Tell-tale Signs of a Defective Car Battery

Many components of your car have an indispensable role in making the vehicle run – you just can’t make your car work without them. One of the most important of these components is you car battery. As you all know, the battery makes the vehicle start, provide it with lights and make its electrical system work for you. It is almost impossible to drive without a functioning battery under the hood. This being said, you should keep on your car battery to ensure 100% performance from your electrical system. But since all batteries have an estimated useful life, you should know the signs they give especially when replacement is necessary.

1. Slow Engine Crank.A weak car battery cannot crank your engine with a force that is ideal to make it start. If your engine is sluggish as you attempt to start it, you should check its purchase date. You might have forgotten that you bought that car battery more than two years ago.

2. Illuminated Check Battery LightWhen your car battery gets weak, this is detected by yourcar’s electronic system which illuminates the ‘check battery’ light at the driver’s dashboard. The check battery light is represented by an image that resembles a battery and when its light turns on, it simply means that the battery is getting weak and replacement might be necessary.

3. Lower than Minimum Battery Fluid LevelBefore the maintenance-free batteries were introduced in the market, a low battery fluid level simple means it is time to add battery fluid or distilled water into the batteries. With the modern car battery, seeing the fluid at a level lower than than the lead plates simply means you battery needs replacement.

4. Bloated Battery CasingA bloated casing is an indication that your battery has been subjected to extreme heat for long periods. It is also a sign that your battery’s life is about to end. You should have your old battery replaced even if it is still working because it will give up sooner or later. You shouldn’t wait for it to give you a problem while you’re on the road.

As a car owner, you should be able to know simple and practical ways to keep your car going. Car batteries normally last for two to three years. It is logical and reasonable to change batteries every 2- 1/2 years even if your old battery doesn’t show any signs of breaking down. Good car dealers like the Colorado car dealerships always make it a point to tell their clients to give special attention to their car batteries because it can spell the difference between a good and bad trip.