Battery failures are caused by one of the single failures listed below. Batteries
that have been in use for longer periods of time will typically fail from multiple
causes. All batteries will fail at some point in time.
1. High under hood heat or overcharging causes a loss of water (which account for
over 50% of the failures) and accelerated positive grid corrosion or grid growth
causes plate-to-strap shorts.
2. Sulfation from water loss, undercharging, or prolonged periods of non-use.
3. Deep discharges (such as leaving your lights on).
4. Misapplication or using an undersized battery that causes discharges greater
than 10%. keeping the wrong battery in the wrong application. For instance, if the
vehicle requires a certain amount of starting power, installing a battery that isn’t
designed to provide that much starting power will quickly wear out to the point
of a no-start situation. Also, if the battery’s dimensions don’t align with the
vehicle’s recommendations, it might not have a good fit and suffer damage from vibration
or clearance issues. Always pay close attention to the Battery Application Guide
and specifically follow its instructions
5. Excessive vibration due to a loose hold down clamp.
6. Using tap water causes calcium sulfation.
7. Freezing/Hot Temperatures. Higher temperatures also have a detrimental effect
on battery life. However, in the cold, oil and transmission fluids are more viscous
so getting the car started requires more energy.
In general, extreme temperatures, hot or cold, have an adverse affect on battery
life. However, it’s the heat that does most of the damage, but more batteries actually
fail when they’re put to the test in the cold.
8. Accidental power drains (like leaving your headlights or dome lights on) that
discharge the battery to the point that it doesn’t have enough power to start the
vehicle. Draining the battery to a very low state-of-charge can do permanent capacity
damage.
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