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Slow or hesitant engine cranking

When you turn the ON the ignition key or press the Car’s Start, this is a new feature in modern days cars, the engine cranks slowly, or you can only hear kttt..ktt..kt…kt sound, or the car engine struggles before starting. After a two or three cranks, the car engine is completely silent.
This is usually the first and most common indicator of a weak battery.

Battery warning light on the car dashboard

When the red colored battery symbol stays on while you are driving your car, this is a clear indication that there is a charging-system issue (car battery, car alternator, or electrical wiring issue).
Do not ignore this—continued vehicle driving can fully drain the battery.

Dimming car headlights or electrical issues

·         Headlights dim at idle, they are not as bright as they were previously.

·         Power windows move slowly or does not move at all.

·         Music system or Infotainment resets or flickers.

·         These pointers indicate an insufficient voltage delivery.

Car demands Frequent jump-starts

If your car need jump-starts more than once in a short period (repeated in 7 days or less), the battery is no longer holding charge.
At this stage, new car battery replacement—not repair—is the correct action.

Swollen car battery case or visible minor crack damage

A bulging car battery indicates overheating or internal failure.
This is dangerous, unsafe—replace the car battery immediately. I have seen some batteries exploded and entire engine bay needed cleaning and repairs, that goes into few thousand rupees.

Oxidation/Corrosion on battery terminals

White or green powder on battery terminals can reduce current flow.
This can sometimes be cleaned, but corrosion usually appears in aging and over used batteries.

Battery age exceeds 3–5 years (Indian Temperatures or Climate Conditions)

In Indian heat and traffic conditions, where 90 % of the cars on city roads driving at less than 30 KMPH speed for years together, most car batteries last 3–4 years, not 5+ years.

· The battery life is even more less in Yellow Board (Taxis) vehicles. I have experienced that these taxis face frequent battery issues.

· Even if the car starts normally, an older and over used battery can fail without warning.

What can actually be “repaired”?

Battery Issue	Your Action
Battery discharged	Recharge it, with a professional battery charging machine available at nearest battery shop.
Loose / corroded terminals	Remove the terminals, Clean with plain water & tighten. Apply Vaseline if available.
Alternator not charging	Alternator repair. This needs a car mechanic to test. But you can find if your Alternator working or not by testing it with multi-meter. Come to BatteryCity, we do this for free.
Weak or dead battery	Replace the battery

 

There is no reliable internal repair for a modern lead-acid or AGM car battery. Many shops claim to revive a dead battery by replacing Acid, or just by adding distill water. This is not true for all the batteries.

When to test the battery immediately

·  Car not used or driven for 5–7 days and struggles to start.

·   Recent jump-start, that is like two or three times in ten-day time.

·   Battery older than 3 years, and used for as good kilometers of run.

·    Dashboard warning light present.

·   A proper battery test includes voltage test, cranking sound, and charging system checks.

Bottom line

If your car shows slow cranking, electrical dimming, repeated jump-starts, or a warning light, the battery is already failing. Cleaning terminals may buy time, but car battery replacement is inevitable once the power retaining capacity drops.

If you want, Find the Find Your car model from our website. Visit batterycity.in