7 Signs Your Car Battery Is Dying

A battery rarely dies without warning. Most show small signs for days or weeks before the morning it finally will not start. Knowing what to look for gives you time to replace it on your schedule, not in a parking lot.

1. Slow cranking. The engine turns over sluggishly instead of firing right away, especially on cold mornings.
2. Dim headlights or interior lights, particularly at idle or while cranking.
3. A battery or charging warning light on the dashboard.
4. Clicking when you turn the key, instead of the engine starting.
5. Start-stop that stops working. On cars with start-stop, a weak battery is often the first thing that disables it.
6. A swollen or misshapen battery case, which can come from heat or overcharging.
7. Corrosion on the terminals, or a rotten-egg smell near the battery, which can mean it is leaking.

Age matters most

Most car batteries last about three to five years in this climate, and less if the car sits outside through cold, damp winters or mostly does short trips. If yours is past four years and showing any of the signs above, a test is worth doing before it leaves you stuck.