What causes a car battery to go dead. I just put a new one in and it started ok. The car is only 5 years ol?

Answer 1

I was going to say the alternator but your new one started ok...

I had the same problem but that was because my amplifier (for my stereo system) short-circuited and all the electrics in my car (including alarm and immobilizer) went dead...

perhaps you left a light on in your car or something that drained your battery...

Answer 2

If you just put the battery in (and it was new) there's a chance you didn't allow it to charge up enough before turning off the car and later trying to restart it.

At five years old there's the chance the car needs a new alternator, and if the alternator isn't working its light should be on when the car is running. As you know, that light tells you the alternator isn't charging the battery.

Usually, what makes a battery go dead is either that the battery won't hold the charge or that something is going on that prevents it from recharging when the engine is on. The other thing could be not having allowed it to really fully charge, using the car with lights and other things on at night (which drain the battery more than driving with nothing on), and having it lose some of its not-quite-complete charge.

If your alternator light isn't on try starting the car and running it for at least twenty minutes without anything on. Even then, though, try driving with as little on as possible for a while.

If the belt were too loose or broken your alternator light would probably be on, so it probably isn't that.

Answer 3

no human being has suggested the alternator yet.the vehicle is 12yrs previous and operating a similar alternator so some distance as i understand. perhaps its this that`s causing the priority.Get a pal to take the battery out and placed it on fee for 12 hrs.Re fit it and commence the vehicle,enable it run for 10 minutes then turn it off.turn on all of your lighting fixtures (on the vehicle) and watch them for yet another 10 minutes to ascertain in the journey that they commence to bypass dim, if not then the battery is okay. in the journey that they do,then the battery is going lower back to the position you receive it from with an complete money lower back assure. once you purchase a sparkling battery it truly is a sturdy idea to get it charged up first earlier you employ it.You in no way understand how lengthy it has sat there on the shelf till eventually you purchase it.

Answer 4

Car batteries typically last 2-4 years. A five year old battery was running on borrowed time. The plates inside get coated with Sulfate over time and no longer conduct.

Answer 5

1. alternator may need replacing - perhaps the store that sold you the battery could do a diagnostic check (99%)
2. you have a dead short somehwere in the system - draining the battery(1%)

Answer 6

Car batteries are lead-acid type batteries and are a compromise between available power for starting and number of recharge cycles. More information can be found here:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question219.htm

Answer 7

i think batteries for your car only have 5 years of life in them. my car is 11 and i've had to replace the battery twice. i'm just guessing, but it makes sence.

Answer 8

Vibration and heat kill car batteries. 5 years is actually very good life for a car battery.

Answer 9

5 years is the normal life of a battery.
Chemical reaction during the process of charge and discharge fades during the years untill the battery will not hold charge anymore.

Answer 10

Corroded battery terminals, most common reason for older
batteries dying is drastic change in outdoor tempertures. Can
not explain this but it happens alot when it gets very cold or
extremely hot outside, the batteries simply die out. It must have
something to do with the electrolyte inside them. Most bad bat-
teries get very low on it when they die.