What are 2 things that cause my car battery to go dead??

Answer 1

bad alternator... bad battery... bad ground somewhere.

Answer 2

Remember this about a car battery: It is simply a storage device for electricity. Nothing more, nothing less. So, there are only two things that make it go dead. First, more electricity is leaving the battery than is going in. Second, there is a problem with the battery itself, such as low water or just old age. That being said, there are a lot of things that contribute to the "more electricity leaving the battery than going in" issue. The biggest thing to remember is that the alternator (or generator if you have an old car) is driven by the engine, and it generates electricity that powers the electrical system of the car, and the excess goes into the battery where it is stored for operating the starter, and the accessories when the engine is off. If your alternator is not operating or putting out less than it should, either because the engine is off, the voltage regulator is bad, the drive belt is slipping, or the alternator is defective, the battery is the sole source of electricity, and it will quickly die. If there is a loose wire or corroded battery terminal, all the electricity that should go to the battery can't, and again, more electricity leaves than is put back. Running the lights and other electrical devices with the engine off also drains the battery. Drain it too much and you won't be able to start the car, but after you get a jump start, a good battery will recharge itself under normal driving. Short circuits also drain the battery, so do car alarms, clocks, and all the little things like radio memories that stay on while your engine is off. Leave your car long enough and it will die on its own. The other thing that makes it go dead is age and use. (And neglect). Like anything, batteries don't last forever. 2-4 years is normal. If you have a battery with removable caps, make sure the water in the battery is topped off, or the battery will be weak and you'll shorten its life, and like in my case, it may explode due to an internal spark. Also make sure your terminals are clean, and if you are in doubt, have the charging system checked so you'll know if there's a problem.

Answer 3

1. The battery is not holding a charge.

2. Something is staying on after you remove the key from the ignition. If you have a test light and know how to use it (connect the wire lead to the battery positive terminal) and know where your fuse box is, then test each fuse with the car off. If any fuse lights up, then it means that component is on. Check that there are no dashboard lights staying on. Check that there are no dome lights staying on. Sometimes the door jamb switch shorts out, causing a small draw that can drain a battery. Another way to find a draw is to unbolt the battery positive cable and put one end of the test light on the positive cable, and the other end on the positive terminal. If it lights up, you have a draw. Start pulling fuses until the light turns off and you found the problem.

3. Your alternator is not charging the battery, in which case a light will appear on your dash. This could be caused by a bad alternator, belt, or battery cable.

Answer 4

Only two? first sulfate lead plates from slow discharge or parasitic loads. Slow loads like a trunk light can kill the new battery in a week. Next is alternator not charging, or drawing power because a diode has gone bad.
Then other things? Distilled water falls below the plates inside the battery. Battery just is three years old? I never look under the hood? and best of all "I paid $30,000 for this car the battery? It should make it's own water!

Answer 5

There is an easy, sure-fire test for the alternater. While the car is running, take a fairly big screwdriver and hold the end of it to the center of the pulley on the alternater. If the alternater is good, then the screwdriver will stay flush beside the pulley. This is because there is electricity and magnetism at work. If the alternater is bad, then the screwdriver will bounce around ever-so-slightly on the pulley.

Answer 6

Most common and overlooked probloem is calcium build up on the part where the battery connects to the car. Pour a can of coca cola on it and the calcium disolves away. yikes...makes you wonder what drinking soda does to our bones. Obvioulsy as others mentioned leaving you headlights or radio on, battery not grounded properly and not connected properly can all be true...but my answer rocks and is unique and true!

Answer 7

Leaving lights on or something else that will draw power down or maybe a bad alternator or it could even be a bad battery

Answer 8

it could be a bad battery or it could have a dead short in the car,either one will kill a battery, lots of other things will cause it ,like a bad alternator also,there's not just two things that it could be,good luck with it.

Answer 9

I just had a clutch replaced and they said they had to pull transmission...it was very expensive and ever since last four weeks I had to replace headlights..64.00 a pop low and high beams and battery went dead twice..any answers to why...no problem before work done..its a Hyundai elantra

Answer 10

if you don't fill it up with water often and if it is in a car that's battery wires are starting to short in a spot it will short out the battery.

good luck trying to resurrect your battery

Answer 11

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