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-   -   Signs that battery needs a replacement (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/22945-signs-battery-needs-replacement.html)

Hi

There have been a couple of threads on the quality of battery how long it lasts, so on.

When do I know my car battery needs replacement ? What are the signs or indications one sees ? Does one wait until the car does not start any more or die enroute ?

1. Is there a fall in FE when battery reaches end of its life ?
2. Any indications in electricals, say head lights or horn ?
3. Does the A/C start running weak ?

.......

Please provide your inputs and experiences.

One of the symptoms of bad battery is that it requires multiple cranking to start the engine.

I am quite an expert at this as my earlier Esteem was a "battery eater".

Watch out for signs once the battery is 2.5 years or older

Signs(typically after two and a half years of battery life)

• engine cranking is slow or almost nil
• if engine does not crank,dash lights(oil and battery) go real dim when key is turned to start position
• no problem in cranking if car is left idle for a day but problem seen if car is left idle for say 2 or 3 days or more
• If you have a gravity tester,open the plugs/caps on all six compartments on the battery and check the gravity..should be around 1.22.Anything way below this means a weak cell.Typically it is one cell that packs up after which the battery gives problems.
• If once cell is found weak,it would be a good idea to replace the battery immediately rather than wait to get stranded somewhere
• As long as the alternator is good,you will not find a weal horn/lights/A/C as a tell tale.

Can anybody tell is my battery is weak
when i play my car ICE(has a 12" woofer and a 4 channel amp) the lights of the car blick a little
has no problem in cranking half a crank at it starts

easiest check, switch on headlights and crank, if the lights go completely dim, all is not well

Switch on the ignition,
switch on lights, full beam,
switch on flasher,
put on the ice,
put your car in reverse so that the reverse lights (and/or reverse horn if u have one of the things) come on,
push the brakes for brake lights,
crank the engine,
if it protests, uve got a problem :D
on a serious note, if theres a slight hesitation from your engine whilst starting even without undergoing any of the the above steps, check battery for acid levels.

got the water filled at the last service

Forgot to mention the Aircon in your list. My cold starts always needed multiple cranks. Also there is a hesitation after a short stop. But mostly its one crank if the temperature is warm. Thats how it has been since I bought the car new.

that too. thanks thanks

hey was thinking if my battery was ready to be replaced then doing this would drain the already drained battery and then the car wouldn't start at all
is it safe to do so

I think he was kidding buddy, I suggest not to do that. If you suspect the battery is weak then get the specific gravity checked by your nearest battery dealer.

If your battery is more than 2 years old, check it regularly. There are no tell tale signs that you can see on normal driving conditions. Better to keep it checked regularly. The lights do dim, but it is not that noticeable for the untrained eye.
cheers

even otherwise, when the engine is ready to crank, all of it will be shut off till the engine is started and the starter solenoid is released. won't it?

also, from my own experience, engine not cranking well can also be a bad starter motor. here in US they give out a graphical result (on paper) of motor test (test was free), and mine was pretty bad.

All these are fine, but how long a battery lasts with normal use?

2-3 years anything above is a bonus, if you remember my last OE in iKON lasted for 6 years.. and i think already there is thread on the life of battery