Car Batteries

Car Battery Won't Charge: Why And How To Solve?

Mike Cross
Updated Sep 1, 2021
Car Battery Won't Hold A Charge Why And What To Do

Dead car batteries are an annoying thing. This is especially because a lot of times they happen out of the blue. Sometimes it is from something simple such as a light getting left on and you can jump the car and get on your way, but sometimes the battery is too dead to jump and needs completely charged.

What does it mean though if your car battery won’t charge. Well, in this article we will look at some of the possibilities of why a car battery won’t charge and some of the solutions for that.

Bad Alternator

The first reason why a car battery might not be charging is that the alternator may be bad. The alternator is what converts the spinning of the engine into power that goes back into your battery.

Normally, when a car and alternator is working properly, the alternator will charge the battery as you drive, so then it will have enough power to start the car again the next time you need it too.

If the alternator is bad though, then it is not providing any charge to the battery and their for the battery is not charging.

Car Battery Won't Charge Why And How To Solve
Car Battery Won't Charge - Why And How To Solve

The alternator not charging the battery could be something as simple as the connections have came undone. If that is the case, then all you have to do is reconnect things, and it should start working properly.

Vibration while driving or wires going bad is how the battery and the alternator could become disconnected. If they are not disconnected though, then their must be something else going on.

You can run a test on the alternator by a automotive multimeter and see if it is putting off a charge. If it is not putting off a charge, then it is bad and must be replaced.

 alternator going bad
If the alternator is going bad, then it may not be converting as much energy to the battery

Getting an alternator replaced isn’t that hard and if you are mechanically skilled then you can do it yourself. If you aren’t though, then any shop can do it for you. If the alternator is putting off a charge, but it isn’t constant, then you might just have a bad belt.

If your serpentine belt is loose, then it could be slipping and not allowing the alternator to work properly. If that is the case, then you will need that belt replaced. Again, this isn’t that hard of a task to have done and isn’t to costly of a repair.

Bad Battery

Another reason why the battery may not be charging is that the battery itself is bad. A lot of things can go wrong inside of the battery. The battery could short itself out or get internal damage from shocks or vibration.

To find out if the battery itself is bad you can run some test on it. If the battery itself is bad, then you will have to replace it and get a new battery. A bad battery can not be repaired.

Also, if the battery shows visual signs of being bad, then it is time to replace it. If it has corrosion or leaks, then it is defiantly time to get a new battery. If the connectors aren’t corroded to bad, then they might be able to be cleaned off and this might allow it to charge properly again.

Another reason why a battery might go bad is just its age. As a battery is used suffer builds up on the plates and forms a crust. When the battery is being charged it breaks this suffer off of the plates.

battery itself bad
If the battery itself is bad, then you will have to replace it and get a new battery

Over time though the sulfur will not come off the plates all the way and won’t go back into the solution. Also, the sulfur eats the plates and over time and recharging the plates just disappear. As the sulfur is broke off the plates int he recharging process, a part of the plate goes with it.

Think of a rusted panel and how it crumbles, well the plates int he battery work the same way. If your battery is old it won’t recharge or hold a charge and again will have to be replaced.

Bad Charger

Another final reason why a battery might not recharge is that the charger you are using may be bad, not be the right type, or not be connected right. Some batteries require special types of chargers to recharge them.

If you are using a charger and it doesn’t seem to be charging your battery, then make sure it is the right type for that battery.

Another reason why the charge may not be charging the battery is your may not have it connected right. To connect a charger to a battery you want to make sure the positive lead is connected to the positive connector on the battery.

If it is not it will not work and cause damage to the battery. You then connect the negative to the negative pole on the battery. Once connected make sure you plug the charger in and set it on the right amps or speed of charge to match the battery.

If these things don’t work, then the charger itself might be bad. Try a different charger and see if it works with the battery you are trying to charge. A battery charger could get a short in it just like a battery can or the inside components could go bad. If you want to buy a new battery charger, this is the best battery maintainer for you.

charger itself bad
If the charger itself is bad, you should get a new one

A battery charger has to convert the AC or DC current into the current that the battery can use and this converter mechanism on the inside of the charger might go bad or stop working. This is especially the case if the charge is old, or if the charger has not been stored or used right in the past.

Conclusion

So as you now know there are a few reasons why a car battery might not be charging. The alternator inside the car could be bad or you could have a loose belt inside the car. The battery itself could be bad. The battery could have damage that you don’t see or it just might be old and wore out.

If it has been recharged a bunch, then it just might not be able to be recharged any more. Lastly, the charger could be bad if you are trying to use an external charger or it could be connected wrong. After you have made sure it is the right charger and is connected right, you might need to try a different charger to see if that fixes the problem.

Now you have a better understanding of why a car battery won’t charge and should be able to trouble shoot it for the situation that is at hand for you and your current situation.

Mike Cross
Life is too short to drive with stock audio

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