How Social Distancing May Drain Your Car Battery
As the world adjusts to self-quarantining, attempting to flatten the curve of COVID-19 through social distancing, an unforeseen consequence may occur. While we strive to protect ourselves and our community by staying home, we may be inadvertently draining our car batteries.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Juice
With people at staying home, cars are sitting unused in garages and driveways across the country. However, if left too long without being started, a car battery’s charge will slowly drain until it’s completely out of power. Even when a car is turned off gadgets like the clock, radio, and onboard computers continue to draw power from the battery. Over time, these devices will deplete the battery’s ability to start the vehicle.
Can I Just Start the Car and Let it Idle to Charge?
While this may be a good idea for older vehicles, modern charging systems only give enough juice to keep the battery “afloat” to sufficiently run all the accessories in the car. For this reason, starting and idling your engine will likely not bring your battery to its fully charged state.
Consider a Battery Tender
Another option for keeping a battery charged when a car is not being driven for an extended period is to use a Battery Tender, or other maintenance-type battery charger. A Battery Tender has two clamps that attach to a battery’s terminals like jumper cables. It then plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet and delivers small amounts of electricity to keep the battery charged during long periods of inactivity.
By maintaining your car battery, you can help your vehicle be ready to start when you need it again. And if you do experience battery problems, contact AAA Mobile Battery Service. Our AAA Technicians will come to you –wherever you are – to test and replace your battery, if needed.