How Do You Know If You Have A Bad Battery?

Just like a healthy heart keeps the human body going strong, so it is with your car battery . Without a battery, your vehicle doesn't have the power to start, move, or do anything else. That little black box under the hood is typically referred to as a “wet-cell” battery, i.e., a plastic cube containing sulfuric acid and lead, with two terminals coming out of the top or the side.

So how do you know if you have a bad battery in your car? Here are three very obvious signs that it may be time for a car battery replacement:

1. Your engine cranks or turns over when you turn the key in the ignition, but your car won’t start.
2. Your engine doesn’t do anything, no sounds at all and none of the lights or accessories work.
3. Your vehicle randomly starts one day then doesn’t the next.

If you are having starting problems, there are several issues that could be suspect:

1. The battery terminals are loose, broken, corroded, or calcified,
2. The fluid level in the terminals may be too low,
3. The cable connections could be loose or corroded
4. A parasitic electrical current is drawing power from the battery even when the key is out of the ignition,
5. The starter may be going bad
6. The alternator may be starting to fail.

How do you know if you have a bad battery in your car? Contact our ASE Certified technicians at Phil’s Service for more information about a car battery replacement and to schedule an appointment. Our auto repair shop proudly serves residents in the community of Killeen, TX , and the surrounding area.