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It's a scenario that many of us have faced - you come back to your car after a good night's sleep only to realize you left an interior light on overnight. Panic sets in as you turn the key, hoping that your car will start. And to your relief, it does! However, you may be wondering if the car battery will recharge fully and how long you need to drive it around to give a chance to recharge before stopping again.
Let's take a look at what happens when the battery still works, when the battery is too weak to start the car, and for that matter, why a rechargeable car battery doesn't last forever
The car battery provides power so you can start the engine, use your lights, and enjoy conveniences like the radio or a built-in USB port for charging your phone. When the engine is running, the alternator charges the battery, so while your car is running, the battery is continually being replenished. This is why you can drive for hours worry-free when it comes to your battery (assuming it isn't near the end of its service life). In fact, long drives are better than short drives for recharging a car battery.
When you shut the engine off but leave your car lights on by accident, power drains from the battery, but the battery doesn't recharge. This is why there is a risk that you won't be able to start your car if you forget the lights are on for too long. Eventually, the battery will drain completely.
Yes. If your battery is otherwise healthy, simply drive it a little longer to give it time to recharge (30 minutes is a recommendation- and it's best to take the highway or long, non-stop roads when possible vs city stop-and-go traffic), but you lucked out if you caught it in time.
You'll have to jumpstart it, but assuming the reason it failed was due to forgetting the lights and not because it's near the end of its life or due to another battery or charging system concern, you should be able to recharge it again. Keep in mind that, if the battery is near the end of its life, driving around to keep it charged isn't recommended. That's because you're making the alternator work harder and it in ways outside of its role (it's meant to work with a healthy battery, not constantly charge a dying battery). This will stress your alternator and can lead to more expensive repairs involving it.
As you know, a car battery doesn't last forever. Eventually, you need to replace it.
Is it due to planned obsolescence? Not quite (although there is discussion about this is relation to electric vehicles, which use a different type of battery).
The majority of non-electric vehicles use lead-acid batteries. This type of battery is inexpensive vs other options (it's also the world's oldest rechargeable battery). However, the number of charge/discharge cycles is finite. In part, this is due to something known as sulfation, a process that occurs when lead-acid batteries discharge and are not promptly recharged. When a battery is discharged, tiny sulfate crystals form on the battery plates. If the battery remains discharged for a long time, or is not fully recharged, these crystals grow larger and won't dissolve like they should when the battery is recharged. This buildup of sulfate crystals is called sulfation, and it reduces the battery's capacity to hold a charge. You can learn more about sulfation here.
If you're in the area and need a replacement car battery or other service, such as a battery test, we invite you to visit Able Tire & Brake.
We can assist you with a wide range of automotive electrical services, charging services, and battery maintenance.
Remember: to keep your car battery at its best throughout the year, inspect your battery's connections, clean any corrosion, and make it a habit to doublecheck that your lights are off and nothing else on your end (like a phone or plugged in seat warmer) is draining power when the engine is not running.
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