![]() And if too many accessories draw power from the alternator at once, it won’t be possible to charge your vehicle’s battery effectively. However, the problem here is that the same alternator also charges the vehicle’s battery. This includes the subwoofers, auxiliary lighting gear, winches, and more. Many accessory components in your vehicle draw power from the alternator. If it’s damaged, your vehicle could encounter charging issues, and the electrical components could start acting up in different parts of your vehicle.Īs a result, your battery light may activate. The ground wire completes the electrical circuits in your car and ensures that electricity flows the way it’s supposed to. When any of these wires break or get disconnected for some reason, you’d have trouble charging the battery or drawing power from it.įor example, say your vehicle’s ground strap or ground wire is damaged. Your charging system and the electrical circuits that draw power from it involve lots of wiring. When either of these scenarios happens, your battery dashboard warning light could turn on. Moreover, if the battery cable isn’t snugly fit (not loose and not too tight) around the battery terminal, the recharging process may also be adversely affected. If a battery cable cracks or degrades, the flow of electricity may get interrupted. Reason #5: Faulty Battery Cableīattery cables are responsible for delivering power from the battery to the rest of your vehicle. And since your battery ultimately receives power through these terminals, poor electrical conductivity can result in a battery charging problem.Ĭonsequently, the dashboard battery light can turn on to indicate this charging problem. ![]() Your battery terminal (or battery post) can undergo corrosion from exposure to the leaking electrolyte solution, vented hydrogen, atmospheric moisture, and so on.Īdditionally, heat generated from your engine can accelerate the corrosion of your battery post or battery terminal.īut how does that affect your car battery?Ī corroded battery terminal or battery post is a poor conductor of electricity. When that occurs, your battery can’t be charged anymore with the broken alternator belt, and the battery warning light turns on. However, with repeated working, this alternator belt or serpentine belt can develop cracks over time and finally break. ![]() Run the air conditioning system, power steering, and other vehicle accessories.Spin the alternator which charges your car battery.Reason #3: Broken Alternator BeltĪn alternator belt (aka serpentine belt) uses the power generated by the engine crankshaft to: And this can negatively affect the proper functioning of your vehicle battery.Īs a result, the battery warning light can turn on to indicate that you’ve got a failing alternator, or worse, a wholly damaged alternator. If your vehicle has a failing alternator (or faulty alternator), it’ll probably produce a voltage outside the optimal range. In many cars, the optimal charging voltage is between 13.6 and 14.6 Volts. If your vehicle’s alternator is malfunctioning, the vehicle battery may not receive sufficient voltage for proper charging, or it may get exposed to excessive voltage. Reason #2: Malfunctioning AlternatorĪn alternator is a component that charges your vehicle’s battery. When either of these happens, your dashboard battery light activates to warn you of a bad battery or dead battery. ![]() As a result, the battery voltage (and battery power) generated will decrease.Īnd with a dead battery, the battery voltage would just drop to zero. The battery warning light on your dashboard usually gets activated due to one or more of the following seven reasons: Reason #1: Bad BatteryĪ car’s battery usually lasts between 3 to 5 years.īut, as your car battery ages, the electrodes inside it might break, or the electrolyte contained within the car’s battery may leak. ![]()
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