Six Car Battery Warning Signs



To get your car started takes a lot of power. This power is produced solely by your battery. Once the car is started, the alternator recharges the car battery which was used to start the engine and run your vehicle’s electronic accessories. When you turn the ignition by using your key, the battery alone starts the engine.

Six Car Battery Warning Signs

1. Slow Engine Crank

If you notice that the engine cranks is working more slowly than usual, it may be that the battery is on its last legs. So it’s important that you pick up this warning sign. Mostly you’ll only get one shot more at a slow start before the engine refuses to crank again. If the engine does not crank any more, the vehicle will often just make a rapid clicking sound.

This is signaling that the available battery power is too low to crank the engine. Have the battery checked at once and replace it if needed.

2. Issues with electrical components

Beside to power up the engine, your car battery is also needed to produce enough force to run all the various electronic components in your vehicle. In your car, there are many electronic accessories including power windows, power seats, radio, headlights, winker, AC vents, dahboard lights, windshield wipers and many more. All of which require electricity supplied from your battery.

If it works just weak, mainly it’s the case of the battery.

3. Dashboard Warning Light

Quite all cars have a dashboard warning light in the shape of a batterie. This light will illuminate if there is an internal problem or if the battery is not being recharged properly. The flashing battery warning light might also mean that something is wrong with some other part of the electrical system or the alternator.

Than the best course of action would be to have your vehicle’s electrical system inspected by a certified professional to analyze what exactly the problem is in.

4. Swollen Battery Case

Basically a car battery is a plastic case in which a chemical reaction takes place. As with any chemical reaction, sometimes things can go wrong. Due to an excessive amount of heat, the flat sides of the battery case may swell or bulge. If the battery sits in a vehicle that is not driven for some time, the battery will be compleately discharge.

Question yourself where the power is coming from to operate the alarm system and power up the twinkling led light. Swelling from excess heat often results in an electrically "dead" of a battery that cannot be recovered and will require a replacement.

5. Old Age

On average, the lifespan of a car battery is about two (2) to three (3) years. This average will fluctuate depending on extreme temperature exposure, number of deep discharges and whether or not it goes through full charge cycles. In addition even a maintenance free battery is working with liquid sulfuric acid. If one or two plates of the battery get dry, it can’t be recharged anymore.

So once you hit the 2-year mark, it might not be a bad idea to get the battery tested by a professional to check how much life it has left.

6. Weird Smell

When a battery has been overcharged or is shorted internally, its case may vent gas. This venting often smells like rotten eggs. If you detect a rotten egg scent under the hood of your vehicle, have your battery inspected as soon as possible. It possibly needs a replacement of your battery before the toxic gas is able to eat away at other engine parts or causes corrosion, which is something you want to avoid at all costs.