Things you should know about car batteries

Knowledge is power when it comes to your car’s battery and electrical system. The last thing you want is to be left stranded with a dead battery. The more you know about your battery and electrical system, the less likely you’ll get stuck.

A few months ago, I received a call from a friend and client who was stuck where he went for a meeting inside the university of Ibadan because his car wouldn’t start; it wouldn’t even turn over, as the battery was dead.

It was late in the evening, he was quite frantic and confused at the same time, simply because he had been driving for the better part of the day without issues and the car started without hesitation each time he had to.

I scrambled a team and went to the vehicle the next morning, armed with a jump starter and we were able to start the car, without having to fix anything. We proceeded to test the battery, the charging and starting systems, and everything checked out to be fine. We were able to drive the vehicle to the workshop for further checks, the result of which caused us to replace the battery in the key fob and make a duplicate for it as well.

Several weeks later, he told me a similar thing happened while he was out of town and it turned out that the charging system had become the source of parasitic drain on the battery. An alternator replacement was what it took to take care of the problem.

 

Let’s make some sense of the Battery!

On average, a battery can last two to three years, but driving habits and exposure to extreme elements can shorten its service life.

 

How exactly does a car battery work?

The car battery provides the jolt of electricity necessary to power all the electrical components in your vehicle. Talk about a pretty huge responsibility. Without battery power, your car, as you’ve probably noticed, won’t start.

How’s this achieved? A chemical reaction puts your car in action: Your battery converts chemical energy into the electrical energy necessary to power your car, delivering voltage to the starter motor, the solenoid in the motor gets activated and causes the motor to make contact with the engine flywheel and turn it at very high speeds to activate the combustion process. The engine overcomes its inertia and combustion takes over from there, till the engine is shut-off.

Not only does your battery provide the energy required to start your car, but it’s also stabilizing the voltage (that’s the term for the energy supply) to keep your engine running. In modern cars equipped with electronic fuel injection, a lot is riding on the supply of electricity to keep things running, from the fuel pump, injector nozzles to the electronic ignition coils,a lot is riding on the battery to provide the required voltage stability. Call it the ‘little box that could.’

 

Symptoms of a failing or bad battery

Are there any warning signs that may indicate my battery is getting to its end of life?

“If I only knew sooner.” We’ve all been there before. Fortunately, there are various indications and symptoms that your battery may need replacement, here are a few of them:

Slow engine crank: When you attempt to start the vehicle, the cranking of the engine is sluggish and takes longer than normal to start. You’d best describe it as the “rurrurrur” starting noise sound.

Check engine or other MIL: The check engine light sometimes appears when your battery power is weak. Strange system indicator lights–such as check engine, abs and other malfunction indicator lights–could mean there’s a problem with your battery. (It could also just mean there is a problem in a system or subsystem of the vehicle.).

Low battery fluid level: This applies only to batteries that require maintenance and electrolyte top-up. They typically have a part of the casing that’s translucent so you can always keep an eye on your battery’s fluid level. You can also inspect it by removing the caps for a visual inspection. (most modern car batteries now come equipped with maintenance-free batteries)

The swelling, bloating battery case: If your battery casing looks like it ate a very large meal, this could indicate a battery gone bad. You can blame excessive heat for causing your battery case to swell, decreasing your battery life, that’s why many manufacturers have chosen to install the battery in various parts of the vehicle where they are less susceptible to heat damage, and those that keep it in the engine bay, mostly have an insulation pad installed around it.

Rotten egg smell: You may notice a pungent, rotten egg smell (sulphurodour) around the battery. The cause: Battery leaks. Leaking also causes the corrosion around the posts (where the + (positive) and – (negative) cable connections are located.) This will need to be removed, as it will impede proper connection between the battery terminals and fasteners.

Three years + battery age is considered an old-timer: Your battery can last well beyond three years but, at the very least, have its current condition inspected on a regularly as it approaches this period. Battery life cycles range from two-to-three years depending on the battery. However, driving habits, weather and frequent short trips (under 20 minutes) can drastically shorten the actual life of your car battery.

 

How do I determine if my battery is still good?

If the battery is older than one year since its installation, there is a need to ensure that a battery test is scheduled at every service to enable the technician to provide proper advice. Consider it time for close monitoring.

 

Can a bad battery harm the charging system or starter motor?

You bet. If you have a weak ankle, you tend to overcompensate and put more weight–and stress–on the healthy ankle. Same concept with a weak battery. When you have a weak battery, your car ends up putting additional stress on healthy parts. The charging system, starter motor or starter solenoid can be affected.

These parts can malfunction because they’re drawing excessive voltage to compensate for the lack of battery power. Leave this problem unresolved, and you could wind up replacing expensive electrical parts–typically without warning. If you’d like to get a head start, get your battery tested now!

Special interstate batteries for providing the right context for this article.

 

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