If the battery light has illuminated on your vehicle’s dashboard, the main computer chip is telling you that the battery or alternator is dying. In this blog post, we are going to talk about the battery. You can expect to get three years of service out of your car battery. After this time, it is common for the battery to die. Aside from an illuminated battery light, here are other signs that you need a new battery.
Difficulty Starting the Engine
You will start to have problems getting your vehicle started if the battery is not holding a charge. Your engine may crank several times before it fires up, or it may not fire up at all. If you have to jump-start the battery often in order to get your engine started, it is time to replace the battery.
Dim/Flickering Vehicle Lights
You may also notice that the lights on the inside and outside of your automobile are much dimmer than they normally are. This is a sign that they are not receiving enough power from the battery. In addition, the lights may start to flicker between being too dim and too bright.
Power Accessory Malfunction
Aside from the lights, your power accessories will also start to malfunction if your car needs a new battery. This includes the electronics on your center console, the radio, the navigation system, and your power seats and windows. These things will slow down or shut down.
Corroded Battery Terminals
It’s a good idea to check your battery regularly to make sure the terminals are not corroding. Corroded battery terminals are assigned that the battery is leaking the sulfuric acid found inside of it. Unfortunately, if you do have a leaking battery, it needs to be replaced.
A Pungent Odor of Rotten Eggs
You will definitely know that the battery is leaking battery acid if you smell rotten eggs around it. This is the odor of sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid works with the lead cells inside the battery to generate the chemical reaction that produces electricity.
Cracked or Warped Battery Case
Unfortunately, this chemical reaction can go bad inside an old battery. When this happens, you will see the damage on the battery case. It will be cracked or warped. In some cases, it may also have bubbles on the outside. The battery needs to be replaced.
We can do this at our shop, so call us today. We would be happy to test your battery and replace it if it is too old.