Nobody ever wants to get in their car, turn the ignition key, and have nothing happen. The immediate thought when this happens is that you have a dead battery. On average, car batteries last between three and four years. If your battery is as old or older than that, you might notice some of the following signs that indicate your car battery is dying. If it is, Crossroads Automotive can help.
Dim Lights
The most obvious sign of a failing battery is dim or flickering headlights. You will also notice that the lights in your vehicle’s cabin are dimmer and might flicker, as well. Initially, you may not realize that the lights are not as bright as they used to be. Over time, however, you will find it harder to see when you drive at night and notice a significant difference in the brightness of your vehicle’s dashboard.
Clicking Sounds
Your automobile’s battery powers the starter solenoid that is required to ignite your engine and get it running. If the battery is dying, it may be unable to send the electrical current to the starter to power it. Oftentimes, the result is a clicking sound the minute you turn the key in the ignition. In some cases, the starter may catch and your vehicle will start. If the battery is dead, your car won’t start.
Cranking Slow
Alongside the clicking, or independent of it, a dying battery will make it hard to start your vehicle. Many people experience slow cranking, which is that repetitive “wah, wah, wah,” sound that you get after you turn the key and before the engine catches and fires up. This is a definite sign that the battery is going bad, so swing by an auto service shop right away to have your battery replaced if you get your car started.
Flooding the Engine to Start
It used to be that you would give your vehicle a little bit of gas before you turned the key to start it, but this is no longer the case. You should never have to press down on the accelerator to get your car, truck, CUV, or SUV to start. If you do, you either have a battery problem or an issue with the air and fuel mixture being pushed through to the combustion chamber.
Backfires
Finally, what ignites the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is the spark plugs. Your battery sends a charge to each plug to get them to fire up and detonate the air and fuel in the engine’s cylinders. If the battery is not sending the electrical charge properly to the spark plugs, or if there is too much air in the mixture, your vehicle may backfire.
Give us a call here at Crossroads Automotive in Topeka, KS, if you suspect that your car’s battery is going bad. We’d be happy to test it and replace it if necessary.