5 Symptoms of a Bad Car Battery
To start the engine and drive your vehicle, you first need to crank it. This requires the support of the ignition system and the starter. But it needs its own electrical current to function. This is where the battery comes into play.
The function of the battery is to generate the electrical current required by the ignition system and the engine. As soon as you turn the key in the ignition system, the battery sends current.
In rare cases, the battery acts as a backup power source if the generator fails. However, the battery cannot keep up with this energy demand and cannot provide the required amount of power for long.
Common Symptoms of a Bad Car Battery Most car batteries last for 2-5 years, depending on how often you drive your car. Using a lot of additional electronic accessories, such as a radio with a subwoofer or an air conditioner, will also drain your battery faster.
Below are the top 5 symptoms you can notice when your car battery is going bad. Think of these warning signs as a sign that you need to replace your battery soon.
1) Flickering or dim lights
Your battery powers all the lights on your dashboard and your vehicle’s accessories. Your headlights also need battery power.
If any of these lights start to flash, dim, or go out completely, it’s a warning sign that your battery is low. Replace it immediately before all the lights go out permanently.
2) Car Won’t Start
You may be able to turn the ignition key and start the engine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the car will start. If your battery is low, your car will slowly crank the engine trying to get it started, but to no avail. This problem occurs randomly and you probably won’t even realize it happens until you’re faced with it. Low temperatures have an even bigger impact.
3) Corrosion
How often do you check your battery terminals? A telltale sign of an old battery is corrosion on these terminals. After using your car battery for a while, hydrogen gas is produced from the battery acid and seeps into the terminals causing this corrosion. Some people say that once you remove the corrosion, that’s it. What they don’t tell you is that if you continue to use the same battery, the corrosion problem will keep recurring. That’s why you should consider replacing it sooner.
4) Warning Lights
Most cars have a battery warning light on the dashboard. Of course, if the battery warning light comes on, you should investigate the situation with a car battery tester and check how much charge is left in the battery.
5) Switch off the engine
Your battery may have enough power to start the engine, but it will stall out shortly thereafter. If you regularly need to jump start, you should seriously consider replacing your battery immediately.
However, you should have a mechanic inspect your vehicle to determine if other components are also draining the battery’s performance.
