That’s right! A dead battery isn’t the only sign that your car needs a new battery. A dead battery is generally the last sign you will get. Hopefully, the battery will warn you beforehand that it is going bad and needs to be replaced. Let’s talk about this below and what you should look for with your SUV, car, or truck’s battery.
Dashboard Warning Light
One thing that can happen with a car battery is it can start to malfunction and cause the engine control module to turn on a dashboard warning light. In the case of the battery, the module will most likely turn on the battery light. It may also turn on the check engine light. If you drive an older automobile, you may have a GEN light that will turn on if the battery is dying and needs to be replaced.
Problems Starting the Vehicle
You might also start to have problems starting your vehicle. This means the engine will crank and crank and crank before it fires up. This is definitely a sign that the battery is dying. If the battery has an extremely small charge, the engine may crank only and never fire up. In this case, you will have to jump-start the battery to get the engine going. Head straight to our auto repair shop for a new battery.
Problems With the Electricity
When we say problems with electricity, we mean problems with enough electricity in your automobile. If the battery is going bad, you may start to have power accessories that malfunction or won’t work. Components, such as the headlights, can also start to flicker or go dim. In other words, accessories and components are acting up because they are not getting enough power from the battery.
A Leaking and Corroded Battery
A leaking and corroded battery needs to be replaced, as well. An old battery will start to leak the sulfuric acid that is found inside of it for part of the chemical reaction inside the battery. The acid creates a chemical reaction by coming in contact with the battery’s lead plates.
If the battery starts to leak, you will lose battery acid and your engine may smell like rotten eggs. This is the smell of battery acid. A leaking battery can also suffer from chemical reaction problems that will warp or crack the battery case. All of this means your car needs a new battery.