Were you cruising around the Turnersville, Cherry Hill, or Mount Laurel areas only to notice the car battery light was on? Your car battery light could be on to notify you of several potential problems under your car's hood and its electrical system.
Like the check engine light, your car's battery light illuminates to communicate a problem within the car and its system. When you first ignite your engine, the battery light appears briefly but then should go away. However, if the light persists on your dashboard, be sure to pull over for a moment.
Below, we've outlined a few things you can do to both determine and solve your battery light problem. If the light persists on your dashboard, you may consider stopping in at Prestige Volkswagen where our dedicated automotive technicians have the smarts to help get your car back up and running.
How to Clean Battery Connections or Corrosion
If you decide to pull over or check your engine at home, make sure the engine is off. Pop the hood and you'll notice the battery towards the front right. There should be two plugs secured snugly to the battery itself. If one looks a bit loose, make sure to tighten it. While checking the connections, keep an eye out for any corrosion. Any dried corrosion should be easily removed with an old toothbrush if you have one handy.
Once the connections are secure and any noticeable corrosion is cleared, close the hood and start the engine back-up. If the battery light remains on, then you may have a problem with the electrical system overall. Meaning the alternator, voltage regulator, or the battery's energy level is just too low.
What is Meant by Voltage Regulation of an Alternator?
Whenever you deal with batteries, they are bound to go dead if they weren't recharged. Thankfully, your car is equipped with its own built-in recharging system known as an alternator. The alternator is also accompanied by a voltage regulator. The two parts work cohesively to keep the battery charged while providing electricity to the rest of the vehicle.
As the alternator continuously recharges the battery, the voltage regulator constantly checks to make sure enough energy is being produced. If voltage levels, or energy, drops too low, the battery light will appear on the dash to communicate to you, the driver, there is a problem with your vehicle's battery and electrical system
What is the Belt that Goes Around the Alternator?
While keeping the car fully juiced with energy, the alternator needs a power source for itself. In steps the alternator belt, designed to keep the alternator constantly spinning and charging. The belt has a very specific job under the hood and without it working properly you could notice the battery light on the dashboard, dimming or flickering lights within your car, or frequent engine stalling.
Over time, the belt begins to loosen due to over usage and its ability to do serve its role suffers. A loosened belt cannot keep the alternator charged efficiently causing warning signs, like the battery light on the dashboard or engine stalling, to occur.
Seek Automotive Repair Shop Help
When it comes to warning signs of high importance, the battery light's appearance on your dashboard is not one to take lightly. If your alternator has failed, your car battery is likely close behind, heightening the importance of seeking a repair shop for assistance as soon as you can. To aid your battery, be sure to turn off all electrical features of the car like the radio, A/C, heat, or one-touch windows for example.
Our team of automotive technicians at Prestige Volkswagen can handle any repairs needed to remove that battery light from your dash. Our service department has the know how and resources on hand to get your vehicle back to tip top shape for your traveling pleasures around the Turnersville, Mount Laurel, and Cherry Hill areas. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a service appointment!