Your car battery is the unsung hero of your on-the-go lifestyle. Day in and day out, it gives your engine the spark it needs to get going. But just like any other car part, a car battery has a lifespan – and you don’t want to be stuck when it finally bows out. Here’s a few signs to look out for so you can spot when your battery is going bad, and the best solution for replacing it.
NOT STARTING
This one speaks for itself. If you get in the vehicle and nothing happens when you turn the key, there is a high likelihood that the battery is completely drained. Before you decide that it is indeed a dead battery, you need to check the battery connections. Grab your owner’s manual and find where your battery is located. While many are still located under the hood, a fair number of manufacturers have chosen to locate their batteries in places such as under a seat, behind the bumper, or even in the trunk. Once you locate the battery identify the positive and negative terminals by the symbols on the battery case. Try to give each battery cable terminal connection a twist to verify it is firmly attached. Sometimes the terminals can loosen, leading to a no-start condition. If a connection is loose, use a battery wrench to tighten it up. If both connections are firm, then the next step is a jump start; or some time on a battery charger. If neither of those bring it back to life, it’s time for a replacement.
SLOW STARTING
A dying battery won’t have the necessary voltage to give the starter a good constant turn. While it may have enough power to rotate the engine, there may not be enough electricity left to actually fire off the different systems. On a modern vehicle, things like the fuel pump, ignition system, and various computers all need a portion of the battery’s power in order to start the engine. If the engine is slow to start, but does eventually catch, the weak battery can then be recharged by the alternator; but the problem won’t go away on its own. Eventually the battery will weaken to a point where even the alternator can’t supply enough power to start the next time.
ELECTRICAL GREMLINS
If you’ve ever played with a children’s toy with old batteries, you may’ve noticed it doesn’t always act the way you expect it to. Movements may be slow, sounds may be garbled, or it may stop and start erratically. The same can happen to your vehicle’s electrical system if the battery is going bad. Erratic or low voltage from the battery, especially in a modern vehicle, can cause havoc. The various onboard computers are designed to take readings from systems across the car and depend on certain constants. A sensor that uses variations in voltage being returned from a sensor trusts that the input voltage is a certain level. If that input level is already low then the output voltage will be an even lower reading, leading to a potential cascade of incorrect information.
