Your car battery is not designed to last forever; eventually, the battery in your vehicle is going to no longer effectively hold a charge, and you are going to replace it. Here are a few signs that your vehicle will give you before your car battery dies to warn you that you are going to need to replace your car battery soon.
#1: A Tough Time Starting Your Engine
When you put your keys in your ignition, you should be able to smoothly turn the ignition on and get your car started. If you need to turn your key or try more than once to get your vehicle started, that is a strong sign that your battery may be dying. The next time you try to start your car, pay attention to the sound that it makes. If you hear a clicking sound, that is further proof that your battery is drying. Your battery may last a little bit longer, but from here on out you are basically playing a game of chance every time you go out to start your car. If you want to be confident that your vehicle will start when you need it to, you need to change out your vehicle's battery.
#2: Leaking Liquid
Every few months, it is a good idea to pop open the hood of your vehicle, check on the fluids, and see what else is going on. When you complete this inspection every month, take a few minutes to check out your battery. The first thing you want to look out for is fluids leaking out from the battery; if you see fluids leaking out of the battery, this is a very serious sign that you should not ignore. Your battery should never leak fluids; if it is, you want to replace it as soon as possible to ensure that the leaking battery fluid does not damage any nearby parts.
The other thing that you want to keep an eye out for is rust on the terminals of the battery. When rust starts to build up on your battery's terminals, your battery may not work as effectively as possible. If the terminals are starting to rust, you don't need to replace your battery right away, but you do need to make plans to replace the battery in the near future.
#3: Battery Light
Some vehicles are equipped with a check-battery light. If your vehicle has a check-battery light, and this light comes on on your dashboard, you need to make a trip to your mechanic. In order for your check-engine battery light to come on, your vehicle has to send a code to the computer systems that control that light.
Your mechanic can use a code-reading machine to easily determine why your check-battery light was turned on. Generally, this light is engaged when your battery is no longer holding a proper charge and needs to be replaced soon.
The light is an advance warning that tells you that pretty soon you are going to have trouble starting your vehicle if you don't replace your battery.
Talk to an automotive-repair professional to get your battery replaced.