Looking for effective ways on how to keep subwoofer from draining battery?
When you notice that your vehicle’s battery seems to be draining quite fast and has been dying on you more often than not, then it is best to look for the cause of the problem.
For the most part, your audio system draws much power from your battery. Hence, it can drain your battery in spite of the fact that your alternator and engine are both off. This can also happen when your alternator is unable to charge faster than what your audio system demands.
Furthermore, aftermarket audio systems tend to draw more power, which results in a parasitic draw.
We will discuss how your audio system causes the car battery to drain and what ways can help you maintain a charge for your batteries while making the most out of your sound system.
How To Keep Subwoofer From Draining Battery
First of all, let us talk about how your audio system works to understand why it causes the battery to drain.
Basically, it is powered by your battery’s electrical energy. When your vehicle is on, and while your engine runs, your alternator continues to charge the battery. This helps to maintain the desired amount of charge required to run your vehicle’s electrical components, which include the audio system.
But there are instances when your audio system, specifically the subwoofer, demands more power from your battery – more than what the latter can keep up with.
On the other hand, when you have your car turned off, electrical components that are continued to run will cause the battery to drain. This happens since your alternator no longer charges it.
As a result, your audio system drains the battery when it is left on even if the alternator and engine are both off.
Generally, speakers are passive components. They do not need power but amplifiers power them up.
As for the amplifiers, they need the most power. They are incorporated into your receiver or stereo. But aftermarket subwoofer and amps are standalone devices.
Your car’s audio system has touchscreens and control panels that need power. Yet, these are rather small in comparison to the power needs of the amplifiers.
When your aftermarket subwoofers are consuming more power, it may be due to the fact that the audio system’s required amount of power is too much. This is why the battery drains at a much faster rate as compared to the factory alternator.
Typically, a car battery has 12 volts. However, it should be capable of providing up to 12.6 volts or even more when charged well. The amount of power is equivalent to the product of the voltage and current or amps.
Class D amplifiers have been gaining in popularity because of their size. The capacity is usually 100 percent. With a lower efficiency comes more current that is drawn. So, your alternator requires to deliver up to 100 amps of output current for maintaining a full charge on your battery while you have the audio system running continuously.
But when you turn your car off, and yet you have your audio system running your battery off, you need to keep in mind the hour specification of your battery’s amp. This refers to the rating letting you know the amount of amperage that your battery is capable of providing for an hour.
For the most part, many stock audio systems that have no subwoofers draw about 5 to 10 amps. They sound decent and yet not demanding much from your battery. The 48 amp hours typically can run your 5-amp audio system for as long as 9 hours before causing the battery to be drained fully.
With that being said, it is important to avoid having a battery charge go lower than 75 percent. This way, your vehicle can still start in a reliable manner and ensure decent battery health as it prevents sulfation, which is a lead sulfate crystal build-up on battery plates’ discharged portions.
Read More: Car Shaking After New Battery? Possible Reasons Why It Happens
Preventing Subwoofer From Draining Battery
When you notice that you have your battery dead overnight, this may be due to a parasitic draw. What this means is that the electronics in your vehicle continue to use up battery power – even when you have your car turned off.
If the wiring in your new audio system is not connected correctly, then this causes the battery to get drained fast and die prematurely. This is why it is important to have your audio system installed and inspected by a qualified specialist.
Unfortunately, not many people may be aware of the cause why their battery is draining so fast. This is why you should check if your battery tends to die persistently and frequently. You may also notice that the headlights are dim and that the electronics in your vehicle stay on, even when you have the engine off.
If you are experiencing an issue with a parasitic draw, it is best to pull the radio out and make sure that the wires are properly connected after you have reinstalled it.
But it is much better to have an expert have a look at it to make sure that the installation is done right.
In the event that the battery draining is not due to your audio system, then it could be a battery problem or an issue with your engine. Proper and thorough diagnosis must be done, so that you can have the issue addressed in the most effective way possible. After all, it is not cheap to keep buying a new battery, especially if the problem with parasitic draw can be corrected appropriately once and for all.