Dead car battery symptoms
What are the signs of a dead car battery
Symptoms of a dead battery
You turn the key and the engine starts cranking, but it sounds like this. This is the dead ringer sound of a dead car battery.
Happened to you? That’s the sign of a dead battery. Here’s how to double check:
Check battery voltage with a voltmeter
Normal battery voltage should be between 12.25 and 12.75 volts. You need that much to start a vehicle. Set your meter to DC volts and attach the red lead to the positive battery terminal and the black lead tot he negative battery terminal. Read the voltage. If it’s below 12-volts, you have a discharged battery
Dash lights blink
This is a clear sign of a dead battery. The computer in your vehicle needs at least 9.6-volts. If the voltage from you battery falls below that, the computer will act strangely and blinking dash lights is one of the signs.
So before you start looking for shorts or bad ground wires, charge the battery and then check the alternator. Click here to see how to do that.
© 2012 Rick Muscoplat
Posted on by Rick Muscoplat