Your battery is an important component of your car. If it dies, your vehicle will come to a stubborn halt, refusing to budge even an inch. Do you fancy being stuck in the middle of the road at night? Absolutely not!
Your car battery is not the permanent part of the vehicle and needs to be replaced regularly. This leads to an important question, “how to tell if a car battery is dead?” A worn-out battery doesn’t work for a long time. If you don’t replace it in a timely manner, it will start showing some signs that will indicate that the battery is dead. What follows are some of the signs that hint at a possible battery problem. Watch out for these signs for a timely replacement of the battery.
1. Engine Cranks, but Doesn’t Start
Has it happened with you that when you turn the key, the engine either cranks or turns over? If you’re facing this problem, the chances are that your battery has died down. If the problem is severe, the car won’t start at all. In this case, you might need a jump-starter box or jumper cables to get the car running.
2. Dim Headlights
Have you noticed that your headlights are not well lit? If that’s the case, you must know that your battery is taking its last breath. For proper illumination of the headlights, you’d need a fully charged battery. With dim lights, however, it is not safe to drive on busy highways as you won’t be able to see the incoming cars.
3. Backfiring
The car backfiring can indicate a problem with your car battery. This condition arises because of the accumulation of fuel in the combustion chambers. So, if you are facing this problem, you should consider getting your battery checked and replacing it immediately.
4.Engine Light
If your ‘check engine light’ is flashing on your dashboard, you should pause and consider what exactly can be the reason behind it. While there can be plenty of reasons for the light, it mostly indicates a dead battery. This is why whenever you see a check engine light one, use a voltmeter to check the battery voltage.
5. Dome Light
A faint door light normally indicates that the battery is weak. However, if the battery is dead, the door’s lights won’t come on at all. This sign, thus, tells that something is wrong with your battery and that you should get it fixed soon.
6. Clicking Sound
Your car battery provides current to the starter that powers the engine. If the current is low, the starter doesn’t receive enough power to start the engine. If you hear a clicking sound from under the hood, it may indicate that your battery is dead. This, however, doesn’t mean that only a dead battery produces sound. There can be other reasons for this clicking sound. Before you consider changing the battery, don’t forget to take adequate steps to rule out the possibility of a faulty ignition switch, fusible ink, and the starter.
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