Do you find that your battery keeps dying? We’ve been driving down the street lately and seeing a lot of folks with their vehicle’s nose against another, giving a neighbor a jump. While it’s a nice chance to meet a neighbor, needing a jumpstart is often inconvenient and not something that you want to start your day off with. Here are some reasons your battery might be dying prematurely on you.

You could be leaving the lights on unintentionally. This means either the headlights or an overhead light in your vehicle, which drains the battery quickly. This can be the product of either forgetfulness or a malfunction (if your lights are supposed to turn off automatically). Make sure your lights are all turned off when they are supposed to be, and if they are malfunctioning take your vehicle in to the shop to get that fixed.

Your battery could just be old. Do you remember the last time your battery was replaced? If not, it’s probably time for that puppy to go to the farm, so to speak. When your battery is too old, it won’t hold a charge.

The connections to your battery could be loose or corroded. When this happens, the charging system in your car can’t keep your battery charged while you’re driving. The solution to this is to make sure that the connections to your battery are clean and tight.

The cold could be a factor. In colder temperatures, older batteries can malfunction or die… which honestly just means that you need a new battery anyway.

Your charging system might just be broken. This could be anything from wiring to belts to parts that need replacement, so as soon as you jump your vehicle, bring it to the shop.