Q&A for How to Respond When Your Car's Battery Light Goes On

The lights in a car often come on when you start it to show they are working. If the lights go off quickly, there is no issue with your car.

Your battery cannot recharge itself. You can have it tested at Auto Zone or Advance Auto Parts free of charge. That will let you know if your battery can be recharged or if you need to replace it.

You may need to replace the battery or the alternator. You can have it checked for free at Auto Zone or Advance Auto Parts.

You should have your battery and alternator checked at Auto Zone or Advance Auto Parts free of charge.

This sounds as if your belt is loose. Check it to ensure that it is tight. It should not have anymore than a 1/4 inch of play.

The alternator can sometimes make a whining sound a few times before it goes--that is when your car battery light comes on as a sign that it is now completely faulty and needs replacing. It is usually the accessory or serpentine belt that is built inside the alternator that makes that type of noise. You need to get your car evaluated by a qualified mechanic and get him to look at your alternator.

That's normally a battery issue. You may have a bad cell in your battery which is preventing recharge to full, so the best way to sort it is buy a new battery.

Sounds more like a belt problem. If the belt is too loose, it might fail to get a grip on the pulleys, making it slip and making a screeching sound when put under pressure.

It's the device that charges the battery and keeps the belts on your car moving.

There is nothing wrong. The red battery indicator is just your car telling you it's running on battery power, which is completely normal if the engine isn't on. When you start the engine, your power comes from the alternator, so the battery light is supposed to turn off. If the battery light stayed on after you started the engine, that would be bad. It would mean you have an alternator problem.

You should suspect a loose belt on the alternator - just loose enough that higher revolution speed will get it to turn the alternator properly, but at low revs the alternator is not charging. It could also be corroded terminals preventing the charge from getting to the battery.

The alternator could be bad or the battery could be dead. Talk to a mechanic.

Sounds like your serpentine/auxiliary belt is loose. There should not be much play in it, but if it's tight, you might have a bad ground on the frame from the battery or alternator.

The first thing I would do is have the alternator checked. It might be going bad, and in that case, when it heats up, it may not be putting out the proper amps/volts required to maintain your battery. If that tests fine, then have the battery checked. One of those two things is probably causing the issue. If you have to change the alternator, that's also a good time to replace the belt and check the idler and tensioner pully.

Measure the voltage at the battery: engine off, expect 12 volts. Do the same again with the engine running; expect plus 13.5 volts. However, a high rate discharge test at a garage is the best way forward.

This is likely because the fault for the battery problem is still in the memory of your vehicle (ECU), so you'll need to clear the fault by using a scanning machine (OBD machine) or applying a code reader.

There may be a deeper issue with the battery connections. You'll need a licensed mechanic to inspect your car.

You may have a connection issue with your battery and power steering control. Have a professional mechanic inspect it to make sure your car is safe to drive.

If the battery light turns off after a few minutes, then there isn't a problem. The light may just be residual power left from turning the car off.

There may be a problem with the power windows control that may not be related to the battery at all.

If your battery light comes on while you're driving, there could be a bad connection with the cables. Check the battery terminals for corrosion or damaged wires.

Your battery may not be getting charged by your alternator. Check your alternator belt to see if it's damaged and check the battery cables around the terminals to make sure they're connected tightly.

There may be a deeper electrical problem. Have a licensed mechanic inspect your car.

You may need to replace the battery or alternator. Check the cables on the battery terminals to make sure they're tight and check the belt on the alternator to make sure it isn't damaged.

Yes! It's perfectly normal for your car's battery light to come on then turn off after you start it.

There may be a problem with the alternator. Check the belt on the alternator to make sure it isn't damaged.

While you may be able to continue driving if your engine is already running, it's really not a good idea. It could be that your battery was drained and needs to be recharged, or it could be something more serious such a malfunctioning alternator or a wiring issue. If the problem is more serious, you could lose power to your vehicle or some of its functions while you're driving. You may also not be able to start your car again. If your low battery light does come on, head to a mechanic or an auto supply store to test your battery and make sure there isn't a more serious underlying issue.

There are a few different reasons why your vehicle's battery light came on. It could be a problem with your alternator, which recharges your battery while your engine is running. It could also be a wiring issue such as a damaged or disconnected wire affecting your battery. It's also possible that you may have left an electrical device such as your head lights or internal lighting on, which may have drained your battery. Have your battery tested to see if it needs to be replaced or recharged.

Yes, if there's a problem with your alternator, it could drain and ruin a new battery. If there's a bad diode on the alternator, it could cause the A/C to damage the cells of your battery. Also, if there's a problem with the wiring, or if your alternator is malfunctioning, it could cause your battery to drain without being recharged while you drive. It doesn't take long for a new battery to drain if it's constantly having power drawn from it without being recharged by your alternator.