Below listed are some of the causes of battery discharge in a car, try to avoid them:

» Forgetting to turn off electrical equipment, for example, fog lights or improperly shut doors that keep the dome light switched on.

» The electricity load exceeds the capacity of the vehicle’s alternator. For example, when the car is stopped the generator supplies only 10% to 30% of its capacity. Discharge may occur if there is an excessive demand for electrical power at such a time.

»  An increase in the number of electrical accessories in the car. The capacity of the generators may not be adequate for feeding all the accessories.

»  Long journey times at low speed or electrical overcharging during night trips. For example, driving in urban traffic, proceeding with many stops and starts, or on congested roads, together with an excessive use of the air conditioning or other electrical components.

» Problems with the voltage regulator or with electrical components.

»  Loose connections between the terminals and the cables.

»  Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of time.

»  Poor operation of the starting device (ignition), requiring excessive ignition.

»  Loose fan belts, which reduces the capacity of the generator.

» The wearing of wire insulations in older cars caused by abrasion, which can cause the current

to leak to other parts of the car.

»  Spent batteries.