Do you ever get the feeling that you have to replace your car battery more often than you used to? Well, according to the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ), it might not just be your imagination. Batteries in modern cars running on petrol and diesel do indeed tend to have a shorter life.
This revelation may provide one of the few upsides to being unable to afford an upgrade from your decades-old car to a newer model. While you might be missing out on all the mod cons that newer cars provide, they’re not draining your battery.
Along with technology that allows you to play your Spotify song list, modern cars also have better environmental performance. All that good stuff requires battery power.
Most drivers would probably say it’s a worthwhile trade-off. However, knowing that’s the case can at least prepare you for the financial burden that comes with more frequent replacements.
What’s more, there are ways you can extend your battery’s life, including choosing the right one next time around.
What’s draining car batteries?
RACQ’s team manager of technical training and patrol operations, Howard Strasser, recently explained the intricacies of modern car batteries. He also provided some tips on how you can get the most out of yours.
Modern vehicles are now designed to reduce emissions, Mr Strasser said. “As a result, the vehicle is built to rely on the battery much more than previous generation vehicles.”
The features designed to improve environmental performance are the ones that reduce the life span of car batteries, he said. “Under certain conditions, the vehicle charging system will be deactivated, meaning the battery is receiving less charge but also working much harder, which reduces its life span over time.”
Other features also add to the strain on batteries, said Mr Strasser. Among those is the ‘stop/start’ system many cars have. These systems automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restart when the driver releases the brake pedal.
However, that system comes with its own pros and cons, according to Mr Strasser. The pros include conserving fuel and reducing emissions. But it puts additional stress on the battery as it needs to provide power for more frequent engine starts, Mr Strasser said.
Even seemingly minor attributes can eat into the life of car batteries. The keyless entry feature is an example. “When the car is unlocked, it is awake and searching for the proximity key,” Mr Strasser explained.
Keyless entry provides an easy starting point for improving your car battery’s life: lock your car, always. “Many people keep their car unlocked in the garage for the convenience of jumping in when you need to go,” said Mr Strasser. “But this means your car is constantly awake, looking for the key.” And as it looks, it drains your battery.
Other tips and hints
Another recommendation is to use a modern smart charger. Along with keeping the battery charged when the vehicle is not in use, these help keep it in good condition.
And if you’re from one of the colder states, making sure your battery is charged in winter provides protection, too. Royal Automobile Club of Victoria general manager of motoring products Jeff Ames explained why. “Car batteries are more likely to go flat in winter and during prolonged cold weather. The chill slows down the chemical reactions inside your car battery, sapping its strength,” Mr Ames said. This means it must work much harder to produce electricity,”
What’s more, “a charged battery will not freeze until temperatures drop to -50°C, whereas a battery with a low charge can freeze at -1°C”.
Following these simple tips will help your car battery last longer, and keep your wallet fuller.
Have you had to change your car battery sooner than expected? Share your experience via the comments section below.
Also read: The petrol price conundrum – how to get a better deal
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I have noticed over the past couple of decades that car batteries die and need to be replaced every two to three years.
Prior to that it was unusual to have to replace a car battery more often than every five or six years.
Something has certainly changed and I suspect it’s the build quality of the battery more than any extra demands on it.
The story literally explains why the batteries do not last as long but you still put it down to manufacture.
Anyone who uses a modern car for mostly short trips will kill their battery sooner than years ago. The extra electronics in vehicles together with short drive times which do not allow enough charging time will kill that battery.
I was a courier in the 2000’s, my small car went through a battery each year, that’s what 50, 60, 70 starts a day will do. It wasn’t because of electronics just all the starts and short trips.
My current car is a 2016, full of electronics and the battery will die after around three weeks because of it. Nothing to do with the manufacture.
My car is 25 years old and had to replace the battery a couple of months ago. Last battery replacement was 2015 so think I’ve done pretty well….
One of the main things that kill batteries is shore trips and frequent stops where the engine is turned off and then after a short bit it is restarted again, years ago they said that you had to do at least 60 miles to put back what was drawn just for one start. I don’t think that batteries these days are any better than they were in the old days, at least then you could refurbish the lead acid batteries these new gel batteries are throw-away items, more waste and pollution.