Apart from the engine, the car battery plays an equally important role in running the vehicle. It is the battery that is responsible for routing the voltage directly to the starter of the car that turns on the engine. The battery is also required to supply all electricity power to the components like the lights, computers and all the other electrical-dependent parts like the audio and the navigation systems. But a time can come when the battery won’t be able to hold the charge. In such condition, the vehicle will not even start. So here are some useful tips we gathered from the experts of the Decatur Chevrolet dealership, to make sure it doesn’t happen all of a sudden and keep you stranded at the middle of the road.
Check Out the Headlights
To make sure if the car battery can still hold a charge, the best rule is to minimize the probabilities of such problems at the first instance. Start with the headlights. Turn them on to see if they are able to glow with full brightness. If they do, your battery is still in a healthy condition. If not, then your car is having an issue with the battery.
Use a Voltmeter
If you are ready to use a voltmeter, you will make things easier for yourself. A Voltmeter is an ideal tool that can gauge how much “juice” the battery is left with. While installing a voltmeter all by yourself you need to attach the red colored lead to the positive terminal and choose the black lead for the negative terminal. If the voltmeter gives you a reading between 12.65 volts and 12.77 volts, it is indicative that the battery is fully charged. But a reading that shows anything lesser than a full charge should not be ignored.
Consider Replacing the Battery
When a battery is unable to hold the charge, mostly the reason is age. Too old and worn out batteries will be susceptible to corrosion and eventual cracking. If a battery is more than four years old, it is already time to be replaced.
Make Use of the Battery Maintainer
The experts at the Decatur Chevy dealer with whom we discussed this issue showed us the advantage of the battery maintainer. It is a unit that can sit itself on any flat surface, like the leading edge of the car or simply in front of the fan.
The battery maintainer gives you a choice of charging your vehicle in three modes, one is the Soft start ideal for the badly depleted batteries; the second is the recondition mode which is best for all distressed batteries; and the third is the enhanced mode which is used for long-term storage.
If all the other possibilities of electrical problems have been already ruled out, the battery maintainer would be able to perform its job perfectly. When connected, it will act as the perfect solution for all the types of parked vehicles that are not driven quite often and hence the battery has become unable to hold the charge.
