Can't start car because battery is dead, what to do?

There are many reasons why your car cannot start, from parts such as the battery, generator, starter, wires, sensors, or even running out of gas,... And the most common and easy to encounter cause is that the car's battery is out of power.

When faced with such situations, most new drivers are confused and do not know how to handle them or make incorrect judgments and fixes, leading to costly expenses and worse, other unnecessary damage.

Therefore, when the car battery runs out, it is necessary to determine the correct cause, thereby having an effective solution.

Talking to VietNamNet, auto engineer Le Tien Hieu - Technical Advisor of Bao Tin Auto Garage (Ha Dong, Hanoi) said that in reality, all types of batteries have a certain lifespan and can "suddenly die" at any time. When this power source is cut off, starting the car will become impossible.

"When the car cannot be started, it is necessary to determine the situation to see if the battery is dead or due to a fault in the starting system or a sensor or some other reason that leads to the engine not being able to start. The easiest way is to try pressing the horn to hear the sound, turn on the headlights and dashboard lights to see if they light up normally? If the horn light is weak, it is definitely due to a dead battery," said Mr. Hieu.

According to Mr. Hieu, the battery runs out of power due to many reasons: It could be due to long-term natural battery wear, so even though the generator is still charging, the battery cannot store voltage; due to a poor or broken generator, the battery cannot be charged; due to the car leaking electricity (discharging electricity) causing the battery to continuously discharge, causing the battery to run out; due to the car owner being careless and not turning off all electrical equipment or lights in the car or not closing the trunk door; replacing a poor quality battery of the wrong type,...

"Finding out the cause of the battery running out of power depends on the car owner's experience, and even requires using a machine to measure the current to know. However, the first thing to do is to find a way to start the car," this expert shared.

Engineer Hieu said that the first thing to do is to jump start the battery to start the engine. You can use a spare battery, a booster, or ask another car to come close and use a special wire to jump start the battery.

In this case, connect the wires of the two cars according to the principle of the positive pole (+) connected to the positive pole, then the negative pole (-) of the car that gives electricity connects to ground (can be a piece of metal on the car frame that is out of electricity).

The procedure is to start the electric car first, then start the dead car. After starting, wait for the dead car to run stably for about 2-3 minutes before removing the wires in reverse order, that is, remove the negative (-) terminal first, then the positive (+).

One thing to note is that you should never connect the battery to the wrong polarity because this can cause some parts of the car to short-circuit and burn out. In the worst case, it can damage the fuses and capacitors, and in the worst case, it can damage the generator or even cause a very dangerous fire or explosion.

"Immediately after starting the engine, you need to take it to a reputable garage to check all the components, find the exact cause of the dead battery and fix it soon. If the error is due to the battery or the generator, you need to replace it immediately to avoid being out of luck," said this expert.

In addition, engineer Le Tien Hieu also gave some advice to car owners as follows:

- Regularly check the battery condition by observing the surface, battery terminals and contacts. Normally, batteries only work effectively when used for less than 2-3 years, so when the battery in your car has been used for more than 3 years, do not hesitate to replace it to ensure safety.

- When the car battery runs out of power, many people will call a mechanic to bring a new one to replace it immediately. However, if the battery is new and has been used for less than 2 years, you should jump start the car first, then determine the exact cause before deciding to replace the battery to avoid waste.

- Limit the modification of high-power electrical equipment such as lights, horns, sound systems, etc. on the vehicle because it will increase the load and reduce battery life. Even if the modification is not done properly or the connection is not guaranteed, it can cause a very dangerous fire or explosion.

- Get into the habit of turning off all electrical devices such as lights, ceiling lights and closing the door carefully when leaving the car to avoid losing battery power. For cars that are not used much, every 7-10 days you should start the engine for about 10 minutes, to help the engine "warm up" and at the same time help charge the battery.

- In case the car has problems such as not being able to start when the battery is dead, you need to immediately contact a reputable garage for advice on how to solve the problem. Avoid self-diagnosis leading to incorrect treatment, wasting time and money unnecessarily.