Confusion about Car Battery Issue
Discussion
I have 2022 Chevy Spark, small car so small battery.
I got it back in November 2021 (brand new from the dealership) and driven about 14,000 km since in the 17 months I've owned it.
It's under warranty until 2024 but battery replacement is not covered by warranty.
I do mostly city driving short distances with occasional long distance highway driving. Only about 3 months ago the car wouldn't start.
It only happened 3 times in the past 2+ months but it's confusing me. Normally batteries should last 3 years or so before it needs to get
replaced. Since it has only been 1 year and 5 months, I'm thinking the battery is not really the issue but the service centers I've been to
(2 of them) both tell me it's a battery issue and the battery needs to get replaced.
When I told them why would the battery need to get replaced so soon I only had this car brand new for 17 months, they use the excuse
that a) it's a small battery b) your dash cam drains it. I told them that my dash cam is set to OFF when the car is parked and turned off.
Therefore, it shouldn't be draining the battery because it's not on. I don't record when parked. I have it set so it only starts up when the car
starts up. Of course, they say even if the unit is off, because it's still plugged in, there will always be some power drain. Really? Even
if the dash cam is off, it will still draw enough current to drain the car battery dead? I find that hard to believe!
Also, if you do short distance driving like 5 km a day, you won't be able to fully charge the battery and so I can understand over time, that would
drain the battery and you might not be able to start the car some days. But the day it happened, it happened after I drove 200 km highway.
So the battery should have been fully charged and have no problem starting up the next day. When I only drove 10 km, the car had no problem
starting up the next day. So if it was a battery problem, wouldn't the car be more likely not to start up the day after driving only 10km instead
of 200 km? confused.
Also, if it is the battery, why then does the car start up no problem 97% of the time? It has only happened 3 times in the past 3 months.
If the battery was dying or needs replacing, then wouldn't the car not be able to start up almost everyday or every week? Why only 3% of the time?
Also, when it didn't start on those 3 occasions, it wasn't one of those "hard to crank" sounding startups like the way older cars used to sound when you turn the ignition and you can hear the engine trying to turn and it's slow and sluggish until it dies. It didn't do that at all. In fact, there was no crank
or attempt to crank. When I pushed the start button, it simply didn't start but all these electronic signs popped up on the dash saying things like
"power steering needs servicing" or "front accident assist not working" or "low fuel" (even though I had full) or "service required" etc. Usually,
I just wait for about 15-20 minutes and it will start up again no problem. But I'm not just sitting there for 15 min doing nothing. I'm actually trying to
start the car over and over and over again during the 15-20 min so if it was the battery, wouldn't all those attempts keep draining the battery even more
making it less likely that it would start up 20 minutes later after attempting it 10 more times?
Other things I noticed when the car didn't start:
-it happened when I had a door open and not closed yet before I tried to turn on the car....it seems to work fine if I close all the doors first and then
start up. But if someone is stil getting in the car and the door(s) are open and I try to start up the car too quickly, that's when it didn't start all 3 times.
-also if I exit the car and try to lock it with my key fob, it doesn't activate the alarm (the loud honk you hear when you lock the car and activate the alarm). There is no honk during that time.
Since it has only happened 3 times in the past 3 months, I will not change the battery just yet. But if it starts occurring more frequently like 3 times in a week or something, then of course I will go ahead and change the battery. I'm not convinced yet it's the battery. Also, a roadside assistance guy came to check my battery once and he said the battery was healthy. He said he thinks it could be something else like the alternator or electrical issue. I've never had to get the car jumped yet. That one time I called the roadside assistance, just before he arrived, the car started on its own so he decided just to check my battery since he was already here.
I got it back in November 2021 (brand new from the dealership) and driven about 14,000 km since in the 17 months I've owned it.
It's under warranty until 2024 but battery replacement is not covered by warranty.
I do mostly city driving short distances with occasional long distance highway driving. Only about 3 months ago the car wouldn't start.
It only happened 3 times in the past 2+ months but it's confusing me. Normally batteries should last 3 years or so before it needs to get
replaced. Since it has only been 1 year and 5 months, I'm thinking the battery is not really the issue but the service centers I've been to
(2 of them) both tell me it's a battery issue and the battery needs to get replaced.
When I told them why would the battery need to get replaced so soon I only had this car brand new for 17 months, they use the excuse
that a) it's a small battery b) your dash cam drains it. I told them that my dash cam is set to OFF when the car is parked and turned off.
Therefore, it shouldn't be draining the battery because it's not on. I don't record when parked. I have it set so it only starts up when the car
starts up. Of course, they say even if the unit is off, because it's still plugged in, there will always be some power drain. Really? Even
if the dash cam is off, it will still draw enough current to drain the car battery dead? I find that hard to believe!
Also, if you do short distance driving like 5 km a day, you won't be able to fully charge the battery and so I can understand over time, that would
drain the battery and you might not be able to start the car some days. But the day it happened, it happened after I drove 200 km highway.
So the battery should have been fully charged and have no problem starting up the next day. When I only drove 10 km, the car had no problem
starting up the next day. So if it was a battery problem, wouldn't the car be more likely not to start up the day after driving only 10km instead
of 200 km? confused.
Also, if it is the battery, why then does the car start up no problem 97% of the time? It has only happened 3 times in the past 3 months.
If the battery was dying or needs replacing, then wouldn't the car not be able to start up almost everyday or every week? Why only 3% of the time?
Also, when it didn't start on those 3 occasions, it wasn't one of those "hard to crank" sounding startups like the way older cars used to sound when you turn the ignition and you can hear the engine trying to turn and it's slow and sluggish until it dies. It didn't do that at all. In fact, there was no crank
or attempt to crank. When I pushed the start button, it simply didn't start but all these electronic signs popped up on the dash saying things like
"power steering needs servicing" or "front accident assist not working" or "low fuel" (even though I had full) or "service required" etc. Usually,
I just wait for about 15-20 minutes and it will start up again no problem. But I'm not just sitting there for 15 min doing nothing. I'm actually trying to
start the car over and over and over again during the 15-20 min so if it was the battery, wouldn't all those attempts keep draining the battery even more
making it less likely that it would start up 20 minutes later after attempting it 10 more times?
Other things I noticed when the car didn't start:
-it happened when I had a door open and not closed yet before I tried to turn on the car....it seems to work fine if I close all the doors first and then
start up. But if someone is stil getting in the car and the door(s) are open and I try to start up the car too quickly, that's when it didn't start all 3 times.
-also if I exit the car and try to lock it with my key fob, it doesn't activate the alarm (the loud honk you hear when you lock the car and activate the alarm). There is no honk during that time.
Since it has only happened 3 times in the past 3 months, I will not change the battery just yet. But if it starts occurring more frequently like 3 times in a week or something, then of course I will go ahead and change the battery. I'm not convinced yet it's the battery. Also, a roadside assistance guy came to check my battery once and he said the battery was healthy. He said he thinks it could be something else like the alternator or electrical issue. I've never had to get the car jumped yet. That one time I called the roadside assistance, just before he arrived, the car started on its own so he decided just to check my battery since he was already here.
Edited by cornflakes2 on Sunday 16th April 04:04
Stick a voltmeter across the battery before you start it, and then check with the engine running. Anything less than 12.6v and around 14v respectively is sub optimal.
Under 12.3v and your battery is going flat and will struggle on a modern car packed with electronics.
Anything less than 13v while engine running is an alternator issue generally, should be 14v at least usually.
That's all you need to check. The battery could well be end of life through never getting a full recharge, you probably need to drive the car an hour or two in one hit to fully recharge it.
Under 12.3v and your battery is going flat and will struggle on a modern car packed with electronics.
Anything less than 13v while engine running is an alternator issue generally, should be 14v at least usually.
That's all you need to check. The battery could well be end of life through never getting a full recharge, you probably need to drive the car an hour or two in one hit to fully recharge it.
To end the speculation you need to invest in a cheap battery tester and determine the Amps and Volts health of your battery:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOXWELL-100-1100-Cranking...
Or any garage will be able to load test the battery and give you the results.
A fully charged battery is 12.60 volts or more
A 50% charged battery is 12.30 volts
A battery can last 10+ years in ideal conditions but can be ruined in a matter of weeks through drain and lack of charge.
Once you have ruled out the battery you can investigate the other circuits if so required.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOXWELL-100-1100-Cranking...
Or any garage will be able to load test the battery and give you the results.
A fully charged battery is 12.60 volts or more
A 50% charged battery is 12.30 volts
A battery can last 10+ years in ideal conditions but can be ruined in a matter of weeks through drain and lack of charge.
Once you have ruled out the battery you can investigate the other circuits if so required.
AndySheff said:
Batteries generally last about 10 years.
Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
Absolutely not the case. All depends on the application/temperature and re-charging.Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
Leave a new battery over winter with a load connected and totally flat and every chance it will be dead in under 2yrs
Edited by 200Plus Club on Sunday 16th April 09:11
Hereward said:
To end the speculation you need to invest in a cheap battery tester and determine the Amps and Volts health of your battery:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOXWELL-100-1100-Cranking...
Or any garage will be able to load test the battery and give you the results.
A fully charged battery is 12.60 volts or more
A 50% charged battery is 12.30 volts
A battery can last 10+ years in ideal conditions but can be ruined in a matter of weeks through drain and lack of charge.
Once you have ruled out the battery you can investigate the other circuits if so required.
Screwfix sell a simple multimeter that will check the voltage for 9 quid. https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOXWELL-100-1100-Cranking...
Or any garage will be able to load test the battery and give you the results.
A fully charged battery is 12.60 volts or more
A 50% charged battery is 12.30 volts
A battery can last 10+ years in ideal conditions but can be ruined in a matter of weeks through drain and lack of charge.
Once you have ruled out the battery you can investigate the other circuits if so required.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ac-dc-digital-multi...
If you want a free load test pop along to any good local battery retailers who'll test it for free usually on load discharge, save buying an expensive load tester for one use.
You mention 'start button' OP and that it doesn't seem to be locking/setting the alarm/immobiliser properly.
Also it starts eventually so unlikely to be a flat battery.
It may be worth changing your key battery or try your spare key as the key itself needs to 'communicate' with the car for it to start.
Also it starts eventually so unlikely to be a flat battery.
It may be worth changing your key battery or try your spare key as the key itself needs to 'communicate' with the car for it to start.
MikeB444 said:
You mention 'start button' OP and that it doesn't seem to be locking/setting the alarm/immobiliser properly.
Also it starts eventually so unlikely to be a flat battery.
It may be worth changing your key battery or try your spare key as the key itself needs to 'communicate' with the car for it to start.
Modern cars (alfa for example) are notorious for throwing up lights, errors abd codes purely because of a low or poor battery on the car itself. Probably a good shout to stick a 3 quid battery in the fob or try a spare, then a cheap tester on the car battery as I suggested. Pointless going any further unless the op comes back with info on his battery voltage or gets it checked if he can't. Also it starts eventually so unlikely to be a flat battery.
It may be worth changing your key battery or try your spare key as the key itself needs to 'communicate' with the car for it to start.
Sounds more like a vehicle electronics issue. As you've pointed out... makes no sense for it to be a state of battery charge if the car can be started after the problem has occurred without you having to charge the battery between attempts.
There's no point putting a new battery on it when you'll most likely get the same result but sometimes it is the easiest way to eliminate all the blockages from the people who are supposed to be fixing the problem.
1. Either change the battery and remove your dashcam from the car. See if the problem is still there and if it is then you can go back to the dealer and tell them you've implemented their recommendations and the problem remains.
2. Start a complaint with the central office bypassing the dealers. If they throw up roadblocks as well then hire a solicitor.
There's no point putting a new battery on it when you'll most likely get the same result but sometimes it is the easiest way to eliminate all the blockages from the people who are supposed to be fixing the problem.
1. Either change the battery and remove your dashcam from the car. See if the problem is still there and if it is then you can go back to the dealer and tell them you've implemented their recommendations and the problem remains.
2. Start a complaint with the central office bypassing the dealers. If they throw up roadblocks as well then hire a solicitor.
AndySheff said:
Batteries generally last about 10 years.
Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
Our Skoda Fabia battery lasted 9 years. Then I checked the handbook, which says replace every 5 years.Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
I guess somewhere there is a more sensible pre-emptive change.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Wednesday 19th April 10:51
QJumper said:
For the sake of 40 quid I'd stick a new battery in it and see if that solves it. Probably cheaper and less faff than buying testers and messing about with other diagnostics.
If the problem persists then you've only spent £40 and 5 minutes to rule out the battery.
Rather than spend 9 quid on a volt tester? What if its the alternator and his 40 quid new battery does the same next week when it goes flat.?If the problem persists then you've only spent £40 and 5 minutes to rule out the battery.
Fault finding is a really simple logical process, rather than just guessing and wasting money. If the op can't test then any local battery retailers generally will for free before flogging him a battery!
200Plus Club said:
QJumper said:
For the sake of 40 quid I'd stick a new battery in it and see if that solves it. Probably cheaper and less faff than buying testers and messing about with other diagnostics.
If the problem persists then you've only spent £40 and 5 minutes to rule out the battery.
Rather than spend 9 quid on a volt tester? What if its the alternator and his 40 quid new battery does the same next week when it goes flat.?If the problem persists then you've only spent £40 and 5 minutes to rule out the battery.
Fault finding is a really simple logical process, rather than just guessing and wasting money. If the op can't test then any local battery retailers generally will for free before flogging him a battery!
200Plus Club said:
AndySheff said:
Batteries generally last about 10 years.
Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
Absolutely not the case. All depends on the application/temperature and re-charging.Last one I replaced was 14 years old.
Leave a new battery over winter with a load connected and totally flat and every chance it will be dead in under 2yrs
Edited by 200Plus Club on Sunday 16th April 09:11
Car has stop/start and a new battery at short notice was £180 from Halfords. Its about twice the size of any other car battery I've seen, so kind of feel like I got my moneys worth.
200Plus Club said:
ingenieur said:
Battery not covered by the manufacturer but the alternator will be.
I'm a Yorkshire man and would rather spend 9 quid over 40 to fault find lol. Actually I've got all the kit anyway so even better for free :-)ingenieur said:
Yes... but the problem in this case is that the battery probably isn't faulty but the dealer is using it as an excuse not to do any investigation or warranty work for the customer. Therefore if you replace the battery you remove that roadblock and the dealer then has to fix the car. It's an unfortunate situation.
Still easier to test voltages, then you know the facts rather than guessing. You can tell the dealer with certainty. Electrical engineer mode :-) 200Plus Club said:
ingenieur said:
Yes... but the problem in this case is that the battery probably isn't faulty but the dealer is using it as an excuse not to do any investigation or warranty work for the customer. Therefore if you replace the battery you remove that roadblock and the dealer then has to fix the car. It's an unfortunate situation.
Still easier to test voltages, then you know the facts rather than guessing. You can tell the dealer with certainty. Electrical engineer mode :-) Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff