Does your car display a battery discharge warning on the dashboard? Have you taken it to several automobile dealers on several occasions, and they can’t find the solution?
Well, The battery discharge warning means the vehicle’s battery is becoming more discharge than charged, which is a sign that your vehicle may run into electrical issues soon.
This warning signal will be shown on the screen of your vehicle, the information cluster of
the infotainment.
Battery discharge can cause drastic repercussions, it can also be a warning of something crucial.
Some vehicles have a Battery Saver Active feature, which sets the vehicle in battery saver mode. This will turn off every non-essential electrical accessory to save the battery.
On several occasions, a battery discharge indicator pops up when the engine is turned off, and your vehicle is still dehydrating energy. Nevertheless, sometimes, you might get this warning message while driving, indicating a more severe problem.
(Battery Discharge Warning) What Causes Battery Discharge When the Engine is turned Off?
Your car battery might be at a big risk of becoming discharged when the engine is turned off. At this point, your vehicle alternator wouldn’t be charging the battery. So everything banks on the battery. Let’s dive into the activities that make the battery discharge when the engine is shut off.
(1) Loose Terminals
A loose terminal is a terrible battery killer. The terminals can lead to a loss of charge even when the vehicle is not operating. You should always look out for loose terminals to prevent the implications of your battery becoming discharged.
(2) Extreme Weather
Sometimes your vehicle battery discharge is beyond your control. Drastic weather is an act of climate. If the weather is too hot and cold, it will affect the charging of the vehicle’s battery. You need to park the vehicle in a garage during winter to avoid battery discharge.
(3) Listening to Radio
When you park the vehicle, you might turn on the ignition button to listen to the radio.
The radio is an electrical gadget that attracts energy from the battery. Listening to the radio when you’ve turned off engine will get your battery drained
(4) Old Battery
Old batteries also cause an unprecedented battery discharge. One thing you need to understand is that many old battery’s cycle may may likely shut down completely. It can easily be discharged. Once you park the vehicle, the battery might discharge.
(5) Chargers Left Plugged In
New features in vehicles are helping this new generation, and are also harming us on the other hand. Every Charging port in a vehicle is equipped in the most recent automobiles. If you mistakenly leave your mobile devices plugged in for charging while your engine is turned off, it will deplete the battery, and finally, the car will give signals.
(6) Headlights Turned On
Different automobiles give a warning signal if you leave the headlights on while leaving the vehicle. You can’t blame someone else if they fail to turn off the vehicle’s headlights. The headlights are one of the highest power-draining factors in a vehicle’s electrical system; they can easily discharge the battery.
(7) Parasitic Drain
A car’s parasitic drain could also drain the battery. Every component of a vehicle including power & heated seats, electronic steering, power windows, windscreen wipers are performed by using electric energy. So if any of the components are malfunctioning, it can attract unnecessary current from the battery. This parasitic failure can cause an additional battery discharge.
(8) Climate Control Turned On
Climate control is another procedure that attracts power from the battery even when your engine isn’t operating. one thing you need to know about climate control is that it is an essential part that needs to be turned on. But leaving it on for a long period can discharge the battery on time.
(Battery Discharge Warning) What Makes a Car Battery Discharge When it is still Running?
In normal circumstances, your car battery shouldn’t be discharged suddenly while the vehicle is still running. But this can occur too in some cases. Let’s dive into different scenarios that transpire when you get a battery discharge warning while driving a car.
Bad Ground Connection
The ground connection is a crucial part to put into consideration. It protects the vehicle against probable flames due to a low circuit. But a bad ground connection can make your battery discharge. The existing flowing into the surface when it’s meant to charge could also be the reason.
Inadequate Charging System
The vehicle charging system comprises different factors which include the sensors, alternator, and starter motors. If any of these factors aren’t running appropriately, the battery will be discharged so quickly.
Low Drives
The driving vehicle indeed charges the battery. But a low drive will do the opposite. They don’t provide adequate time for a vehicle’s battery to be charged completely. And if you turn on the stereo or charging ports on a low drive, it might result in a discharged battery.
A Frayed Serpentine Belt
A frayed serpentine belt demonstrates itself in a drained battery form. It is most credible for transmitting power to your alternator, which creates the current. If energy is relinquished in slippage, the battery isn’t charged appropriately.
An Eroded Battery Terminals
The condition of a battery is also a significant thing to consider. If the battery terminals are eroded or it includes white sediment on the body, then it will stop the battery from charging. It won’t charge when the vehicle is running, the battery will not secure any charging current.
Poor Alternator
A car’s alternator is a crucial factor in a vehicle’s charging system. If its existence has stopped, it won’t operate appropriately. An alternator surpasses after 80,000 miles and stops charging your car battery.
A Weak Battery
A weak battery never charges anyways. The number of hours you drive doesn’t matter. Even if the serpentine belt and alternator are working perfectly, the battery will always be drained.
See How to Fix a Battery Discharge?
If your vehicle battery is discharging, there are a few steps to take. All you need to do is follow the guide, to fix a battery discharge.
1. Inspect the Electrolyte
The first step is to inspect the electrolyte levels. If you don’t check electrolyte status in the battery for a long while. It will get drained, and your vehicle won’t start. The reason why the features are there is to specify when there is no electrolyte in your battery to provide current across the terminals.
Jumpstart
The Jumpstart is one of the old procedures to put life into a discharged battery. pick the jump cords and connect the battery with a good battery. the vehicle will start if you are lucky, and once it starts, the car’s alternator will recharge it again.
Recharge The Battery
If this process isn’t working, then try charging the battery externally. Numerous exterior DC chargers are sold in the market. Or you walk into a battery shop to charge it. it will cost you $10-20.
Change The Battery
If all the procedures are not working, changing the battery is the best option. If You’ve inspected the electrolyte, you also jumpstart it and also charge it. The vehicle starts, yet the battery is drained immediately after you turn off the engine. Then you need to change the battery.
Your Battery Warning light pops up when it’s time to change the battery. The warning light is a sign that the electrical system has developed a fault.
Changing the battery would cost you about $45 to $300, it depends on the model of your and the make.
Our team carried out some research work and discovered that, battery discharge warning could also be diagnosed in the following methods;
- Decreasing the number of short drives or leaving the vehicle idle for a long period after a short trip or while driving in cold weather.
- Insets a C-Tek battery conditioning charger to clog the vehicle in while it settles in sub-zero climate and recharges when the vehicle is not running.
- Make Use of a few equipment features as possible.
- Turn off the auto Start and Stop buttons to maintain the battery.
If any of these concepts didn’t work, try reaching out to the nearest mechanic or diagnosing a potential alternate source for the lower power message.
Other Causes of Battery Discharge Warning
The cause may also be due to the following below;
- An old battery or has a decreased capacity.
- A programming message to modify computer sentiment.
- A faulty battery IBS
Car Models That Have This Issue?
According to research, Kia models are known for receiving this battery discharge warning message when the radio is turned on and other electronic devices while driving.. The messages could be displeasing because there is no way to turn them off.
Hyundai Cars are Another popular vehicle model that has this issue. Multiple owners have complained about Hyundai cars on the internet. Many Hyundai models give signals immediately when your engine is turned OFF and when your radio is on or the AC is running.
BMW, Honda, Toyota, and Ford are Other car brands that have this issue.