Your vehicles Battery, Alternator or Starter is the most likely thing to leave you stranded when they fail.
” My car won’t star, it just makes a clicking noise“
” My car stalled when I was driving. It cranks and starts when someone jumps it, but dies again“
Your vehicles alternator is responsible for charging your cars battery. In addition it provides the electrical energy needed for your vehicle while its running. When your alternator fails, your battery will not be receiving the charge it needs. The electrical systems on your car will quickly deplete the battery and your vehicle will stall.
Often people will mistakenly attempt to jump start the vehicle, only to realize that the vehicle dies as soon as the jumper cables are disconnected or the little bit of charge provided the battery is depleted.
You can help extend the life your alternator by:
” My car is slow to crank” or “My car only starts with a jump“
Two of the most common symptoms of a bad car battery are the vehicle cranking slowly or the vehicle requiring a jump start every, or almost every time. Your vehicles battery has a limited lifespan. As it ages, the ability for the car battery to hold a charge decrease.
The easiest way to ensure you get the full life out your batter is to:
” My new car battery goes dead over night“
You just purchased a new battery for your vehicle and it goes dead after you have parked it over night. While some may jump to a defective battery or failing alternator, the most common cause is called a parasitic draw.
When a car is turned off, the computer modules and electrical systems that power them and allow them to communicate go to sleep. While a small amount of energy is drawn from the battery, it is not enough to discharge a healthy battery over night. When a module or aftermarket system fails to turn off, it can drain the battery.
How can you determine if this is your problem and how can you avoid being left stranded?