What does it mean if your car says battery discharge warning?
This warning will come on when the battery is discharging. Typically, this will happen if you are sitting in the car with the radio on (accessory or key-on) with the engine not running. The other possible issue is the battery is not being fully recharged.
How are battery issues diagnosed?
To get a good sense if your battery is the cause of your issues, test the voltage using a multimeter. Put the black multimeter lead on the negative battery cable and the red lead on the positive cable. If the reading is 12.45 volts or greater, your battery has a good charge.
What does it mean when your BMW battery discharges?
How do you fix it? Many BMW owners call us about getting a “battery discharged” message on their dash. This is to alert you that your battery is getting low and the vehicle needs time to charge it before you shut the engine down again.
How can I tell if my car battery is draining?
Make sure it is generating enough amperage. Check that the glove box light does not stay on when the car is parked. The easiest way to check this is to open the glove box after the car is parked for a couple of hours. Place your hand near the glove box light bulb and feel it if it is warm. Be careful not to burn your hand.
What causes a car battery to discharge at low voltage?
This causes the battery to discharge to a point where its current charge start is below the required minimum as sensed by the engine computer. The car may start the next time but unless it is driven for at least 45-60 minutes it may not have time to fully recover. This can cause numerous fault codes flooding the vehicle computer due to low voltage.
How can I tell if my Mercedes medic battery is draining?
Check that the glove box light does not stay on when the car is parked. The easiest way to check this is to open the glove box after the car is parked for a couple of hours. Place your hand near the glove box light bulb and feel it if it is warm. Be careful not to burn your hand. Aftermarket alarm system.
How can I check the current drain on my battery?
Current drain on the battery can be checked with an ammeter. With the ignition off, disconnect one of the battery cables. Connect one ammeter lead to the battery and the other to the cable. The normal current drain on most vehicles should be about 25 milliamps or less.
When to look for a parasitic battery drain?
A parasitic drain is when an electrical device is using battery power when the car is closed, and the ignition key removed. Therefore, when doing this test make sure that the dome light, under hood light, trunk light, etc. are off.
How to get rid of negative battery drain?
Remove the negative battery cable from the negative battery terminal. Find the negative cable, which will be marked with a minus sign (-) and may have a black cover over it. Remove the cover, if applicable, and use a wrench to unbolt the negative cable from the terminal.
What does it mean when your car battery is draining?
You may have had AAA or a certified mechanic check the charging system, and find both the battery and alternator to be functioning properly. Well then, there is something electrical in your vehicle that is draining your battery and that is what we call a parasitic battery draw.