If you're wondering “how to know if a car battery needs to be replaced,” below are ten common symptoms:
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- Reduction in cranking power
- Dimming lights
- Dashboard lights illuminating
- Battery getting old
- Physical damages
- Frequent needs for jumpstarts
- Strange smells
- Electrical troubles
- Erratic engine start
- Loss of battery voltage
The car battery is an important component in any vehicle. It is responsible for getting your vehicle started every time you turn the key in the ignition switch. When the battery is dead, you won't be able to get the engine to crank, and you'll be stuck until you get a jump start.
Ensuring your battery is in healthy shape is very important, especially if you're about to start the winter or summer season getting extremely hot. This is because the battery may not be at the top of its performance.
Automotive experts recommend identifying battery problems before they become significant and before you get stuck in nowhere without help. That's why you must ask yourself, “How do you know if a car battery needs to be replaced?”
This article highlights the ten most important symptoms you'll encounter when the battery is failing or about to fail. Let's read on for more details!
How do you know if a car battery needs to be replaced?
There are many ways where you could determine that your battery needs to be replaced, and some of them might be very common in some vehicles while others are less common. As a car owner, you must familiarize yourself with the most common symptoms indicating A failing car battery so you can fix that before things get complicated.
The list below highlights the ten most important symptoms indicating A failing car battery that could help you answer the question, “How do you know if a car battery needs to be replaced?”
1- Reduction in cranking power
The first and most common symptom of hitting a failing car battery is when you have very slow engine cranking or no cranking at all. The battery might not have the power and energy to produce the needed electrical power supply to start the engine.
Depending on the health of your battery, sometimes you might notice a slight slow in the engine cracking, but in other situations, this might become very serious, and you might get to a point where your engine does not crank.
2- Dimming lights
Since the vehicle lights rely on the battery at some point, they will be significantly impacted when the battery is unhealthy. For example, you'll see that the headlights, tail lights, and Dome lights are not acting properly and are dimmer than before.
That's why one of the things you might want to look for when checking on the battery health is the performance of the headlights. If you feel that they are not in good shape and are dimmer than before, it might indicate that the battery cannot send the required electrical power supply to get these components started.
3- Dashboard lights illuminating
Depending on your vehicle type, you might notice some warning lights on the dashboard trying to grab your attention to internal problems in your vehicle. Each warning light will mean something; some might refer to a failing battery.
For example, you might see something like an “ALT” or probably a “GEN” warning light on the dashboard. This is an issue related to the generator of the electric supply, which is the battery in this case, or it could be an issue with the alternator, and that's why it can be a little bit hard to rely on these warning lines to confirm the faulty component.
4- The battery is getting old
Batteries are expected to last somewhere between three and five years. If you know that the battery is getting older, it could be the perfect time to replace it without needing to wait for a long time until the battery fails.
It is important to understand the date listed on the battery because sometimes it might mean the purchase date, and in other instances, it might mean the expiration date. You can check with your mechanic about what to anticipate for your battery and when to replace it.
5- Physical damages
Another thing you could do to determine whether it's time to replace your battery is to check it visually. If you feel that there is some physical damage or corrosion on the terminals or the terminals themselves, you might need to replace the battery immediately.
Since the battery contains many toxic chemicals, it is recommended that you never touch it, and if it's not in good shape unless you are a professional or have the right experience, understand how to safely remove it without hurting yourself.
6- Frequent needs for jumpstarts
Another quick way to determine whether you need replacement is when you feel you're doing many jumpstarts. For example, if you felt that you've been needing jumpstarts three times this week a month, it might indicate that the battery is indeed in a bad situation.
Of course, you can't tell if it's the battery or other components unless you're a mechanic performing A detailed inspection to confirm what's happening. Sometimes, something might be draining the battery during certain situations, so you must address the root problem before replacing the battery.
7- Strange smells
The battery contains specific chemicals, including sulfurous, so you'll start smelling like a rotten egg when you deal with a damaged battery. That's why automotive experts recommend never ignoring these smells, which could indicate major internal problems.
Whenever you notice any problem in your vehicle, you should not ignore it because some of these smells might indicate serious problems. Even if the smell does not smell bad and it's more of a sweet smell like Maple syrup, it could mean some severe issues related to coolant leaks.
8- Electrical troubles
Since the battery provides an electric supply to some electric components when the alternator is not working, you might notice that some will not work properly; it might be translated into malfunctioning power windows, erratic dashboard displays, or potentially flickering lights.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you might want to check on the battery and confirm it's in good shape. Otherwise, you need to understand what's the root problem causing these issues to happen because it might be more serious than a bad battery.
9- Erratic engine start
When your engine does not start and turn over quickly, as We indicated before, it could indicate a bad battery. The battery is needed to produce the initial electric supply the engine needs to start. Otherwise, you must rely on a jump start to pass the battery job.
So, if you deal with erratic or slower engine starts, check with your mechanic and have him look at the battery. You could identify multiple symptoms simultaneously, which helps your mechanic narrow down and identify the problem immediately.
10- Loss of battery voltage
You might quickly check your battery's voltage if you have the right tools and skills. If you feel that the battery does not hold the required amount of volts, it might indicate A failing battery and might mean that the battery cannot hold the charge.
Typically, the battery should have about 12.6 volts. If the rating is significantly lower, you need to check on the battery and see what's going on with this reduction in charge. You have to replace it if it's a faulty battery.
How do you know if a car battery needs to be replaced? Final Thoughts
Your vehicle's battery is a critical component that provides the initial charge for your engine to get started every time you turn the key and the ignition switch. When the battery fails, it will prevent you from starting the vehicle, and you will need to rely on the jump start every time.
Understanding the main symptoms of a failing better is very important for every car owner to help you avoid dealing with situations where you need someone to help you when help is unavailable.
This article highlighted ten important symptoms indicating a bad battery that could help you. I answered, “How do you know if a car battery needs to be replaced?” You must consult your mechanic and replace the battery immediately when you deal with these symptoms.
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