you can always resolve to turn off your headlights whenever you exit the vehicle, but no one would intentionally forget. The car battery does not receive a break, even if you completely unplug your devices and turn off your headlights. In its place, it powers the anti-theft system and displays the time on the clock as well as powering the anti-theft system.

Consider unplugging charging cables at home when you can give your car a break. Additionally, ensure that your lights are turned off before you turn off your vehicle. If you park your vehicle at an angle that allows your front door to see the headlights, you will be less likely to forget to turn off your lights.