Maybe this has happened to you. You left your car and travelled to see your family or went for a short vacation or holiday. You are back, ready to go to work, and you find out that your battery is dead. It’s fully charged and works so well before you travel. Why is it dead now? Car batteries will naturally die if left unused. However, a battery should last 4 weeks to 2 months before it dies.
Unfortunately, your battery can die in 3 days for several reasons if not driven. If you want to know why your car battery dies if not driven for 3 days, keep reading.
Why Does My Car Battery Die If Not Driven For 3 Days?
Extreme temperatures, loose connections, corroded battery connections, something was left on, weak or old battery, and parasitic drains are the common reasons your car battery dies in 3 days or so if not driven.
Let’s have a closer look and find out why.
You have a parasitic drain
One of the most common reasons your car battery dies within a few days is parasitic drain. Parasitic draining is when your car’s electrical systems continue to draw electric power even when the vehicle is off. Unluckily, this is not easy to find because the component draining the battery could be in the areas you did not expect. It could be a phone charger left plugged in the trunk or inside the center console.
If your car battery is dead after sitting 2 days or so, it could be a parasitic drain.
Solutions
If you suspect you have a parasitic drain, you need to find that component through an elimination process.
To know which component is drawing the battery power, get a multimeter, hook it to your battery terminals, and note the voltage. Start removing the car fuses one after the other. Once you remove any fuse and the drain disappears, you know which component is draining the battery.
You have an old or weak battery
As car batteries age, they tend to lose the amount of charge they can hold. So, if you have an old or weak battery, it will not hold the same amount of charge as a new one.
An old or weak battery, together with a parasitic drain, is a perfect combo for disaster. When combined, they create a catastrophic battery draining. It could cause car battery dead after sitting for 1 day or so.
Solutions
If your car battery is completely dead after not driving for 3 days, there’s a high chance that it can even die while driving. And the last thing you would want is moving with a car that won’t start when you turn it off. The vehicle can turn off in the middle of nowhere and leave you stranded.
The best solution to this is to replace the battery. But if you have an unsealed battery, you can replace the electrolyte solution. To do this, get a litre of distilled water and add 120 grams of Epsom salt. Let the solution dilute properly. Now, remove the entire electrolyte solution and refill it from scratch.
You left something on
While not the most common, another reason your car battery dies is when you leave something on. We forget things at times. It could be the radio volume is down, and you forget to turn it off. Or you leave the headlights on for days. Leaving the headlights on for days, or even just forgetting to turn off the radio, is more than enough reason to drain the battery within 3 days or even overnight.
A poorly wired radio, a faulty relay, or a phone charger left unplugged could be draining the battery power.
If you are sure that you switched off everything, there is also a chance that a system may have malfunctioned and turned on in the process. For instance, if your car radio malfunctions and turns on by itself, the battery will run down between 10-12 hours. So, if you were asking how long before car battery dies with the radio on, now you know.
Solutions
The best way to address this problem is to crosscheck your car system components and ensure everything has turned off.
Remember, a car battery dying within a few days if not driven could be a combination of two or more issues. It could be a weak battery or something is left on. In such a case, turning off the component will not stop the battery from dying. Instead, it will only prolong how long the battery stays before dying.
For instance, if your battery dies within a day of not driving it, once you turn off the component you left on, it can stay up to 3 days before dying since you still have a weak battery.
Extreme temperatures
Generally, batteries self-discharge over time. That is why, even under perfect conditions, your car battery will discharge if not driven over a long period. But when the temperature becomes extreme, it will cause the battery to self-discharge at a higher rate.
While extreme temperatures affect battery discharge rate, they affect older batteries more. So, if you have newer batteries, you may not experience it as much.
Solutions
Unluckily, you can’t fix a battery that dies due to extreme temperatures until the temperature improves. For instance, if your battery dies due to extreme cold temperatures, the vehicle won’t start until the weather improves. This goes to scenarios where the battery is affected by extreme hot weather.
In extremely cold weather, you can prevent battery draining by parking the vehicle in an indoor garage.
Corrosion
Another reason your battery dies within a few days is corrosion on the battery terminals. If the battery terminals are corroded, the alternator will be prevented from charging as it is supposed to. This only means one thing. If the battery is not adequately charged, it will discharge in no time.
Solutions
If the terminals are corroded, you can easily fix the issues by cleaning them. To do this, mix a baking soda with water until you have a paste-like substance. Spray the substance on the terminals and brush off with a wire brush until the corrosion is no longer there.
Loose terminal connections
Much like corrosion, loose terminals are other common reasons for your battery to drain faster. Here’s how. If you have loose connections, it will cause charging issues. When a battery is not charged properly, it will run down faster.
Solutions
If you think you have a loose battery connection, you can only find out by visual inspection. Check the battery terminals and gently wiggle it to see if they are correctly tightened. If they are not, tighten them with the correct socket.
Why Does My Car Battery Die After Sitting for a Few Days?
“Why does my car battery died after sitting for a few days?” A car battery that dies after sitting for a few days is either suffering from parasitic draining or needs replacement due to old age. A faulty relay, a poorly wired radio, a phone charger left plugged in, or a weak battery that can’t hold enough charge could be drawing the battery power while the vehicle is sitting.
While car batteries self-discharge over a long period, there’s no reason a healthy battery will discharge within a few days when everything is functioning correctly. If your car battery is dying within a short period, perform a parasitic drain test and address the issue.
How Do You Keep A Car Battery From Dying When Not In Use?
The best way to prolong your battery life and prevent it from dying while sitting is to connect a trickle charger or battery conditioner using the terminals in the engine bay. You can also disconnect the alarm system if the vehicle is parked in a secure location or disconnect the battery from the car.
Battery conditioners and trickle chargers work by gradually charging the battery (keeping it charged). This, however, gives you peace of mind that your car will start the next time you want to start it.
Disconnecting the alarm system is another way of keeping the battery power intact. However, this comes with its dangers. For this reason, you should only do this when the vehicle is parked in a secured place.
If you have a weak battery that runs down overnight and you are wondering, how do I stop my car battery from draining overnight, disconnect the car battery. In such case, that’s the only way to prevent the battery from dying. But remember that this will reset the electrical systems to their default settings.
Final Words
As you have seen, there are a few reasons for a car battery to run down within just 3 days. The most common causes are something left on, parasitic draining, or a weak/old battery that needs replacement.
Keep in mind that there are other possible reasons. When you notice your battery dying within a few days or overnight, check if something is left on. After that, run an elimination test to see what’s causing the parasitic draining.
If you can’t detect the root cause, contact your mechanic to run a proper diagnosis and address the issue.
