How to Know if Your Car Battery is Bad
“I’m not sure, but I think my car battery is bad.” Before trying to figure out whether or not your car battery is bad, understanding the basics of car batteries might be helpful in diagnosing it.
Understanding car batteries is not really that complicated or difficult. The battery is the heart of your vehicle--without it, your vehicle doesn't have the power to start, move, or do anything else. The typical battery is a “wet-cell” battery, a plastic cube containing sulfuric acid and lead, with two terminals on the top or side. It stores electrical power generated from the alternator while your car is running. It also sends electrical currents to the engine and other electrical components.
Before making an assessment about your battery, check the fluid level in your battery as well as the battery cables. If the fluid is low and has been for a while, this will prevent your battery from generating power or holding power. More critical is the battery cable connections. If they are loose or corroded, the electrical current in the battery is unable or interrupted in traveling from the battery to your vehicle’s auto electrical components.
3 Tips on How to Know if Your Car Battery is Bad:
- Your engine cranks but doesn't start. If your engine cranks or turns over when you turn the key, but it won't start, the battery is probably the culprit. It could be the starter, but probably not. Even if an ammeter (a device that measures the voltage in the battery) says the battery is good, it can still be a few volts short to start your vehicle efficiently.
- Your engine doesn’t crank or turn over at all and the lights don’t come on. This situation is a major sign that the battery is faulty. It could be a combination problem involving your alternator.
- Your vehicle randomly starts one day then doesn’t the next. If starting is an intermittent problem, two things are suspect, 1) your battery terminals are loose, broken, corroded, or calcified, or 2) you have something that is drawing electrical power from the battery even when the key is out of the ignition.
If you are noticing any of the signs above, ask your auto shop to check your battery. It may be time for a car battery replacement.
Do you know how to know if your car battery is bad? Contact our ASE Certified technicians today at Elk River Tire & Auto for more information about car battery replacement and to schedule an appointment. Our auto shop in Elk River, MN proudly serves residents in the areas of Zimmerman, MN, and Otsego, Minnesota.
“I’m not sure, but I think my car battery is bad.” Before trying to figure out whether or not your car battery is bad, understanding the basics of car batteries might be helpful in diagnosing it.
Understanding car batteries is not really that complicated or difficult. The battery is the heart of your vehicle--without it, your vehicle doesn't have the power to start, move, or do anything else. The typical battery is a “wet-cell” battery, a plastic cube containing sulfuric acid and lead, with two terminals on the top or side. It stores electrical power generated from the alternator while your car is running. It also sends electrical currents to the engine and other electrical components.
Before making an assessment about your battery, check the fluid level in your battery as well as the battery cables. If the fluid is low and has been for a while, this will prevent your battery from generating power or holding power. More critical is the battery cable connections. If they are loose or corroded, the electrical current in the battery is unable or interrupted in traveling from the battery to your vehicle’s auto electrical components.
3 Tips on How to Know if Your Car Battery is Bad:
- Your engine cranks but doesn't start. If your engine cranks or turns over when you turn the key, but it won't start, the battery is probably the culprit. It could be the starter, but probably not. Even if an ammeter (a device that measures the voltage in the battery) says the battery is good, it can still be a few volts short to start your vehicle efficiently.
- Your engine doesn’t crank or turn over at all and the lights don’t come on. This situation is a major sign that the battery is faulty. It could be a combination problem involving your alternator.
- Your vehicle randomly starts one day then doesn’t the next. If starting is an intermittent problem, two things are suspect, 1) your battery terminals are loose, broken, corroded, or calcified, or 2) you have something that is drawing electrical power from the battery even when the key is out of the ignition.
If you are noticing any of the signs above, ask your auto shop to check your battery. It may be time for a car battery replacement.
Do you know how to know if your car battery is bad? Contact our ASE Certified technicians today at Elk River Tire & Auto for more information about car battery replacement and to schedule an appointment. Our auto shop in Elk River, MN proudly serves residents in the areas of Zimmerman, MN, and Otsego, Minnesota.
