Can't start car because battery is dead, what to do?
When the car battery runs out of power, it is necessary to determine the exact cause, thereby having an effective solution to avoid "losing money and getting sick".
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 encountering 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 exact 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 if there is 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 because the battery is dead," said Mr. Hieu.
According to Mr. Hieu, the battery runs out of power for 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 (dissipating electricity) causing the battery to continuously discharge, causing the battery to run out; due to the car owner's carelessness in not turning off all electrical equipment or lights in the car or not closing the trunk door completely; replacing the battery with a poor quality, incorrect type, etc.
"Finding out the cause of the battery running out of power depends on the experience of the car owner, even having to use 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 power booster, or have another car 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 connecting the positive pole (+) to the positive pole, then the negative pole (-) of the car that gives electricity connects to the 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 (-) pole first, then the positive (+) pole.
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. 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 fault is due to the battery or the generator, you need to replace it immediately to avoid being stuck on the road," 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, the connection is not guaranteed, it can cause very dangerous fires and explosions.
- 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, both to help the engine "warm up" and to 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.