Battery
Battery & Charging
Dead batteries, parasitic drain, alternator and charging faults.
A car that will not start after sitting overnight has one of three problems: a battery that no longer holds charge, an alternator that is not replacing what the starter used, or something in the car that stays awake and drains it. These are genuinely different failures with genuinely different fixes.
A load test on the battery and a charging output test at the alternator take about ten minutes together and eliminate two of the three. Most US chain auto parts stores do both at no charge.
Battery & Charging problems
- Moderate
Car Battery Keeps Dying
A battery that goes flat repeatedly is one of three things: a battery that no longer holds charge, an alternator that stopped replacing it, or something in the car staying awake overnight.
10 min read
- High
Car Won't Start
No crank, a single click, rapid clicking or endless cranking — each sound points at a different failure and a different repair.
9 min read