If your car is acting out, it can be difficult to tell what exactly the problem is, let alone how to get it fixed.
If you are worried that the problems you’re experiencing are related to battery issues, keep an eye out for these signs that might indicate your battery is going bad:
- Difficulty starting your car. If your car is hesitant to start, it may be because of battery issues.
- Difficulty holding a charge. Similarly, if you find you need to jump start your car often, this can be a very clear sign that there’s something wrong with your battery.
- Dim or flickering lights inside or out of your car. If you turn your headlights on in the middle of the night but still can’t make anything out, or if your interior lights are hardly bright enough to help you find something you dropped on the floor, you may be having battery issues.
Signs like this can arise from a number of causes. Extremely high or low temperatures can stress your battery, such as being left out in the summer sun for too long or sitting outside underneath a pile of freezing snow. Not using your car regularly can also lead to your battery going bad from disuse. You can also strain your battery by doing things like leaving the lights on after you’ve left the car.
Sometimes, though, you can have battery issues through no fault of your own. Usually, batteries are expected by most manufacturers to last three to five years. After that, you will likely have to start thinking about replacing it no matter how well you’ve taken care of your battery.
