Car headlights are one of the most distinctive parts of a car. They not only help you see the road at night, but also alert other vehicles about your presence. But do you know how burning headlights affects your car's battery? Let's find out.
What is the connection between car headlights and battery?
Let us tell you that the car battery is an important part of the car's electrical system. It works to start the engine and provide power to other electronic components of the car. When you turn on the car's headlights, it draws power from the battery. If you keep the headlights on for a long time, the battery may discharge and the car will not start.
How much battery does it cost to turn on the headlights?
There is no direct answer to this question because it depends on many things, such as the battery capacity measured in ampere-hours (Ah). The higher the battery capacity, the more power it will be able to deliver to the headlights. The power of headlights is measured in watts (W). The more powerful the headlights, the more electricity they will draw.
Also, battery capacity decreases in cold temperatures, so turning on the headlights can drain the battery quicker and if you are using the headlights as well as other electronic components in the car, there will be more strain on the battery.
Effect on battery
Now if your car battery is 50 Ah, keeping the headlights on for two hours will consume about 9.16 Ah. This is a small fraction of the total battery capacity, but still, if your battery is already weak or there are many electrical appliances running on it, it can affect the battery's condition.
While a typical car battery has a capacity of 12 volts and its rating is usually between 40 and 70 AH (Amp-hour). This means that the battery can last for about 40 to 70 hours at a load of one ampere.