A dead car battery means you can neither start the car nor operate any of its electronics. Knowing why car batteries die can help you diagnose battery-related problems. Below are some of the common causes of car battery malfunction.

Electronics Drain

A car's electronics run on the car's battery. Lights, clocks, radios, security alarms, and other electronics run on power from the battery. Many cars are designed to automatically shut down their electronics while the engine is off. However, you may have to switch off some of the electronics manually. If you forget to do that, the electronics might drain your battery while the car is packed. If you make a habit of it, you will kill the battery sooner than it would have.

Parasitic Drain

A parasitic drain occurs when the car and its electronics are apparently switched off, but something is still draining the battery. A parasitic drain usually occurs if there is an electrical fault with the car. An electrical short circuit, for example, can allow the battery to drain even when its electronics are shut off.

Excessive Short Drives

The car battery charges when the car runs. The longer the car runs, the more the battery charges. If you only drive short distances, however, the battery might not charge fully after every drive. Say you live near a school and you only use your car to take the kids to school every day. The short drives might not be enough to charge the battery.

Corrosion

The battery terminals are made of metal. Unfortunately, the metals tend to corrode over time, and corroded metal doesn't conduct electricity as well as a pure metal. The corrosion acts as an insulation material over the terminals, preventing current from flowing from the battery to where it is needed.

Bad Alternator

The alternator is the part of the car that charges the battery when the car is moving. A malfunctioning alternator won't charge the battery even if the car is always running. Eventually, the battery will discharge and die.

Time

Batteries, like other parts of the car, don't run forever. The battery has a finite number of times it can charge and discharge. This means your car's battery will eventually die even if you take care of it religiously.

As you can see, a battery malfunction can also mean that something is wrong with your car. This means you need a proper diagnosis to identify the problem and solve it before your car stalls. Visit websites like http://www.autorepairhighdesert.com/ to connect with auto repair services.