Why does my battery light came on when I start my car?
The battery light on your car dashboard signals a charging problem with your car battery. If the light turns and stays on, it might be that your alternator isn’t generating enough voltage to charge it. Common causes can be a broken alternator belt, damaged battery cells or a failed alternator.
How long do you have when battery light comes on?
You can drive the car with the battery light on but you will only have on average 15 minutes. After roughly 15 minutes, your car will run out of electrical power and the car will stall.
How far can you drive with a battery light on?
Is it bad to drive with the battery light on?
Running out of power isn’t the only risk you face if you drive with the battery light on. Driving with the light on for an extended period of time can cause your car battery to rapidly discharge. This can cause the battery to fail, and it could cause permanent damage.
When does the battery light come on on a car?
This light comes on when your alternator is not making electricity and the car is running off of battery power alone. You can drive a short distance on the battery, especially if you turn off most of your car’s electrical items (like the radio, air conditioning, etc.), but there’s no way to know how far you’ll get before it dies.
How long does it take for a battery light to go off?
The exact amount of time that your car will be able to function with the battery light on depends on many factors, but assuming that the alternator is the issue (this is the most common issue) it is likely that your car will lose battery power after 30 minutes to an hour of driving.
What happens when the dashboard battery light comes on?
Your car can often run normally even if the dashboard battery light comes on because the car is capable of running off the energy that is already stored in its battery. The car, therefore, carries on running perfectly until its battery runs flat.
What to do if your car battery light is not working?
Get the alternator or wiring fixed, and properly recharge the battery at the same time. The folks at AutoZone can always help with battery and charging system issues, both on the car, and with the parts off the car.