Do you find that your battery dies more frequently than it should? If you don’t know how frequently it should die, then the answer is that it shouldn’t die on you at all. Basically, what I’m saying is that if your battery has died on you, it might be time to crack the hood and investigate the cause. Here’s how to discern the reason for your deceased power source.

Your battery could just be a little old. If you can’t remember when the last time you changed your battery was, then it is probably time to replace it. Old batteries can’t really hold a charge, and that’s all you really need a battery for anyway.

The connections to your battery could be loose and/or corroded, which will impede their ability to work with your vehicle’s charging system. Make sure the connections are tight and clean them off if you see any corrosion and see if that fixes any of your issues.

Your charging system itself could be the culprit. Take a look at all the wiring, belts, and other electrical connections and charging system components to make sure everything is in good order. When you give your vehicle a jump, drive it straight to the shop.

The final thing that is a common battery killer but also very easy fix is that you could just be leaving lights on when you don’t mean to. When you get out of the car, make sure that all of your lights are off – headlights, map lights, dome light – and then make sure your trunk light isn’t on as well. If any of these lights stay on when they shouldn’t be, then you probably have a broken switch.

If you’re very concerned about your battery, or you believe you have something broken or malfunctioning, please stop in and ask us about it!