Your car battery provides power for essential functions within your vehicle, including starting the engine, lighting dash lights and running accessories like your radio.
But if your battery dies while driving, it can be an emergency that leaves you stranded on the highway. Understand what causes this to occur and what you should do if this ever occurs to you.
Causes
Car batteries are an indispensable component of any vehicle, responsible for starting its engine and powering various accessories in your car such as radio, heated seats, AC system, dashcam and phone tethers. Without one you may struggle to use things like radio stations, heated seats and HVAC system as well as access other services and features within it such as GPS navigation or even phone charging capability.
Your car’s battery works through a complex chemical reaction that harnesses energy from lead-acid plates and acid solution. The positive terminal of your battery connects with its starter motor while its negative terminal connects with its alternator.
The alternator plays a critical role in charging your car’s battery and providing energy to its systems while you drive. But when an alternator becomes defective, it could leave its batteries discharged causing its systems to shut down completely and rendering your ride useless.
However, regardless of its lifespan depending on how it’s taken care of, batteries should typically be replaced every 3-5 years in areas with extreme temperatures as this will reduce its longevity significantly.
As part of regular maintenance, it is also essential to regularly inspect your battery for corrosion or any signs of wear and tear. If any corrosion signs arise, have an auto mechanic assess it in order to assess its damage and make repairs as required.
Another cause of battery death can be parasitic drains in your electrical system, which may be hard to identify but just as potent. Unplug any parasitic drains before they completely derail your battery’s performance.
These drains include any devices plugged into your cigarette lighter or power port, such as cell phones and GPS units. While you can usually avoid battery drain by unplugging them before unlocking your ignition key, it’s a good idea to know exactly what devices are connected before any issues arise later on.
Left running while not driving can quickly drain a battery’s charge. While some vehicles offer settings that disable these functions, it’s still recommended that when done driving you switch off any electronics in your car.
Symptoms
Car batteries are an integral component of your vehicle, providing power to start its engine and run its other electrical systems, so its condition must always remain optimal.
Dead batteries can be frightening, but there are certain telltale symptoms that will let you know if your car’s battery is about to give out. If one or more of these indicators appear, then it’s time to visit an auto shop for further evaluation.
Dimming Headlights
Your car’s headlights rely on its battery for power, so if your headlights dim when turning the ignition on, this could be a telltale sign that the battery may soon die. In order to ensure safety and avoid an unexpected road trip home from a failed battery replacement attempt, be sure to schedule a car inspection and replacement as soon as possible.
Slow Cranking
Your engine pulls amperage from the battery every time it starts up, so if your vehicle takes longer to start up than usual it could be an indicator that its energy reserves have diminished significantly. A clicking sound may even signal that its energy reserves have become inadequate to start your engine again – which would indicate the battery may soon die and no longer start your car.
Reduced Power to Internal Electrical Systems
As your battery begins to die, its effects could cause your radio, lights, power windows and sunroof to stop working or dim, along with diminished phone charger power or decreased electricity for other devices like air conditioning or electric fans.
These could all be signs that your battery may soon give out, so it would be wise to get them tested prior to embarking on a long trip.
Other signs that your battery might be failing include low battery indicator lights or check engine lights that won’t go away when restarting the car. Furthermore, dashboard warning lights that indicate low-battery levels might signal impending trouble; but don’t necessarily signal need for replacement batteries.
If your battery dies while driving, it is wisest to pull over and shut off your engine immediately in order to protect both yourself and other motorists on the road. Try finding an exit or wide shoulder where other drivers will see that you have stopped for this purpose.
Repair
Finding yourself stuck on the road with a dead car battery can be a terrifying experience. Not only can it leave you without power for travel, but it could be potentially hazardous for other motorists on the road as well.
As previously stated, you can quickly diagnose the source of a battery that has died while driving and take steps to bring your vehicle back up and running again. Remember that safety comes first and take it slowly in order to minimize harming yourself or others.
As soon as your battery dies, the first thing to do to repair it safely while driving is finding a safe spot to pull over and stop. Choose an exit with wide shoulders so other drivers can see your disabled vehicle more clearly, and switch on hazard lights so other drivers are aware that you are stranded and can avoid hitting you.
Check the voltage of your battery when your car’s battery dies while driving – this simple task can be performed at any auto parts store or garage and costs only a few dollars to complete.
Once you have checked the voltage of your battery, you can determine if it needs replacing. If its performance falls below average, purchasing new batteries should be seriously considered.
Your car battery serves two essential purposes. First, it helps start your engine, while secondly serving as a backup source in case your alternator doesn’t produce enough juice to power all the electrical components in your vehicle – such as dash lights, radio, HVAC units, power steering components or any other accessories that depend on current flow from it. If this happens it cuts off current flow to these elements which in turn cutoff current flow to dash lights, radio stations, HVAC units and power steering accessories as well.
Maintaining your battery is an ideal way to save both money and prevent further electrical component damage. By checking it periodically, this simple step could potentially save both.
If you’re having difficulty starting up your engine, the Battery/Charging warning lamp or starter motor may be slow to turn over. Either way, it is wise to stop driving immediately and have it examined at an authorized car workshop to identify and resolve any potential issues before further damage can occur.
Replacement
Car batteries provide power to start the engine and other systems within your vehicle, making them an integral component that should not be neglected or taken for granted.
As a general guideline, batteries usually last three to five years in your car depending on its climate and driving habits. If it has been more than this amount of time since being installed in your vehicle, a replacement may be in order.
Your car battery might have gone dead, and while it is possible to replace it yourself using the appropriate tools and knowledge, it may be more convenient and efficient to visit an auto shop for this task. Not only will an experienced mechanic know exactly how to install your new battery but he or she can also ensure it remains healthy without leaking caustic acid into your system.
Although a car battery may appear simple, it’s actually quite complex piece of machinery. Consisting of an outer shell and various connectors connected by chemical solutions (usually sulfuric acid) which interact with lead plates to produce energy, its inner components work in concert to produce power for driving your vehicle.
Corroded or depleted batteries can become inoperable and cause irreparable harm to your car’s electrical system, so it is vital that a replacement battery that fits perfectly matches its make, model and year is purchased as soon as possible.
Purchase of batteries that contain the appropriate group sizes (i.e. exterior dimensions and terminal configuration). A battery with inappropriate dimensions could interfere with your electrical system or cause short circuiting between nearby components, potentially leading to serious malfunction.
To disconnect a dead car battery, first disconnect both its negative (black) and positive (red) cables using a socket wrench and be careful not to touch any metal mountings or body parts with them.
Once the cables are disconnected, it will be time to lift out the battery from your vehicle. As it can be heavy, be sure to use both hands when handling this process.