What causes a car battery to go flat after 5 years?

What causes a car battery to go flat after 5 years?

If the engine struggles to start before the battery is 5 years old, it probably means: 1 The battery isn’t getting enough charge. 2 The car’s doing too many short journeys, or 3 There’s a vehicle fault draining the battery or affecting charging.

What does it mean when your car won’t start?

Let us walk you through the car’s main reasons won’t start, but the battery is good. Even if you think that the battery is good, probably by seeing the lights working or the radio functioning, it doesn’t indicate a good battery. Therefore, the first thing you need to confirm and check is the battery.

Can a car not start but the battery is good?

If you see the lights working and the radio functioning and thought that battery is good, this is not the right conclusion.

When does a car battery fail to charge?

However, our mechanics see cases where the battery has failed after only 2 or 3 years because of how the car was driven. As a rough rule of thumb: If the engine struggles to start before the battery is 5 years old, it probably means: The battery isn’t getting enough charge. There’s a vehicle fault draining the battery or affecting charging.

What causes a car battery to not start?

Most auto parts stores will test a battery for free to see if it has enough voltage and cold-cranking amps to start the engine. If the battery passes the test, then it isn’t being sufficiently recharged. That could be caused by corrosion on the battery terminals, or a loose or faulty cable.

Why does a car starter make a clicking sound?

Your starter is vital to your car because it is responsible for starting the engine. The battery sends it a jolt of electricity, which the starter uses to turn the engine over and get it to start. A broken starter will make a clicking sound when you turn the key.

Why does my car not start when I jump the alternator?

If jump starting gets your engine started and running, but the car will not start again once you turn it off, the battery is probably the problem. In this case, the alternator is doing its job of keeping the battery going once it has been jumped, but the battery can’t hold a charge when the alternator is shuts off.

Though it might be something else, it’s always good to check the battery first. If the starter motor doesn’t crank and the lights are dim or don’t come on at all, the battery is dead or close to it. The cause can be as simple as leaving an interior light on overnight.