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How To Check Your Car Battery
Author : Brad Swarner
If your car is acting up and you suspect the battery, there are a number of ways to check and test your car’s battery and possibly pinpoint the problem.
This might lead to the battery being replaced completely, or maybe just getting a fluid top up. Save yourself the cost and the time spent waiting for a reply from a mechanic (always try and use a mechanic accredited by your car insurance provider, this way you should be covered by your budget car insurance policy should you need it) by checking your battery yourself – it’s a quick and easy job.
The most common car battery faults and causes of problems are a low level of fluid, ineffective charging from the alternator and also having the wrong battery in your car. Check your battery for one of these faults before you decide to just toss it out.
If your battery has removable covers then you can inspect the level of fluid inside the cells. When you have very carefully removed the cover, you will see that the inside of the battery is divided up into a number of cavities. The level of electrolyte fluid in each cavity should be higher than that of the metal plate on the cavity wall for that cell to work. You must check each cavity.
If even one cell is low on fluid your battery will show a fault. Be aware that this fluid is very dangerous, and consists mostly of Sulphuric acid. This is highly corrosive – do not let any get onto your skin or eyes. Add distilled water to any cells which need a top up and make sure the fluid comes to above the metal plates. This should solve the problem.
You will need a trained mechanic to diagnose poor charging from the alternator, and to fix the problem, but you can test for this problem yourself by starting your car and putting all your lights on full beam. Rev the engine and you should be able to see the beams getting brighter and then dimmer when you stop revving. If the car stalls when you put your lights on then the problem is probably with the alternator.
If you have a test metre you can test the voltage to the battery with this instead. Voltage higher than 12V is good; ideally it should be between 13V and 15V. An over charged battery will produce the same errors as an undercharged battery, but can often be detected by the smell of sulphuric acid in the air as the fluid in the battery boils. If your alternator is at fault, remember that it can be reconditioned instead of being replaced.
Your car needs a battery with the correct size battery with the correct amp/hour ratings for your vehicle, so it’s best to buy the exact battery for your car according to the manufacturer. If, for some reason, this is not possible then make sure the battery is the correct size and has compatible amp/hour ratings for your vehicle. You will need a trustworthy mechanic to tell you whether or not a certain battery is suitable.
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Compare the Market offers cheap car insurance, van insurance and more. For more information, visit http://www.comparethemarket.com.
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Tags: car insurance, motor insurance, cheap car insurance, compare
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Submitted : 2008-12-11 Word Count : 547 Popularity: 301 Times Viewed: 180
