What To Do When Car Battery Dies

When your car battery dies while you are driving, your car engine won’t cut off immediately as long as the alternator remains active to relay power to your car engine.

If you stop or turn off your car, while driving on the road, it won’t turn on again. This is when you get stranded and you begin to find what to do when car battery dies to start your car again.

Ensure you keep reading to find out what to do when car battery dies while you are driving on the road.

Signs Your Car Battery Is Dying

There are some signs your car will show you before the battery eventually dies. Some of the signs to look for include:

Difficulty Starting your car
No Headlights Or Dim Headlights.
The Check Engine Light On.
Misshaped, bloated or swollen battery.
Cracked or corroding car battery.
Leakage leads to a foul smell.
Reduced power to electrical systems including dimmed exterior and interior lights.
Corrosion at the battery terminals.

What To Do When Car Battery Dies

Here is what to do when car battery dies when driving:

Method 1: Jump-start Your Dead Car

The easiest way you can turn your car engine on when your car battery dies when driving is by jump-starting your car. To jump-start your car you need another car with a running battery and a set of jumper cables.

Follow the steps below to jump-start your dead car:

Step 1: First you need to find a stranger or friend who’s willing to help you with their car.

Step 2: Then you need to get a jumper cable. Jumper cables are cheap and affordable and the average price is about $20.

Step 3: Now place both cars closer enough for the jumper cables to reach both battery terminals.

Step 4: Place both cars in Park or Neutral, then engage the parking brake and turn off the ignition.

Step 5: Attach the red cable to the dead battery’s positive terminal. You will see a plus (+) sign in the positive terminal.

Step 6: Attach the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the working battery. Check for the positive (+) sign in the positive terminal.

Step 7: Attach the black jumper cable to an unpainted metal surface. It looks like a bolt or bracket and a few inches away from the battery of the dead battery.

Step 8: Attach the black cable to the negative terminal of the good battery in the working car battery.

Step 9: Now start the working car, you can leave it for a few minutes to recharge the dead battery.

Step 10: Then start the car with the dead battery.

Step 11: Finally, remove the jumper cables in the way you connected them.

Note: Ensure you carefully check your connection. A wrong connection can create a spark or shock.

Method 2: Charge your Dead Car Battery

Another thing to do when your car battery dies while driving is to charge your car battery using a battery charger.

Follow these steps to charge your car when your car battery dies:

Step 1: You need to get a Car battery charger. You can purchase a very cheap car battery charger on Amazon for less than $30.

Step 2: Remove the negative cable and the positive cables from your car battery. You will see a (-) sign on the negative terminal and (+) on the positive terminal. You may have to remove the plastic caps over the cables.

Step 3: Use a clean brush to clean your battery terminals to remove corrosive dirt and debris.

Step 4: Connect the positive cable of your car battery charger to the positive (+) terminal.

Step 5: Then connect the negative cable of your car battery to the negative (-) terminal.

Step 6: Turn your car charger on and adjust the settings. You need about 13 to 15 volts to charge your battery.

Step 7: After charging for a long period remove car battery charger cables.

Step 8: Finally test your car battery charge using a multimeter.

Method 3: Replace Your Car Battery

The last option to consider would be to replace your car battery with a new one. Your car battery can last for about 3 – 4 years. It will cost above $100 to get a battery replacement.

Once your start seeing cracks, corrosives, or gives a foul smell it may be time to replace your car battery. Some other signs include your car taking longer to start or your interior and exterior lights beginning to dim.

What Causes A Car Battery To Go Dead?

There are various reasons you may have a dead car battery and some of them may include:

Failing Alternator

The alternator charges your car battery and it produces the electric current required to power the electrical accessories in your car.

A worn-out alternator can undercharge your car battery which can be a serious issue. The life span of most alternators is between 7 to 10 years.

If you are having trouble starting your car, dim lights on your dashboard, and the car battery needing constant boost are signs of a failing alternator.

Weak Car Battery

The battery is what gives your vehicle the juice the engine needs to crank each day. When the battery starts to go bad, you can easily replace it.

Leaving Electrical components On

Failing to switch off the electrical components of your car while the engine was off. Some of these components include the head and backlight, interior lights, and radio.

Not Driving Your Car For a Long Time

Not driving your car for a long time can cause your car battery to discharge. Make sure you disconnect your car battery terminals whenever you are not charging your car battery.

Excessive Heat

Excess heat is the main cause of battery failures as this increases the corrosion rate of your car battery. Corrosion of your battery terminals can prevent your car from starting as a result of electrical resistance.

Low Temperature

Low temperature can also lead to battery failure as it can discharge your car battery to a level it can no longer start your car engine.

How to Start a Car With a Dead Battery Without Another Car

If your car battery is dead, but you want to start your car without using another car. Your best option would be to charge your car battery using a battery charger.

You can purchase a car battery charger online or at your favorite auto part shop. You can purchase a battery charger for about $30 which is quite cheap and affordable.

If you do not want to jump-start your car, another option would be to get a car battery replacement. Which can also be done online or at an auto spare part dealer shop.

Car Battery Dead Will It Recharge By Itself

The alternator charges your car battery only when your car is moving. It converts the energy coming from the engine to electrical energy.

The stator and rotor inside the alternator work to generate an alternating current. Then the alternating current is then transformed into a direct current(DC) to charge the battery.

However, if your car is idle the alternator won’t receive any current to charge your dead car battery. You will need to either jump-start your car battery or get a battery charger to charge your car. We

What To Do When Car Battery Dies

Signs Your Car Battery Is Dying

What To Do When Car Battery Dies