Battery Check
Your vehicle battery is the only power source used for getting your vehicle started a and a faulty battery is one of the leading causes of breakdowns in the UK.
A new battery should last up to 4 years, however without proper care this could be halved. Driving with a faulty battery can also be costly putting extra strain on other components such as the starter motor etc.
When a battery is starting to deteriorate you may notice some of the following:
Car Struggling to start
When you start your engine, if it seems sluggish, your battery may need to be replaced. The engine might sound like its responding more slowly than usual and if that’s the case its recommended that you get your battery checked.
Dim lights
You vehicle’s battery also powers the celectrial compoements, so if they battery is starting to fail you will notice that the lights on your vehicle are dimmer than usual. When looking at your vehicle the exterior lights will be more noticeably affected, however you may also notice other interior lights being affected too.
Clicking noises
When you start up your vehicle the battery emits an electrical charge to start the engine, if the power from the battery is insufficient then you will hear a clicking noise.
If you notice any of the above or something just seem quite right with power to vehicle then its time to get the battery checked. Book online today with Shore Tyres and Autos Ltd, Newtownabbey
Checking your battery health involves checking for corrosion on the terminals, as well as, the voltage output and the charging rate of the battery.
Battery Replacement
On average a car battery will last around 3-5 years, if it is no longer holding it’s charge or the battery will not jump start, it may be time to replace it with a new battery. If your car battery seems to be dying much earlier than this it can be down to a number of things, for example:
- The battery isn’t being charged as the car is not being driven enough
- The battery is being drained due to a vehicle fault
- The car is only doing short journeys
Nowadays the majority of cars have a single maintenance-free 12-volt acid battery which is rechargeable however it can lose capacity, or even the ability to hold charge, over time. This normally happens during colder weather. If the dash lights are dim or flickering or your engine turns over slower than normal then your battery is probably quite weak and will need replacing.
If you want more out of your batteries lifespan you should:
- Ensure that you regularly have the vehicle serviced so that an inefficient engine isn’t putting strain on the battery.
- Don’t leave the air conditioning, lights or radio on while your vehicle is not running as this drains the battery.
- Do drive your vehicle regularly so that the battery has chance to charge.
Questions and Answers
Why has my battery gone flat?
In addition to failing/faulty battery there are a few reasons why a battery might go flat:
- Weather – A car battery is 35% weaker on a cold icy frosty day which is why it’s then you have a higher chance of being unable to start up your engine.
- Human Error – We have all left the headlight or interior lights on, or not closing the boot properly can all possibly flatten a vehicle’s battery overnight.
- Driving Habits – If your vehicle mainly goes on a lot of small short trips then the battery may not catch up enough charge to recover the energy lost from starting up the engine initially. Lead-acid batteries also lose power gradually over time when not in use, so batteries in vehicles which are rarely driven will eventually end up going flat.
- Old Battery – Old batteries do not hold as much charge as a brand new one. Lead-acid batteries last approximately 42 months therefore if a battery is older, be mindful that it is on borrowed time.
