“Warning Signs My Car Battery Is Dying” – How To Recognize The Symptoms?

The battery running out of electricity will cause numerous malfunctions in your car. For the sake of your safety and convenience, you should pay attention to the battery’s condition.

However, many people accidentally neglect this crucial electrical part of the car. The reason for this matter is their not know how to recognize the symptoms of the battery running out.

If you’re one of those people and you are frantically searching for “Warning signs my car battery is dying” on Google, don’t worry. In this article, we will show you a thorough tutorial on how to deal with this.

How To Recognize “Warning Signs My Car Battery Is Dying”?

There are various signs your car battery is dying. Below, we will show you how to tell if your car battery is dead.

#1 Observe The Warning Light On The Center Dashboard

When you start the vehicle, you will notice red and flashing symbols on the center dashboard. Some of them will disappear after a few seconds, but some will stay and keep flashing. The ones that remain steady on the center dashboard are alarming you about something wrong happening with your car.

Nowadays, almost every car has warning lights on the dashboard to show the car’s status to owners. Therefore, observing the warning light is an effective and straightforward answer to how to know the battery is dead.

Indicator of low car battery

The symbol of a dead car battery is shaped like a lego brick with the plus sign and minus sign placed symmetrically. When you see this notification light pop up, it’s time to recharge or replace the battery.

#2 Realize The Odd Smell In Your Car

How to know if the car battery is dead? By smelling! This way sounds strange, but it does work.

When you enter the car, you should notice an odd odor released apart from the normal smell you feel daily. If the odor is relatively like the rotten eggs smell, it’s typically a sign of a dead car battery. The reason for this unpleasant odor is the gas leak from the battery.

In case of a gas leak, you need to immediately check and replace the battery before it can cause further damage to surrounding parts. Your negligence will cost you a huge sum of money due to the deterioration of electrical parts.

#3 Check The Car Headlights Conditions

Another way to recognize signs battery is dying is to check the car’s headlight conditions. You should carry out this work at night for optimal efficiency. The procedure is simple. You only have to turn the headlights on and see whether they are as bright as usual or not.

Dimming car headlights

Deficient electricity from the battery will lead to the improper function of the headlights. Therefore, you have to check the battery when the lights are dimming.

#4 Test The Electrical Components’ Function

Electrical components receive their energy from the battery to serve us. Without a powerful battery, these components will function uncontrollably or even remain off. From this fact, we can come up with another answer for how to tell if your car battery is dead by conducting tests on the normal activity of electrical components.

The most obvious and effortless parts you should focus on are the radio, the electrical-control seats, and the AC.

#5 Slide Up And Down The Electrical Lateral Windows

The lateral windows operating on electricity are also worth checking when you ask yourself, “Is my battery dead?”. Since the fuse and motor of the electrical windows in old cars sometimes stop working, owners may assume the problem comes from these parts.

However, you should spend a little more time looking at the battery to ensure that it’s still in good condition. The malfunction of electrical lateral windows shows up when you slide it up or down, but the windows move slowly with hindrance.

#6 Listen To The Engine Sound While Turning It Up

Noticing the clicking sound can be the answer to your question, “Is my battery dying?”

An unusual clicking sound will appear when you turn the key or push the starting button to activate your vehicle. No matter how hard you try, the car sits still. We can affirm that the car battery has run out. In this situation, the only solution is to replace the dead battery with a brand-new one.

Listen to the engine sound

Can your car battery die while driving? The answer is YES. Your car will suddenly and immediately stop if the battery runs out while driving, regardless of whether you could start the engine previously. Hence, we should regularly check the battery condition for our safe journey

#7 Timing The Engine Crank

With a full battery, you don’t have to use much time to crank up an engine. Yet, when the battery runs out, it’s a different story. The engine of a car with an empty battery will require you to transfer a little gas into it to generate efficient power for the car.

This is a tell-tale method based on drivers’ experience to tell how to know if the car battery is dying.

Related:

• Tricks To Keep Your Car Battery Alive When Not In Use For Long Periods Of Time Or In The Cold Of Winter
• How Long Do Car Batteries Last? When Should You Replace Them?
• A Detailed Guide On How To Test Batteries With A Multimeter
• How To Disconnect, Replace Car Battery & Install A Car Battery

#8 Check The Battery Connectors Condition

Suppose your car keeps dying even when you have performed some check-ups and replacements. The problem may not lie in the battery itself. Sometimes, they are connectors and terminals that cause the malfunction of the battery.

After a long use time, the battery will release acid that corrodes the metal terminals and connectors. Consequently, the corroded metal parts won’t recharge the battery and transfer its energy throughout the vehicle. Even though you can fix the damaged components yourself, we suggest buying new parts for more durable and reliable use.

#9 Examine The Battery Case Condition

In the event of a scorching temperature or overcharge, the battery will become swollen. This is the most dangerous situation among all of these battery conditions.

When swollen, the battery is like a bomb, and it can go off anywhere if you don’t handle it properly. For this reason, whenever you notice a swollen battery case, you must call for help from a professional mechanic.

A swollen battery case

The battery is overheating temperature is dead. But, is the car battery dying in cold? Yes, definitely. Under freezing weather, frozen electrolytes lead to an increase in liquid. As a result, the case is swollen, and the battery is dead.

#10 Have A Look At The Age Of Battery

The last position of this list is the most straightforward method to determine your battery’s life, just by looking for its age or date of manufacture label on the case.

The common life of a brand-new battery will vary from four to five years. If you haven’t done any test on the battery within this time, you can see the reasons for the car battery to die. It has run out of fuel.

Bottom Lines

Battery suddenly dead will lead to unsafety and inconvenience while we use our cars. Therefore, realizing the car’s message will prevent us from wasting time with the unwanted situation of a dead battery. We hope that our tutorial has been helpful to your research on “Warning signs my car battery is dying.”

Further Reading:

• What Are Signs of a Bad Battery?
• Car Battery Problems: When is it Time for a New Battery?