Car Battery Electrical Problem

Have problems starting your car? You’re turning the key yet nothing happens the engine won’t even move? Then you are dealing with a battery problem. What do you do? You ask someone to give you a jump start. Or, if you have one, you can connect the battery to a charger and power it up until it has enough power to start the engine. You go about your daily business and the next day comes with the same problem. The battery is drained and the engine won’t even bunch. Conclusion: you’re facing with an electrical problem.

There can be several reasons why a car battery wouldn’t start: you may have left the stationary lights on or other accessories turned on over night fact that will lead to a definite battery drain. Lights or accessories like the audio system are powered up by the battery even if the ignition key is not turned or present in the ignition. Another situation is if the battery isn’t charged while the vehicle is on the move (you may have a charging problem in which case you should check the alternator as well).

There may also be a parasite electrical drain in the key off mode. This may occur because a relay is still sticking, or a module is not shut down or there is a busted diode in the alternator. And the worse case scenario: the battery is old and cannot charge properly anymore, in which case it should be replaced.

So the first thing you need to check is the battery, afterwards take a look at the alternator. The simplest way to do this is to turn the headlights on. If they turn on with no problems and the lighting is good then I don’t think there’s something wrong with the battery, the problem may be caused by a bad starter or a bad relay, a faulty wiring connection between the starter and the solenoid, or even a bad starter. On the other hand, if the headlights are not working at all or they emit a weak light, then you need to check the battery voltage and the output. For this a voltmeter is required. You need set the scale to 12-20 volt and connect the voltmeter to the battery red at positive, black at negative. If the reading is below 12.6 then the battery is low.

The next step is to check the charging system. This requires the car to start, so try jump starting the car connect the voltmeter to the battery again. The tension while charged should be between 13.5 – 14.5 volts, if it’s below these values then the problem is shifted to the alternator since it’s not developing enough current to charge the battery accordingly. If this is the case than you should go to a mechanic to test the alternator putout since it’s more complicated to test. In case the results are unsatisfactory the alternator needs to be changed.

After the battery is completely charged you need to see if it is able to hold the charge. This can be tested with an electric battery tester or even a load tester. The tester can show you if the battery is good or bad. If the battery fails the load test than it needs to be replaced,

Remember, the battery is the electrical heart is of the car, and should be sustained at all times, that is if you want your car to start.