The battery provides the power that starts your engine, and it maintains your Chevy’s systems when the engine is switched off. As time passes, your battery will weaken and eventually fail. As your Chevy dealer, we’d like you to know a few signs you need to visit us for a new car battery.
3 Signs You Need a New Car Battery From Your Chevy Dealer
Short Driving Distances
Regularly driving short distances can damage your battery and cause it to fail. The battery sends a powerful electrical charge to the starter when you hit the start button, which cranks the engine and begins the combustion process. The electrical charge uses a large portion of the battery’s reserves, and this lost electricity is replaced by the alternator once your engine is running.
The alternator doesn’t recharge the battery at full power. After an initial full charge for ten minutes, the alternator switches to recharging at 10% of capacity until the battery is replenished. If you routinely drive only short distances, the battery will steadily weaken as it never sufficiently recharges. We’ll test your battery, and if it’s still in good condition, this issue can be fixed by driving your Chevy for at least one hour once a week.
Dim Headlights
Dim headlights usually mean that your headlight bulbs are weakening and will fail. They can also mean the bulbs aren’t receiving enough electricity to shine brightly. You can test this hypothesis by checking the bulb’s luminosity when the engine is switched off, then switching the engine on and rechecking the bulb’s brightness.
If the bulbs are dim under both conditions, they’re probably wearing out, and we can replace them. If the bulbs are brighter when the engine is running, your battery is weakening. We’ll test your battery using our computerized battery tester. This machine will identify any weakness in the battery and estimate its remaining life. If your battery is very weak, we can replace it to fix this issue.
Illuminated Battery Light
The battery light on your dash warns of any problems in your electrical system. The electrical system contains many sensors, each connected to an important component. The sensors monitor their connected components and will inform your computer if they detect any problem with their component. Your computer will log the problem and then illuminate the battery light.
We diagnose this problem by connecting your computer to a diagnostic scanner. The scanner can read error codes on the computer, and our technicians will use this information to pinpoint the cause of the problem so we can repair it. Once the issue is fixed, the warning light will go out.
If you have a battery problem, contact our service department at Ted Britt Chevrolet in Sterling, VA.
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