Here’s What To Do When Your Car Battery Dies
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Perhaps you left the lights on in your car by accident. Maybe your vehicle’s battery was degraded by a scorching summer. A dead battery usually necessitates contacting someone like AAA for assistance. With a little know-how and the correct equipment, you can deal with a dead battery on your own. One of the most important aspects of owning a car is knowing what to do when your car battery dies.
The process to charge your battery is fairly straightforward, and will likely be identical regardless of your vehicle type. The initial line of action will be to confirm that the battery is dead or won’t turn before you do any work. It should be able to store the charge and function normally for some time once you’re able to jump it. However, it may not be able to keep a charge, requiring you to jump-start it each time you want it to function. Alternatively, you might be able to charge it at all by jump-starting it.
What to do when car battery dies: step by step
1. Get your jumper cables out
Keep a decent set of jumper wires in your car at all times. Otherwise, you’ll have to phone for help or hope to locate a kind samaritan with cables. Most major department stores and auto shops will have plenty of affordable options.
2. Prepare the cars
You’ll need a second car to be able to complete a successful jump. You’ll want to get the two cars about two feet apart. Make sure both cars are in neutral or parked, and use the parking brakes to prevent them from moving abruptly.
3. Put the jumper cables in place
Begin by connecting the positive cable clamp to the positive battery connector of the dead battery. Check to see if the connection is secure. The other positive cable clamp will be connected to the positive battery terminal on the operational car. The black clamp will be attached to the functioning battery’s negative connection. The second black, negative cable clamp should not be connected to the dead battery. Instead, apply the clamp to an unpainted metal component within the vehicle that has to be jump-started.
4. The start-up
Start the engine of the operating car and let it run for a few minutes. Then you can try to start the automobile that has stopped working. It ought to begin. If it doesn’t, try again after letting the other car run and charging the battery for a few minutes. If the vehicle with the dead battery still won’t start, rev the engine of the running vehicle to see if it helps.
5. Remove the cords and attempt to turn on the car
Remove the jumper cables after the automobile with the dead battery is operating. Start with the black negative clamps and make sure they don’t touch. At this point, you should know whether or not the jump was successful. You can repeat a few times if necessary, but may require a tow if you aren’t able to complete a jump after a few minutes.
What to do when your car battery dies: common causes
- Human error
- High consuming electronic accessories
- Failing alternator
- Cold weather
- Sporadic driving
- Loose or corroded cables
- Time
You can increase the life of your battery by doing routine maintenance. If your vehicle’s battery stops operating and you can’t figure out what’s wrong, your local auto shop should be able to help. They can assist you in getting your vehicle back on the road.
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1. You failed to turn off electric consuming accessories
Human mistake is one of the most common causes of a dead battery. When you’re in a rush, you can forget to turn off the lights or fully close a door before exiting the car. The headlights will deplete the battery if left on overnight or for a few hours, and your car battery will be dead in the morning. Some modern vehicles include warning indications when the headlights are left on, such as a beeping sound, although it’s easy to overlook if you’re in a hurry.
2. New poorly installed electric accessories
Have you lately added external gadgets to your vehicle, such as a car stereo or a GPS? Then there’s a potential they were wired incorrectly, causing them to stay on even after the ignition is turned off. It can also be caused by malfunctioning devices that do not turn off when the ignition is turned off. However, because this might be difficult to identify, you should have a specialist examine it with the proper tools.
3. The alternator has failed
The alternator’s function is to keep the automobile battery charged at all times while you’re driving. If the alternator begins to fail, it may not be able to properly charge the automobile battery, resulting in the battery draining over time. When the automobile is idling, you or a professional can check the voltage from the alternator.
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4. Cold weather temperatures
A car battery that isn’t fully charged being parked outside in sub-zero temperatures is a recipe for disaster. If the temperature is really cold, car batteries can actually freeze and stop functioning. This is especially true if your battery is not fully charged, or if it is completely depleted, and will likely need to be replaced completely.
5. You only drive a few miles at a time
If you just hop in and out frequently, you’re not letting your battery warm up or get going consistently. As a result, you can only drive for limited distances before experiencing issues. The alternator is constantly charging your automobile battery while you are driving, and if you only drive short distances, the car will take more power than the alternator can supply in a given amount of time, causing the battery to deplete and die altogether.
6. There is a lack of battery maintenance in the vehicle
To have a long life, car batteries require maintenance. Cleaning the terminals, filling the battery with battery water, and regularly charging your automobile batteries are all part of this. It’s possible that the car didn’t have proper maintenance for the car battery, which is the source of the dead car battery.
8. Battery Cables Corroded or Loose
It’s possible that your car battery isn’t damaged at all but could have a problem with the connection between the car battery terminals and the battery cables. This is frequently caused by terminal corrosion, which is easily removed with acid.
7. The battery in your car has died
It’s possible that the battery has simply become obsolete as a result of its age. A car battery has an average lifespan of roughly 5 years, and if it hasn’t been replaced or maintained well within that time frame , there’s a good possibility it’s just old and needs to be replaced. A vehicle battery analyzer may frequently be used to examine the state of your automobile battery.
Hopefully you won’t have to deal with the issue, but knowing what to do when your car battery dies is a crucial aspect of vehicle ownership. Be sure to follow the tips to avoid a dead battery, and be prepared in the event it does happen.
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