You can suffer a dead car battery for a whole host of reasons. This is why flat car batteries are the number one reason for call-outs to breakdown services.
There are a number of reasons why car batteries die. A few common ones include:
- Leaving headlights, interior lights, flashers, and the radio on when the car isn't running
- Using the air conditioner when the car is not running
- Not starting a car for long periods of time (e.g., while it's in storage)
- Lack of battery maintenance (e.g., not keeping terminals clean)
- Failure of the diode bridge or voltage regulator in the alternator; the alternator charges the battery when the car is running
- Low air temperature, which causes batteries to freeze
What To Do When Your Car Battery Dies
The most common way to deal with a dead battery is by jump-starting it. All you need to jump-start a car is a set of jumper cables and another car (a good Samaritan) with a functional battery. Keep in mind that you should never try to jump-start a car if its battery is cracked and is visibly leaking acid.
To safely jump a start, follow these steps:
- Take out your jumper cables.
- It's a good idea to buy a set of jumper cables and keep them in your car. If you don't have jumper cables, you have to find a good Samaritan who not only is willing to assist you but who has jumper cables as well.
- Place both vehicles in Park or Neutral and shut off the ignition in both cars.
- Engage both parking brakes as well.
- Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery.
- It has "POS" or "+" on it, or it's bigger than the negative terminal.
- Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car.
- Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the other battery.
- Attach the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn't near the battery.
- Use one of the metal struts that holds the bonnet open.
- Try to start your vehicle.
- If it won't start, make sure that the cables are properly connected and have the good Samaritan run his or her engine for five minutes. Then try to start your car again. If it still won't start, your battery may be beyond help.
If the jump works and your car starts, don't shut off your engine! Drive around for at least 15 minutes to recharge your battery. If the car won't start the next time you use it, the battery isn't holding a charge and needs to be replaced.
Alex Todd Brand Manager at Its4women commented "If your vehicle will not be used for an extended period of time, it's wise to invest in a battery charger so you're prepared if and when you need a charge."
Please share :)
For over 10 years, its4women's been providing affordable car insurance in Ireland with outstanding "Customer Service", "Innovative Online Customer Portal" and "Competitive Rates". Get your free car insurance quote online today!
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Troubleshooter: Here's how to start your car with a low battery
Car won't start because of your battery? It still might have some juice, but you'll have to warm it up a bit first
Lots has been discussed about prepping your vehicle for those bone-chilling mornings to ensure you get on your way as quickly and easily as possible, but sometimes, our foresight is clouded by frost-covered lenses. So, what can you do when you tap the start button (or twist the ignition key), and you’re only rewarded with the dreaded click-click-click of a low battery? You can call roadside assistance, of course, but what if you’re told there’s a multi-hour wait?
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Plug in your block heater
First, don’t try to crank the starter until the battery is completely dead. You may still be able to get enough life out of it to fire up the engine — once the battery and/or engine is warmer. If the vehicle has a block heater, plug it in for at least two hours, as this may make the engine easy enough to turn over that your low battery has a fighting chance. Warming the battery is the next step, but take a close look at the battery itself before trying to warm it up or boost it. The sides should be perfectly flat; if there are any signs of outward bulging, the liquid inside has frozen, making it defunct. It should be replaced, not boosted.
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Don’t kill your battery in one drive home
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Keeping your battery in tip-top shape during winter
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No block heater? No problem
If you have a trouble-light — those caged bulbs on the end of an extension cord — with an incandescent bulb, park it under the hood facing the battery for a couple of hours, but make sure it doesn’t come into contact with any meltable plastics or rubber components. If you don’t have one, a hair dryer will suffice, but this isn’t something you can just jam under the hood and walk away. Using a hair dryer is a hands-on job and you’ll need to hold it to keep things safe.
What if your battery isn’t in the engine bay?
If the battery is located somewhere other than the engine bay, you’ll still need easy access to try and warm it up. This is pretty much impossible if the battery is placed just ahead of one of the front wheel wells, but if it’s in the trunk, it’s possible to safely warm it up with either a trouble lamp or a hair dryer. Once the battery is warm to the touch, try starting your vehicle again — and make sure every electrical accessory is off. This means the climate control, interior lamps, headlights, etc. If your vehicle automatically turns on the daytime running lights when the ignition is activated, usually that can be overridden with the parking brake. If all this fails, you’ll be looking for a boost — and we have plenty of advice here on how to safely do this.
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