Monday 30 March 2015

How to Tell When Your Car Battery Needs Servicing

Responsible for powering your car and keeping it running, your battery is an integral part of your vehicle’s performance. Most car batteries have a life expectancy of two to three years total, but you don’t want to wait until it’s completely dead in order to swap out your old battery for a new one. Here are some signs to watch out for that can point to a dead or dying battery.

No Start

An old or worn out battery will result in a problem starting your car, whether it’s frequent or intermittent. Your engine may turn over, but it will take a while to start, especially if it has been stagnant for some time. When you start a car’s engine, the car battery is solely responsible for the spark that lights the gas and air mixture within the engine. Sometimes this symptom is misread as a bad starter or a problem with the alternator, but it commonly means that your battery voltage is just a little under what your car requires for efficient operation.

No Lights or Accessories

The battery is responsible for all of the lights and accessories in your car, most importantly when the alternator is off. If you’re curious about whether your battery is on its last leg, you can do a headlight test. Have someone watch you turn on and off the headlights. If the lights fade at the time when the car is being turned on, or immediately following, these are clear signs that the battery needs servicing or to be replaced.  You can also check the electrical accessories such as the power windows or radio. If these are sluggish, or do not come on at all, these are symptoms of battery problems.

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