Service Battery Cables
Need to Service Your Battery & Cables? We’re the Best Fresno Auto Repair Shop!
If your car is acting funny, the first thing you should check is your battery and battery cables. Keep reading to learn about the symptoms of bad batteries or cables, why regular service is important, and why you should choose our shop. We’ll help you understand how the battery, cables and ignition system work together, and how to diagnose and troubleshoot your car issues! Need a car battery repair in Fresno? If you drive a Chevrolet, Buick or GMC in Sanger, we’re your guys.
What is a battery/cable service?
Repairing your battery or battery cables is a fundamental part of keeping your car running smoothly. Your car battery is the main storage hub that carries power to your car, and it’s recharged by your alternator when you drive. Without a well-charged battery–or worse, one that doesn’t hold a charge–you’ll have trouble starting your car, driving with consistent power to your engine, and you might even struggle with dim headlights or a Check Engine Light that won’t go away. If you suspect your battery or battery cables might be failing, keep reading to learn about diagnosing this issue and how Sanger Chevrolet can help!
Related Services
- Spark Plug & Spark Plug Wire Replacement
- Check Engine Light Diagnostics
- Oil Change
- Belt Replacement
- Ignition Coil Replacement
Common Symptoms of a Bad Battery and/or Bad Cables
If you suspect your car battery is failing, it’s likely because you’re experiencing some uncommon behaviors from your usually happy-go-lucky vehicle. A no-start situation can indicate a dead battery, as well as slow cranking or hard starting. These symptoms indicate that your battery isn’t delivering enough power to your engine, and consequently can’t start the engine. Some other signals that you have a bad battery include a misfiring engine, a lit Check Engine Light or dim/malfunctioning headlights. Your car might also make a clicking sound when you turn the key, which could indicate a lack of power to the engine and can usually be restored by cleaning the battery terminals and making sure your cables are in good shape.
A symptom of a bad battery that most folks don’t expect is a foul smell coming from under your hood, that often smells like rotten eggs, sulfur or the like. This often indicates a battery acid leak in the battery’s body, and this can be dangerous for both the safety of you and your car, as battery acid is corrosive and toxic. If you smell something funky, be sure to get it checked out by a mechanic, and if you’re looking at it on your own (before you take it to a mechanic, of course), be sure to wear gloves and protect your eyes from sputtering battery acid which can burn your skin or blind you.
Alternatively, your battery might be okay, but the cables might be damaged and thus unable to carry enough current to your ignition. The symptoms of bad battery cables look similar to those of a failing battery, including problems starting your vehicle, low voltage battery readings, dim headlights, and damaged, frayed or nicked battery cables. Battery terminal corrosion can be another major reason that your car is struggling to start or run smoothly. With buildup on the terminals, they won’t be able to make proper contact with the battery posts and transfer electrical currents effectively. Cleaning or replacing the terminals can help with this, but if that doesn’t fix the issue, it might be your cables or the battery itself!
Lastly, it’s important to consider that your battery might be dead due to a faulty alternator. When your alternator goes out, it can’t properly recharge your battery, meaning that you’ll lose power to your engine within about 20 minutes of driving your car. Our writer experienced the failure of a brand new battery because their voltage regulator wasn’t able to control the amount of power being delivered to the battery and in turn overcharged it, killing the battery and keeping their car from running. Make sure to ask your mechanic to eliminate other possible culprits before buying a new battery!
How does the shop replace your bad battery/cables?
When you take your vehicle into an auto shop with a suspected battery issue, the first thing your mechanic will do is test your battery voltage, test power to the cables, and usually use a code reader to identify and record whatever issues come up. Next, they will disconnect both the negative and positive battery cables, clean the terminals and the ends of the cables, and repair any frayed cables and broken terminal clamps. They’ll also likely check that your alternator is working correctly, because if the alternator is bad, it can’t recharge your battery–and a new battery won’t fix that issue. These services will ensure that your battery gets the proper amount of power it needs to start and run your engine. Before giving your car back to you, your mechanic will reconnect the terminals and test your battery for proper functioning.
Benefits of Battery/Cables Repair
The main benefit of regularly servicing your battery and cables is the peace of mind you’ll feel. A bad battery or worn out battery cables can keep your entire car from starting and running properly, but with proper maintenance and service, your car will run great with the same battery for years to come. Knowing your battery and cables are in good condition will give you peace of mind, because you can rest assured knowing that your car will start and run with the proper amount of power to your engine, as long as the rest of your car is generally in functioning condition as well.
If you suspect you have a battery issue, don’t risk getting battery acid everywhere and have the professionals at Sanger Chevrolet Buick diagnose and repair it for you! Don’t hesitate to call us with any questions you may have. We’re happy to help you troubleshoot your car issues over the phone, or even better, in our shop! Get those pesky car issues off your plate and bring your car in to the professionals at Sanger Chevrolet Buick.