Coolant is a fluid that is circulated through your car, which is usually mixed with water, to help keep your engines temperature from overheating. Not only does keeping your engine cool cause your car to run efficiently and optimally, but a properly cooled engine will also contribute to longer lasting engine components, such as your battery.
Can low coolant directly affect a car battery? The answer is yes. A car that is low on coolant will be running hotter which can result in your car’s radiator fan being used more often. This can have a direct affect on your car’s battery as the alternator and fan are now working harder than intended.
However, this isn’t a very likely scenario. For the most part, low coolant in your car will mostly cause overheating and lower your car’s fuel efficiency.
Can Low Coolant Cause the Battery Light to Come On?
Low coolant can cause your car’s battery light to come on, but this is based on specific scenarios. As an example, if your car is low on coolant, it is very likely that your car is at risk for overheating.
When a car overheats, there are a myriad of issues that can arise.
The worst being, complete engine failure. If your car is overheating, this can cause your water pump to stop the circulation of coolant in your engine which would cause it to overheat. In this instance, your alternator will stop charging your battery.
The alternator is in charge of charging your battery so you could lose electrical power which can cause the battery light to turn on.
What Problems Can Low Coolant Cause?
Driving a car that is low on coolant runs many risks ranging from mild to severe in terms of your car’s overall health.
- Worse fuel efficiency – Low coolant will cause your car to run at an undesirable temperature. Your radiator fan will be on overdrive, and your car will be using more resources to stay cool. This will have and indirect affect to your cars mpg.
- Overheating – One of the most common symptoms of low coolant is overheating. If a car gets hot enough, it can stall and lead to complete engine failure. The pistons inside the engine will expand due to heat and cause the engine to seize which causes permanent damage and scoring to the engine block.
- Low level coolant indicator – Your coolant indicator light will be on if it is too low.
- Sweet odor – If you have a coolant leak, then it will most likely be accompanied with a sweet smell or odor. This is the odor of coolant pooling in your engine bay.
- Heater system malfunctioning – Low coolant or a coolant leak can cause the system to have air. This can lead to problems with heating and cooling with your car’s HVAC system.
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5 Things That Can Drain Your Car Battery
Aside from having low coolant, there are a number of different situations that can affect the performance of your car’s battery.
1. Leaving Your Headlights On
Leaving your headlights on is the fastest way to a drained or dead battery. This is also one of the most common reasons people’s car batteries die while they are out.
Always double check to make sure you have completely turned off your car’s headlights before leaving your car unattended.
2. Something Causing a Power Draw
While your car is off, there are still things that are drawing power such as the clock/radio, charging ports, or any other third party devices.
Always double check to make sure you did not leave any charging cords or battery draining devices plugged in before leaving your car.
Overtime, if your battery is not being charged, these devices will cause a substantial amount of battery drain.
3. Loose Battery Connection/Corrosion on Connectors
Over time, your batterie’s positive and negative connector terminals can sometimes become loose or corroded. This can cause a poor connection which can affect how your battery operates and charges.
4. Battery Is Not Charging While You Drive
The alternator is responsible for charging your battery while your car is in use. If you have a bad or failing alternator, you may find that your car’s battery is not properly being charged even though you are driving
5. Old/Bad Battery
When a battery is bad, or is reaching the end of its life, it will tend to not hold a charge as well. It won’t charge as quickly, and it won’t hold a charge for as long.
Eventually you will not be able to start your car, and a replacement battery will be required.
Have Your Battery/Alternator Tested
There are many retail hardware stores that will test your battery and other car components for free. Autozone and O’Reilly will actually test your battery, alternator, and starter all for free.
Testing these components of your car is the first step in determining battery and starting issues. Sometimes batteries can be completely fine, but an alternator can be bad which can confuses you with symptoms of a bad battery.
A car that is failing to start, can have a bad starter. This can only be known if a battery has been tested to make sure that it is outputting the correct amount of volts, which is 12.6V.
Final Thoughts
Low coolant can indirectly affect your car’s battery. However, the chances of coolant being the reason your car battery is not performing as it should is not likely unless your car is overheating often.
Other instances such as leaving your headlights on, having an old battery, or having a faulty alternator are more common causes for your car battery to not operate correctly.
If you suspect there may be issues with your car battery, we recommend taking it to your local hardware store to be tested, along with your car’s alternator and starter.