So your battery died. Why did it die? Do you need to replace it or recharge it? Here's the deal. Your battery might die from not using your car for long, meaning you can't start your car with it.
You usually hear a clicking sound from your vehicle if you're dealing with a dead battery. During such cases, you should have that battery charged at your nearest mechanic shop.
You can also have your battery die on you by accidentally leaving your lights on all night long, because lights can end up lit even when the key is taken off the ignition. Ditto for certain radios and children playing with the interior light or the smoking plug, leaving it pressed on all the while.
Dealing with Dying or Dead Car Batteries
- Other Causes of a Dead Battery: Some lights also won't shut off because of a faulty trunk switch or door latch. If your alternator is faulty, it can drain all the juice from your battery as well. A stereo system that's poorly installed can lead to power drainage too. A short circuit with your car alarm can lead to power drainage aside from loads of false alarms. If your battery is constantly drained, then you should hire a professional to handle the investigation behind its issues.
- Jumpstarting the Battery on Short Notice: There are two tools needed to jumpstart a battery back to life. First, you need jumper cables that connect your car's electrical system directly to another vehicle. This way, you can use the power of another car's engine and battery to get your engine and battery running. This also comes with the advantage of not needing to remove your car battery from your car.
- Long and Thick Jumpers Is The Way to Go: The lengthy cables must be used or you'll have to park or push the cars face-to-face. Nose-to-tail parking can be achieved with longer jumpers. Long jumpers also allow you to park nose-to-tail and do a battery jumpstart at a busy highway for the sake of safety. You should also get thicker cables since those transmit electricity in a more efficient manner and ensures easier jumpstarts when push comes to shove.
- Solid Copper Clamps and Actually Doing It: Solid copper clamps are better than copper-plated clamps for the sake of electricity transmission as well. When clamping the clamps from one battery to the next, make sure to clamp the negative clamp to the chassis of the car being started instead of the negative pole. This is because doing so provides the jumpstart process stronger ground and any sparks flying will be located away from the battery and its flammable gases that it's venting.