Ever experienced a situation where you got stranded in the middle of one of Dubai’s roads, unable to figure out why your car is acting out of the ordinary? Most probably, the car battery must be playing spoilsport. A car battery is something that can be referred to as an unsung hero-majorly contributing to your vehicle and yet never really appreciated. Here is how you can tell it is time for a car battery replacement.
1. Checking the Battery life
Car batteries typically have a three to five-year lifespan. Hence, you might experience that the battery indicator or check engine light is on if your car’s battery is more than this or in this stage. Most probably, it is because the battery in your car is old and has to be replaced. Checking voltage levels regularly will tell whether the battery has enough capacity to turn on and keep the electrical appliances in the vehicle going. Time, heat, and vibrations can all shorten the life of your battery.
2. Slow Starting
Over time your car starts to slow down and stop starting like it used to. Your car battery needs replacements once it starts to show these signs. The battery is discharged and does not provide enough power for the engine to turn over. Look out for unusual noise coming from the car’s hood and whether the car engine does not want to start. In such cases, you will hear a clicking on when you turn on the ignition. There could be other causes for this too, such as faulty wiring or some other components that may be faulty, so do check on those too.
3. Dimming lights/ Electronics acting up
Another common sign that the battery needs to be replaced is when your car’s headlights start to dim. GPS and music systems, among other electrical systems, start malfunctioning. The battery powers all electrical components, so these are the first to be affected. You will find that the headlights are dim when the car is in idle mode and brighten when you accelerate. Likewise, other electrical systems will eventually start malfunctioning or cease to function altogether.
4. Corrosion of Battery Terminals
Maintaining a healthy car battery requires keeping the battery terminals dry and clean. However, over time there will be corrosion, and white ashy substance may accumulate on these. Make sure to clean this deposit regularly to avoid replacing your car battery. However, even after cleaning sometimes due to the age of the battery, it may still not provide enough voltage to start the car or power any electrical components. This could be a sign of replacing the existing car battery.
5. Bloated Battery
Because of vibrations and over time, there will be wear and tear or leakage in the battery. A common sign of this wear and tear is when the car battery is visibly bloated or swollen. This needs immediate attention and needs to be taken to a mechanic or replaced otherwise the battery can rupture as the cells inside are swollen.
