Many drivers never think about their battery until the day their car just won’t start. A battery has a limited life and will eventually fail. When a battery starts to fail, it will show signs there’s a problem. As your Kia dealer, we can install a new car battery for you if the old one is wearing out. These are a few tips that your battery’s useful life is ending.
Strong Sulfur Smell
Sulfur has a foul odor that reminds many people of rotten eggs. A strong strong smell of sulfur from your engine could mean that your battery is failing. A car battery contains a variety of chemicals, each of which plays a part in the process of storing and dispensing electricity. As time passes, these chemicals gradually break down. The sulfur smell is caused by sulfuric acid releasing hydrogen gas as it breaks down.
Hydrogen gas can escape the confines of the battery, and it mixes with sulfur vapors from fuel in the engine. This mixture combines to create hydrogen sulfide which has a strong sulfur smell. The presence of hydrogen sulfide in the engine will cause corrosion and it also means that your battery is failing. Once the sulfuric acid in the battery breaks down, your battery is on its way out. Our technicians will install a new battery to fix this problem.
Rough Starting
Your Kia’s engine should start almost as soon as you press the button or turn the key. This process is quick and efficient but relies on a healthy battery to operate smoothly. If your battery is failing, it may now have enough power to start your engine immediately. You’ll hear the sounds of the starter motor trying and failing to bring your engine to life.
The lack of power in your battery could be due to age or damage. Either of these issues can prevent a healthy battery from holding sufficient charge to power the starter. Our technicians will need to investigate to locate the problem. Once we’ve identified it, we’ll fix the issue.
Loose Battery Cables
As we saw above, worn battery cables can cause problems for your battery. These cables connect your battery to the electrical system and allow it to receive and supply power as needed. For the battery to work correctly, both the positive and negative cables and terminals must be in good condition and securely connected.
Cables can slowly wear loose due to slight movement as you drive. A gap between a cable and a terminal will prevent the battery from working correctly. We’ll examine the cables to ensure they’re securely connected.
If your battery shows signs it’s wearing out, call us right away at Mike Kelly Kia.
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