Dead Car Battery

Your car needs electrical power for many of its functions like the headlights, taillights, the music system, starter, power windows, internal lights, windshield wipers etc. The car battery is the sole source of power for all of them. Ideally the car battery should function properly for five full years because that is the average life of your car's battery. But it's next to impossible to maintain the ideal conditions. Because there are many aspects that decide how long the battery will last. Let's analyze the problems in a car battery in more detail.

Signs that Your Car Battery is Dead

Following are some of the signs that indicate that your car battery is dead or has drained.

• The car does not start after you turn the key into the ignition.
• The electrically operated components like the car windows don't work.
• While starting the car if it makes a clicking sound instead of the usual sound.
• The headlights have become dim and shine brightly only when you accelerate.
• When you open the bonnet, if there is a bad smell like rotten eggs.
• If the car does not start normally, but starts with a jump then you can be sure that the problem is with the battery.

The Causes Behind

The causes of a dead car battery can be numerous, and only proper testing of the battery can reveal the actual problem. The most obvious cause is that the lifespan for which the battery was designed, is about to get over. There are other situations that contribute to this situation, for instance, if you forget to turn off your headlights when you parked your car, you will find your battery drained after you come back. Other causes may be-

• Incorrect ways of charging the battery.
• The interior lights being left on for a long time.
• Using your battery to jump start another battery when your own car battery itself is weak.
• Leaving the radio or car audio system on for the entire night.
• Using a substandard battery.
• A short circuit somewhere in the wiring of the battery.
• If the alternator is not functioning properly it will not charge the battery.
• Using the car for short distances while using the accessories amply can also lead to a dead battery.
• Sometimes the electrolyte in the battery gets collected at the bottom of the battery leaving the top half devoid of acid, which can also contribute to such a condition of your car's battery.
• Poor car battery maintenance is another prominent cause of the battery being drained. An example of poor maintenance would be, not keeping proper amount of water in the battery.

How to Fix

A quick and easy way to revive a dead battery is jumping it. For jump-starting a battery, you need a set of jumper cables and another car with a well charged battery. The following steps will explain how to jump start your car-

• Park the car with the dead battery beside the car with a full battery (revive car). You can also park the two cars hood to hood, that is, in front of each other.
• Now connect one terminal of the positive cable (mostly red) to the positive terminal of the reviving car and other end to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
• Now connect one terminal of the negative cable to the negative of the reviving battery. The other end of this cable should be connected to an unpainted metal surface in the engine block.
• Now turn the reviving car on and run it for a few minutes. This will charge the dead battery.
• Now try starting the car. If it does not start, run the reviving car for some more time.

Another way of starting a car whose battery is dead is to push start it. But for this method you need someone to push your car while you try to start it and it will take several attempts to get the car running. Also, this method is not recommended and should be used only if no other option is available.

The best way to deal with a dead car battery is to charge it as soon as possible. But make sure you first read about how long to charge it in the car user manual. Take all the safety precautions mentioned in it. If the battery is damaged, its replacement is the only option. Do not try to jump start a frozen battery as there is danger of the battery exploding. Also, if you find an acid leak in the battery take it to the mechanic immediately.