Fernando the electronics guy is an electronics engineer. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from UC Riverside.
Your car battery is acting up. You’re worried. You’re thinking of pulling your whole car apart. But, before doing so — how to know if the car battery is bad?
If your car battery is in its early stages of failing, you’ll notice dimmer lights
You’ll also notice a weakening operation of other electrical components:
A bad battery may also cause other specific electrical problems:
As you can see, a failing battery can cause chaos on a vehicle well equipped with electrical/electronic components.
If your vehicle won’t start, it may be a bad battery (AKA flat battery), a bad alternator, or a bad starter.
Since the alternator generates and regulates the electrical current charging your car battery, it is crucial to have a working alternator.
Needless to say, the alternator also has built-in rectifier diode(s) to both convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) and regulate the direction of the generated current to stop discharging while only allowing charging of the battery.
The signs of a bad alternator:
The symptoms of a bad starter are common and often times leave consumers confused about what needs to be fixed, leading to expensive repairs elsewhere. The starter, a small motor powered by the battery, is attached to your engine / transmission to get things spinning to allow your engine to turn, thus transmitting power to your transmission.
Symptoms of a bad starter:
So – bad battery, bad alternator, or bad starter? It’s easier to check the battery health first. It’s also a lot easier to stop by your local auto retailer for a quick starting system test. They’ll hook up their electronic apparatus to your battery and test the whole system. They’ll let you know what is failing and what isn’t with dead accuracy.
The most common way to start a car with a dead battery is to jumpstart it:
Remove the dead battery and take it to an automotive retailer. They will charge it for you while also allowing their electronic battery charging systems the opportunity to give you feedback on whether or not your car battery is bad.
Option 2: Pop out your powerful portable jump starter with no damage to your battery. Jump your vehicle with it and get going.
If your battery is flat it is highly convenient and recommended to carry a powerful portable jump starter. Electronics guy recommends the NOCO lithium jump starter above.
No matter what you’re waking up to do in the mornings, it’s no question having a bad battery do bad things such as not be ready with you is out of the question. You’re a busy person with busy things to do. Don’t let a flat battery be your reason for not being out.
These portable battery booster packs hold a charge that can bring your car battery back to life. Their end clips – called terminator clips – are the same ones found on conventional jumper cables.
Old jump packs used to be composed of lead-acid batteries. But the ones above that I recommend are lithium-ion battery powered. More current, better technology, more dependability.
Why choose lithium-ion jump starters:
This is all about dependability. The jump starter that I recommend above will keep you moving.
If you have a bad battery, this won’t damage the alternator or the starter, but it mau cause other problems. If you have a bad alternator, this may damage the battery. If you have a bad starter, the engine won’t crank but the failure won't damage any other components.
It is recommended to change a battery when it is due for it. Failing to change a battery when it is showing symptoms of failing may lead to damage in other areas of the vehicle.
https://www.tiresplus.com/blog/batteries/unmistakable-signs-car-battery-is-failing/
https://www.silvhornautomotive.com/services/electrical-system/
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/23925/non-functional-gas-pedal-engine-stalling-dead-battery-broken-alternator
https://www.lesschwab.com/article/starting-problems-how-to-tell-if-its-the-battery-or-alternator.html
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relationship-between-a-gearbox-and-a-starter-in-a-manual-and-an-automatic-car
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-battery/jump-start-car-with-dead-battery-a1028630350/
https://www.autozone.com/diy/battery/lead-acid-vs-lithium-ion-jump-starters
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
