6 Things That Drain Your Car Battery

This post is part of a sponsored series. 

Is it safe to say we’ve all been there? I know I have had my fair share. It’s the dreaded dead car battery. You get in your new vehicle to go somewhere (most likely because you need to be somewhere at a specific time) and… nothing. Looks like you’re not going anywhere after all, because your car battery is dead. It surprises us every time it happens, because it’s not like we plan on having a dead battery – it just happens at the worst time possible. So what causes that to happen? There are a few common causes that you can keep in the back of your mind to hopefully prevent this occurrence.

1. Leaving your headlights on. This has been one of the main themes in my dead car battery experiences. You turn them on when it’s raining or blizzarding (that’s a thing here in Minnesota) and then when you get home you forget that you did anything differently than any other day, and you leave them on. Doh – dead battery.
2. Leaving a dome light on. Remember when one of your kids was trying to finish their homework in the back seat? Or maybe they were playing around in the car while you unloaded groceries. Well, that will be a fun surprise in the morning!
3. An old car battery. They suggest you change your car battery every 4-5 years, or whenever your vehicle isn’t starting consistently. Don’t put it off until later, or later will come when you don’t want it to and you’ll be stuck with a – yes, you guessed it, dead battery.
4. A key turned to the on position. Just because you don’t turn the key to ignition, doesn’t mean it isn’t straining the battery. If you’re leaving your keys in the ignition, make sure they are turned off and not to the on setting. This will typically turn on everything that is automatic inside the vehicle and after a long period of time, the result isn’t pretty.
5. Aftermarket car alarms. If you’ve added on one of these fancy gadgets, it may be sucking juice from your battery. Make sure that your alarm is properly installed by an experienced technician to avoid having issues with it draining your battery.
6. Aftermarket stereo systems. Adding on an aftermarket stereo isn’t bad, but it could potentially be taking a toll on your battery as well. In standby, they aren’t typically a problem but it’s when they don’t that you may have an issue. Talk to your technician and check to see that your new stereo is setup properly that it won’t wreck havoc on your car battery.

Were you aware of these top contenders? Of course there are more reasons for why car batteries might die, but these are things to be aware of and make sure you aren’t falling into any of the above traps! And if it’s too late, well then maybe take a look at my article on how to jump start your vehicle. I hope that helps!