How To Tell When You Have A Weak Car Battery

Most of the time, you won't wake up one day and discover that your car battery has suddenly died. In many cases, there will be many signs before this eventually happens. Unfortunately, many people don't pay much attention to these signs until they become a serious inconvenience.

Rather than wait for your battery to fail you on the worst possible day, you could instead learn to read the warning signs early. This will give you adequate time to start planning for a replacement. In case, the loss of performance isn't normal; you can also diagnose the problem early before it causes further damage.

Pay Attention to How the Engine Cranks

This is the best way of knowing whether there might be an issue with your battery. Although a sluggish crank is normal on particularly cold days, the battery should have enough 'juice' to start the engine quickly and smoothly on most regular mornings. When your battery is weak, you may notice the following:    

• The engine cranks but doesn't start

• The engine cranks very slowly

• It takes several turns of your key to get the engine started

Although there are other possible causes of these issues, more often than not, it's the battery that's to blame.

You Frequently Jumpstart the Car

When a car battery goes flat, the most obvious solution is to jump start it. However, jump-starting a car is quite a jolt to the battery, and this can reduce its lifespan. The more often you do this, the more your battery suffers. When it gets to a point where you're jump-starting your car 3 or more times a week, start shopping for a new battery.

The Electrical Systems in the Car Malfunction

The car battery not only starts the engine, but it also provides the power needed to run the electrical components in your car. This includes power windows, the radio, wipers, etc. When your battery can't produce enough power, these systems will not be able to operate as expected.

Take it to the Experts

If you're not sure whether the problem with your car is battery related, you can also take it to an auto repair shop. There, the battery can be tested to check whether it's the source of the problem or whether there's something else that's wrong with the car such as a faulty starter. If the damage to the battery was caused by something like excessively high temperatures in your car, this could also be fixed.

Contact a company like Dugan Oil and Tire for more information and assistance.