Your car battery is something that needs to be replaced periodically. Over time, it wears down, and eventually, you won't be able to start your car . This can be more noticeable during the colder months, like the winter we're currently experiencing. If your battery dies, an emergency solution is to use jumper cables.
Thanks to the battery, the car receives the electrical energy needed to start it . That's not all; the battery also allows us to roll up the windows, turn on the lights, and listen to the radio when the engine is off or when the alternator is failing.
To understand why a battery discharges, we first need to know what a battery actually is and what components it contains. We need to know the nominal voltage of a standard battery, or in other words, the voltage difference between the positive and negative terminals.
A battery is composed of six cells. If you recall, years ago maintenance batteries had six cells that could be opened for servicing . Each of these cells corresponds to a cell, with a voltage of 2,1 volts.
Taking this into account, we find that a battery with six cells, each with 2,1 volts, has a total voltage of approximately 12,6 volts.
The battery undergoes hundreds of charge and discharge cycles which, over time, damage it. The battery discharges when it supplies electrical power to the engine and the rest of the car's electrical components. To recharge the battery, the vehicle has an alternator.
A battery can wear out more easily when the alternator in your car is faulty or doesn't send a constant voltage to the battery. The battery can also deteriorate due to the evaporation of distilled water that is in contact with the electrolyte.
Also, when the ambient temperature is excessively low, it greatly reduces battery performance , even causing it to deteriorate.