Causes of a Car Battery Light On While Driving
Modern vehicles of these days have rechargeable 12- Volt battery. The battery supply energy to every component of the vehicle like engine control unit, interior lights, radio, and ignition system. If the battery fails to recharge then your vehicle will not be able to function normally. In old vehicles when the battery died then there are only two ways to identify this issue. They need to check the voltage of the battery or wait till headlights start to flicker. However, in modern vehicles, the infotainment dashboard illuminates battery light when the main computer of the vehicle detects the charging problem.
Reasons for a Car Battery Light On:
(1) Corrosion at Battery Terminals:
Corrosion on the battery terminals makes your vehicle difficult to start due to the starter motor turns over slowly. But sometimes rust on the battery terminals can interrupt the flow of electricity and it doesn’t allow the starter to do its job. This will cause the battery light to stay on after you start the vehicle. If your vehicle is not starting then check the terminals of the battery you will notice a white-ish crusty substance due to the corrosion. It is very easy to solve this problem, first, you need to disconnect the battery cables and then use the mixture of the water and baking soda to clean the terminals with the help of the toothbrush.
(2) Loose Car Battery Cable:
As I told you above that rusty connecter of the battery causes an incomplete connection, similarly, a battery cable that is not connected to the battery terminals tightly causes the battery light turns on while driving. This happens immediately when the vehicle hit a bump after installing the new battery. To solve this issue, make sure that battery cable points are tightened and don’t move even if you apply force to check the terminals are firmly connected. If you notice corrosion makes sure to clean the terminals with water and baking soda mixture as I told you above.
(3) Weak Battery:
If your battery is older than 3 years old, it means that the battery completed its lifespan or near to die this causes the battery to drain faster and also battery failed to take the load of the vehicle. If you are leaving in a hot geographical region like Florida. Car batteries get expire faster when they are used in a hot environment. In modern vehicle when your vehicle battery is on the verge of death, it causes to turn on battery light on the infotainment system at any time. To make sure if the battery is really dead, use the multimeter to check the voltage of the battery terminal. The normal voltage of the battery is between 12.4 Volts to 12.7 Volts. If the voltage of the vehicle battery is lower than the 12.2 volts, then it indicates that the battery gets weaker and you may need to replace it sooner. If your vehicle battery died in warranty duration, then you may be entitled to free replacement of the battery.
