Five Signs Your Vehicle’s Battery Is About To Fail

1. Battery indicator on your dashboard is lit
   Notice the battery icon on your dashboard? When lit up, it indicates that your battery has a recharging issue. While this could be due to a battery fault, your alternator, which charges your battery as you drive, may also be faulty.
2. Battery case looks swollen
   This should be easy to check for. Lift your car bonnet to see if your battery has swelled. If so, the culprit may be excessive heat, which can kill your battery life. Another cause could be that your battery is overcharged. This expands its cell plates, leaving the case with an unsightly bulge.
3. Lights are weak and lack power
   If the lights are dimming or even flickering frequently, your battery may be suffering from lack of power. This is because these accessories cannot draw enough power. While the problem may be your battery, always make sure—first—that a faulty light bulb isn’t the real cause.
4. Engine is struggling to crank over
   Starting your car when its battery is in poor condition is an exercise in patience; waiting for the engine to start can take a very long time. If the sound produced is laboured and heavy, the battery may not have enough charge or cranking power. And if your car requires excessive or more than one cranking to start up, that is a clear warning sign of a failing battery.
5. Starting your car is an intermittent issue
   On good days, your car starts normally and you can get to work on time. Perhaps there’s even time to grab a coffee on the way. On others, it just refuses to start, and you need to whip out the jumper cables—which may also damage your battery and even your car if done too regularly. If these sound familiar, your battery terminals may be corroded, loose or calcified. Check first if your cables are loose, and make sure they fit snugly on the battery posts. This may also be another sign that your car battery is in poor health and needs replacing.

Does your car battery needs to be changed?