The rain is pouring, you are late for something, and the engine won’t turn over. You call a mechanic. You have a dead cell, he says. You need a new battery and it is $75 for the callout. If only we had warning. The fact is we often do.
Your battery could be on its way out if some days the car works fine, while on others it is a pain. The same applies if you have to jump start on cold mornings, or crank the engine for a long time before it fires up.
If the car refuses to start, you could have an electrical problem. You could also have an empty gas tank. To eliminate that embarrassing possibility do these diagnostics.
- Check the battery for a corroded, loose or broken terminal, a distorted casing, or a crack. If you can smell battery acid, wash your hands and get help.
- Take a voltage reading across the terminals. A fully charged battery should read between 12.7 and 13.2. If you do not get better than 10.5 you have a dead cell.
- Take a second voltage reading while you try to start the car. If it stays in the 9.5 to 10.5 range you may be okay. If it drops to zero, something is loose inside. There is no cure for a battery falling apart.
Forget the gig ‘they don’t make them like that anymore’. We do at UPS Battery Center because we want you to have a better product.
You could extend the life of our batteries for a year or more by keeping the terminals clean, running the engine before turning on the accessories, and leaving the car on trickle charge if off the road for longer than a week
Batteries do not like hot, humid climates. You could also move to Alaska. If you prefer your creature comforts, you could treat your battery nice, check it occasionally and keep it going longer.
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