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Even with yearly battery inspections, you’ll want to keep an eye out for indications that your battery is on its way out. Here are some of the most common symptoms of a failing car battery: 

When batteries are low, engine cranking may be sluggish and make a slow "rur rur rur" sound. If your engine doesn’t turn over at all and you hear a clicking when you turn the key, your starter solenoid may be trying to engage, but not have enough power to do so. In either of these cases, your battery is likely dead.  

When your battery is failing, it puts a significant amount of load on the alternator. When this happens, headlights may become dim or flicker, and other electronic systems like your radio, power windows, or heated seats may malfunction. 

All sorts of strange electrical things can happen when your battery voltage is low. Your engine control unit or module (ECU or ECM) or other modules may pick up on these abnormalities and signal the check engine light to illuminate. Sometimes, failing batteries will even trigger other indicator lights to come on. So, if you know your vehicle is well maintained, but your dashboard indicates that there are issues, or other unlikely errors, it could be due to a bad battery.  

As we mentioned earlier, you don’t need to worry about filling your battery’s fluid if your vehicle has an AGM battery. But if you have an old-school liquid battery that is not maintenance-free, you should check your battery fluid frequently. You can do so by peeking through the translucent part of its casing or carefully looking under the red and black top caps. If it’s low you might be able to refill it with distilled or deionized water. However, if the fluid level is below the internal lead plates, it’s time to have the battery and charging system tested. When fluid levels drop, it’s typically caused by heat from overcharging and could signal a problem with your alternator. 

If your battery looks swollen or like it has expanded, it could have a bad cell or have been significantly overcharged. Swollen batteries are bound to fail sooner or later, and should be replaced ASAP. 

If you notice a pungent, rotten egg smell around your battery, it’s probably leaking. Leaking batteries should be replaced ASAP. If you replace the battery yourself ensure that you wear personal protection, as battery acid can cause skin and even tissue damage. Leaking batteries can also cause corrosion around your battery posts or terminals, so you’ll want to carefully clean your battery wires off with a wire brush or fine sandpaper before installing a new one. Otherwise, a solid connection may not occur, and your car might not start.  

With enough time, everything deteriorates. The same is true for batteries. After about 3–5 years, the parts inside of your battery will start to degrade, which may result in lower charge capacity and the inability to hold a charge. 

If your car sits for a long time (anywhere from about 6 weeks to 6 months) without being driven, your battery may need to be recharged. Additionally, if car batteries are completely discharged and stay that way for some time, their life expectancy may be permanently reduced. 

A dead battery can be a sign of a faulty alternator. If your alternator is going bad, it may not produce enough power to recharge your battery at the rate it is being discharged. This can cause your battery to discharge completely, which might not only leave you stranded on the side of the road but can also harm your battery’s health, We can check the health of your alternator