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Battery indicator car dashboard7/26/2023 Moreover, if the battery cable isn’t snugly fit (not loose and not too tight) around the battery terminal, the recharging process may also be adversely affected. If a battery cable cracks or degrades, the flow of electricity may get interrupted. Reason #5: Faulty Battery Cableīattery cables are responsible for delivering power from the battery to the rest of your vehicle. And since your battery ultimately receives power through these terminals, poor electrical conductivity can result in a battery charging problem.Ĭonsequently, the dashboard battery light can turn on to indicate this charging problem. Your battery terminal (or battery post) can undergo corrosion from exposure to the leaking electrolyte solution, vented hydrogen, atmospheric moisture, and so on.Īdditionally, heat generated from your engine can accelerate the corrosion of your battery post or battery terminal.īut how does that affect your car battery?Ī corroded battery terminal or battery post is a poor conductor of electricity. When that occurs, your battery can’t be charged anymore with the broken alternator belt, and the battery warning light turns on. However, with repeated working, this alternator belt or serpentine belt can develop cracks over time and finally break. Run the air conditioning system, power steering, and other vehicle accessories.Spin the alternator which charges your car battery.Reason #3: Broken Alternator BeltĪn alternator belt (aka serpentine belt) uses the power generated by the engine crankshaft to: And this can negatively affect the proper functioning of your vehicle battery.Īs a result, the battery warning light can turn on to indicate that you’ve got a failing alternator, or worse, a wholly damaged alternator. If your vehicle has a failing alternator (or faulty alternator), it’ll probably produce a voltage outside the optimal range. In many cars, the optimal charging voltage is between 13.6 and 14.6 Volts. If your vehicle’s alternator is malfunctioning, the vehicle battery may not receive sufficient voltage for proper charging, or it may get exposed to excessive voltage. Reason #2: Malfunctioning AlternatorĪn alternator is a component that charges your vehicle’s battery. When either of these happens, your dashboard battery light activates to warn you of a bad battery or dead battery. As a result, the battery voltage (and battery power) generated will decrease.Īnd with a dead battery, the battery voltage would just drop to zero. Cold temperatures affect the chemical process inside the battery that produces and stores electricity, effectively slowing it down and reducing its ability to hold a charge.The battery warning light on your dashboard usually gets activated due to one or more of the following seven reasons: Reason #1: Bad BatteryĪ car’s battery usually lasts between 3 to 5 years.īut, as your car battery ages, the electrodes inside it might break, or the electrolyte contained within the car’s battery may leak.What are the causes of batteries not functioning optimally? Cold Weather: But you want to get to the garage before the battery fails and your car dies. When the battery light is on, you can still drive your car to the garage. At that point, nothing in your car will work. Your car will run fine until the battery goes dead. The reason why your car can operate normally even though the battery light is on is that your car can run off the energy stored in the battery. Total failure of the alternator is another possibility. If the battery light comes on and stays on while you are driving, the most common cause is a broken alternator belt. (not enough voltage to charge the battery optimally) The battery light indicates a battery charging problem. A simple circuit looks at the voltage that the alternator is producing, and turns the battery light on if it is low. Why is there a battery light?īecause your car is so dependent on the battery, all cars have a battery light on the dashboard that is designed to warn you if the recharging system fails. A typical alternator can put out between 500 and 1,000 watts when necessary. Most cars have an alternator, along with a voltage regulator, that keeps the battery charged and also provides electricity to the vehicle when the engine is running. Like all batteries, they would eventually go dead if they were not recharged, so your car has a built-in recharging system. The battery powers everything electrical: the engine’s computer, the ignition system, the radio, the headlights, electric seats, windows, etc. The battery is vital to the car’s operation. Why is the battery light illuminated on my instrument cluster? Pay attention to the battery light.
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