A dead battery can spoil your day. Without a functioning battery, the only way to start your car is to jump-start it. We don’t want you to face this problem, so we’d like to tell you about some signs that you need a new car battery for your used SUV.
Signs You Need a New Car Battery for Your Used SUV
Slow Cranking
The battery stores electricity to provide the necessary charge to start your engine. When you push the start button, a powerful electrical charge is sent to the starter solenoid. The solenoid then powers the starter motor, which cranks your engine. As the engine cranks, air, and fuel are drawn into the intake manifold and the combustion process begins.
If your battery is old or weak, it might not have sufficient charge to start your engine immediately. You might even find you have to step on the gas pedal before your engine will fire. Your battery might be worn out, or it may not be recharging correctly due to a wiring fault, a damaged alternator, or some other issue. We’ll test your battery and find and repair the cause of the problem.
Parasitic Battery Drain
A parasitic battery drain can almost completely drain a healthy battery overnight. When your engine is switched off, the battery supplies power to the alarm, lights, radio, and sundry other components. Sustaining these varied components doesn’t require a large amount of electricity, and your battery should recharge completely when your engine is running again.
A parasitic drain is caused by an electrical circuit that doesn’t shut off when it’s supposed to. This open circuit will continue to draw significant amounts of power, and this will rapidly drain your battery. Two of the most common culprits in this situation are the trunk light and the glove box light. If your battery weakens mysteriously overnight, we’ll investigate and trace the source of the problem.
Damaged Alternator
The battery power used when your engine is at rest is replenished by the alternator when your engine is running again. The alternator begins recharging your battery by charging it at 100% power for 10 minutes and then switching to 10% of battery power until the battery is recharged. A damaged alternator can damage a battery by overcharging or insufficient charging.
Overcharging occurs when the alternator doesn’t switch to recharging at a lower capacity. The sustained and excessive charge can overheat the battery and cause the acid inside it to boil. If this happens, you’ll smell a strong rotten egg smell. If the alternator is too weak to supply a sufficient charge, your battery will gradually fail. We’ll test your alternator and replace it if it’s causing the problem.
If you have any battery problems, call us right away at Santa Monica SUVs.
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