

However, following some basic rules can practically eliminate the chances of this nasty occurrence from happening. When the battery blows up it's because there's an invisible gas floating above the surface that's ignited by sparks. It's never happened to me, because I understand what makes them susceptible to ignition. In my 30 year career, I can count the number of times I've seen a battery explode on my fingers. This is why you need to wear a face shield and heavy work gloves when working around this component. I can tell you that an exploding battery, although rare, remains a possibility. The Editorial department is independent of ’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.Before we supply car battery charging information we need to cover quick safety tips.

#Car battery indicator green free
In line with ’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. Get to a mechanic as quickly as possible, and have the battery, wires and charging system checked out to find the cause of your problem and what you need to repair or replace.Ĭars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. Reducing the amount of electricity the car is consuming will increase the distance you can drive before the battery is discharged. If the battery light is on and you’re still driving the car, turn off as many electrical accessories as you can, such as the stereo, air conditioning or heater, and avoid using electrical controls such as power windows.

If you turn off the engine, you won’t be able to restart it if the battery doesn’t have enough charge left to power the engine’s starter motor. The car will continue running as long as some juice is left in the battery, but if the charging system isn’t working or you have a bad alternator, your car’s engine will stop running once the battery is drained. If the car’s dashboard battery light comes on, you might be able to make it home or to a service facility for a repair. Among other signs that the alternator or other parts of the charging system aren’t working are dim headlights or the clock losing time. The charging system warning light should show for a few seconds when you start the car, but if the battery light shows while you’re driving the vehicle, that light signals a problem. This article refers primarily to conventional vehicles with conventional 12-volt batteries more electrified vehicles and those higher-voltage electrical systems will vary. The car battery itself may be the cause if it has corroded cable terminals, bad wiring, damaged cells or plates inside or if it is leaking electrolyte. If the alternator fails, or the accessory belt that drives the alternator is loose or broken, then you’ll end up with a dead battery because the bad alternator isn’t recharging the battery. The alternator generates the power that is stored in the battery. The cause of the battery light could be a loose or corroded battery cable or other wire connecting components of the charging system, or it might be a problem with the alternator or voltage regulator. CARS.COM - If the battery warning light (a light in the shape of a battery symbol) on the dashboard comes on while you’re driving, that means the charging system isn’t working, but the fault may lie in something other than the battery.
