Your car battery provides the vehicle’s electrical components with power. Among other tasks, it converts chemical energy into electrical energy, which provides the starter and ignition system with the voltage necessary for starting the engine. If the battery fails while driving, roadside assistance is needed to provide a jump-start. To help you learn the warning signs of a failing battery, review the following info. 

What Are Early Warning Signs of a Failing Car Battery? 

1. Dimming or Flickering Lights

Since the car battery provides interior and exterior lights with power when the engine is off, they start to dim when the battery needs replacing. You might notice that interior lights keep flickering or that the headlights seem dim. The dashboard lights can flicker as well, since they are also battery-powered. Any of these symptoms tell you the battery is no longer holding a charge. 

2. Car Battery Light Illumination on Dashboard

When there’s a problem with your vehicle, the correlating light should illuminate on the dashboard. If there’s an issue with the battery, the battery light on the dashboard will likely come on. This light looks like a rectangle with a plus and minus sign, and it can illuminate when there are other power problems with your car, such as the alternator failing to charge properly. Your car’s alternator works in conjunction with the battery to provide electrical power and is located near the engine under the hood. 

3. Starting Problems

Starting problems are common when the battery starts failing, since it provides power to the systems that cause the engine to turn over. If the starter and ignition system do not receive sufficient power, the engine turns over slowly and takes a while to start. A dead battery means the ignition will just click, and the car will not start at all. This situation calls for roadside assistance, depending on your location. 

4. Slow Window Rolling 

The windows are another battery-powered vehicle component affected by loss of power. As the battery starts to drain, the windows will roll up and down slowly. They might stop mid-roll if the battery fails completely. Window operation problems can also indicate a worn window regulator, broken track guides, or a failing window motor. If the battery is the reason for window problems, you’ll likely notice other signs, such as starting issues and flickering lights. 

If you need roadside assistance because of a dead car battery or any other reason, count on Ron’s Service & Towing. Based in Fairbanks, AK, this 24-hour towing company provides a wide range of auto services to keep you behind the wheel. Call (907) 456-4224 whenever you require roadside assistance, and learn more about their services online.