Suppose you are driving your car and enjoying the high-end music system of your car. Do you know which component of the car is furnishing continuous power to these music systems when the engine is ON? An alternator is that electrical component.
The alternator provides power to the various car components and side-by-side charges the car battery when the engine is up and running.
Hence, you can assume an alternator as the heart of the vehicles. And due to the same reason, the performance of your car relies upon the working of your alternator.
If the alternator is in good shape, your car will run as it should, however, if the alternator is in a bad picture, you’ll incur various issues while driving.
Additionally, a bad or undercharged battery is another major problem due to a bad alternator. But in some cases, even though the alternator is good, the battery may keep dying.
Yes, it’s a bit strange considering the alternator is in good shape, yet if you come across such a situation, here are its possible reasons.
Why does my car battery keep dying even though the alternator is good?
If the alternator is good and still the battery is dying, there is a long list of reasons behind this.
To list a few, you can’t ignore your driving style, corroded battery terminals due to which the battery isn’t getting a charge, loose connections, etc. So, let’s discuss these and many more reasons which are harming your battery.
The battery is bad and needs replacement.
Well, a battery isn’t made to last till eternity. A running battery can last for a maximum of 3-5 years if taken care of.
On the other hand, the battery of your car that’s sitting in the garage for a long time is more likely to go down within 2-3 months.
Also, since a battery gets repeatedly charged and discharged, it further adds to the battery woes. Besides, your driving style and the weather outside can likewise affect your battery’s life.
To test if the battery is itself out of shape and near its end, charge the battery through a charger. After fully charging the battery, it keeps on dying or discharging quickly, it’s near its end and needs replacement.
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Loose or corroded battery connections
The connections between the battery terminals and the car’s cables play an important role in the charging of the battery.
Now, if the cables or connections are having corrosion or are loose, the battery won’t get charged correctly.
To confirm whether its corrosion or something else, check the area around the battery terminals and cable ends.
If there is corrosion, you will notice a white and fluffy substance covering the connections. If left unnoticed, the corrosion can lead to further issues in your car.
Hence, always clean the battery terminals and car cables with a mixture of water and baking soda. If required, remove the battery and do the cleaning.
Poor ground connection
A poor ground connection is also a common cause of your battery getting discharged quickly. In case you don’t know, the ground connection is the connection between the battery and the starter motor.
Parasitic battery drain
You might wonder what a parasitic battery drain means. So, let’s understand this first. A parasitic battery drain is when the battery is getting discharged even after switching off the engine.
You can assume this as getting a hefty electricity bill in the winter.
There are several reasons which cause parasitic battery drain. For example, a simple short circuit is the most common. Or the interior lights are still open, etc.
A major ignition failure sometimes leaves the radio on even though you have turned it off. Due to this, the radio will keep sucking charge from the battery and the battery will eventually die.
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The battery is draining.
It’s a myth that even if you are not driving a car that is not using the battery, it will remain charged. In reality, if the battery is sitting for a long time, it will drain out.
This is also the explanation why the battery will always show a bit less charge the next morning even though you didn’t drive it again last night.
The battery also drains out if it’s not getting enough charge which is common on short trips.
That is if you have the habit of driving the car even for short trips, the battery will suffer the same strain while starting, lose the charge at the same pace, however, won’t charge sufficiently. Hence, you’d avoid using your car for short distances.
So, these are the common reasons why your car battery is dying, though the alternator is good.
How to solve the battery dying problem when the alternator is good?
The following are some ways to solve the battery dying problem when the alternator is good.
- Make sure that the connection between the battery and the starter motor i.e. ground connection is in proper shape.
- A running battery can last for a maximum of 3-5 years if taken care of. On the other hand, the battery of your car that’s sitting in the garage for a long time is more likely to go down within 2-3 months. Hence, in both cases, don’t try to use a battery against its usual life and replace it with a new one.
- To get away with the corroded battery terminals and car cables, clean these with a mixture of water and baking soda. If required, lift the battery out and clean the entire area under the battery.
- In case of a parasitic battery drain, you won’t get access to the main fault. Hence, immediately get the car check by a professional mechanic.
- Avoid using cars for short trips. The battery goes through the same strain while starting the car, discharges at the same pace, however, charges insufficiently.
- Invest in proper car maintenance and keep battery care on the top priority list. You can increase the battery life by investing in its regular care.
- If you feel the battery’s internal wiring is loose or too tight, get the car examined by a professional mechanic as soon as possible.
- It’s always a good habit of avoiding the usage of heavy components of the car like the music system, radio, lights, and so on while the engine is off. As in this case, all these components use batteries as their sole power source.
- Don’t load your car with components that can suck excessive power from the battery.
- Use a battery from a reputed company and with proper ratings. Additionally, make sure that the battery matches your car’s power requirements.
These are the expert tips following which you can prevent the battery from dying even if the alternator is good.
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Conclusion
In a car, an alternator provides power to the various car components and side-by-side charges the car battery when the engine is running.
If the alternator is in bad shape, it’s common for the battery to dye more often due to undercharging. However, even though the alternator is good, the battery may keep dying.
Yes, it’s a bit strange considering the alternator is in good shape. Yet if you ever confront this situation, multiple reasons are contributing towards the same.
For example, poor connections, insufficient charging, corrosion, and much more. To undo these, there are subsequent ways to prevent the car from dying, especially if the alternator is good.
Hence, remember that though both alternator and battery work in tandem to keep the car running, either of these can incur problems without the influence of others.
