If you’re not in the habit of driving your car often, you may be doing more damage to the battery than you expect. The car’s battery relies on getting a charge from the car’s engine running. Here’s what Miller Auto Care wants you to be aware of when it comes to letting your car sit.
The Battery Still Discharges
Whether the car is running or not, the battery is constantly discharging slowly. Over time that means that the battery isn’t getting charged, but is rather losing whatever charge it does have. How long does this process take? Honestly, there are a lot of different variables that affect how long it can take for the battery to fully discharge and be unable to start the car.
Variables to Consider
If the weather is extremely cold or extremely hot, that’s a lot more difficult for your battery to survive. These temperature extremes cause the battery to lose charge more quickly. There can be other concerns, too. If you’re in the habit of leaving peripheral devices plugged in when the car is off, that can have an impact on battery life in some cars.
Too Many Jumpstarts Means a Very Dead Battery
The first or second time that your car won’t start because of the battery means that you might need a jump start or the help of a jump pack. But is that sustainable? It really isn’t. Over time, if the battery has any bad cells or the battery just never gets a full charge at all because of other issues, like a failing alternator, you’re just prolonging the inevitable and the battery is eventually going to die completely.
Plan Ahead if the Car Is Going to Sit
So, what do you do if you know that the car is going to sit? Planning ahead can mean hooking the battery up to a trickle charger or even disconnecting the battery completely and storing it properly. Which options you choose depend a lot on how long you’re going to let the car sit, how old the battery is, and what sort of condition the battery is in right now. We can help you to find the right option for you and your car.
Miller Auto Care in Medford, OR can help you to stay on top of your car battery’s overall health. We can test the battery, as well as the rest of the electrical system, and make sure that all is well. And if there is a problem, we can help you to fix it properly.