Is My Battery Dead?

If you engine absolutely refuses to respond when you turn the key, then you’re not getting any power in your system. This can be caused by a number of things, but the most likely culprit is a dead battery. Before you spend the money on a new battery, however, our Seattle auto body shop suggests that you take these simple measures to make sure that this is indeed the problem that needs to be solved.

If you have a battery tester, check to see if the voltage is weak. Your battery should be at 12.5 volts at rest, and 13.5 volts with the car idling.

Don’t have a tester? The good thing about a dead battery is that it doesn’t get in the way of jumping your car. Try performing a jump; if the car starts like normal, then your problem is in the battery. If it still refuses to start, then the problem is somewhere else.

While you’re at it, take a look at the battery connections. Is there anything built up in there that might be ruining your power flow? Try cleaning these out and starting your car again.