You've probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on your dash when you start your engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything's OK. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your battery's not charging properly.

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS

BATTERY & ELECTRIC

At Mercie J Auto Care in Mesa, AZ, we know how annoying a dead battery can be. Here’s some information on the subject, that will hopefully help you understand your battery issues a little better.

Your car’s radio and headlights, plus a slew of other important functions, are powered by an electrical current generated by your vehicle’s engine. A vital part of generating electricity is having a place to store it while it’s not being used, which is where a car battery comes into play. The battery holds electrical energy while a car is off in order to help the engine turn over and create a spark to start internal combustion. Without a working battery, your car will not be able to start. If you perform proper maintenance, however, an average car battery can start your car reliably for roughly four years.

Batteries were more simple to diagnose on the cars of yesteryear; either the car started or it didn’t. These days, modern cars require less power to start, and more power to run, meaning a bad battery may still start the car, but other battery related issues may be experienced as a result. From Mercie J Auto Care in Mesa, here are some items to look out for.

Cold weather is difficult. It’s hard on us, and it’s hard on your car - and it’s never colder than when you’re sitting in a broken-down vehicle waiting on a tow truck. Luckily, Mercie J Auto Care in Mesa, AZ has some advice on the matter, to make sure you avoid a breakdown this winter.

As cars become more technologically advanced, the importance of your vehicle’s battery becomes continually more important. In the old days, a car battery essentially worked, or it didn’t; if it was good enough to start the car, it was good enough. Moderns vehicles are a different story. A faulty battery can cause a variety of issues, including engine codes, sensor failures, irregular transmission behavior, and the list goes on. Battery failure often causes issues that are commonly misdiagnosed, and in the hands of the wrong auto repair shop, a mechanic may spend hundreds of your hard-earned dollars chasing problems that don’t exist. At Mercie J Auto Care in Mesa, AZ, our mechanics are familiar with modern vehicles and the problems that accompany them.

Every so often you notice it: The transmission shifts a little late, or maybe it seems to miss a gear entirely. Then it’s okay again… for a little while. Worst of all, there’s no rhyme or reason behind the condition. One minute it’s fine, the next it’s not. So you pop the hood to check the transmission fluid level. Then you notice it: A big mountain of corrosion on the battery terminals. You’ll have to take care of that, but it can’t have anything to do with the transmission, right?

At Mercie J Auto Care in Mesa, AZ, our main goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV always performing at its best. Valve adjustments are an integral aspect of that goal.

A battery isn’t something you would expect to be affected by weather; as long as it’s charged, most batteries just work. Vehicle batteries, however, are actually noticeably impacted by cold weather. You may notice on especially cold mornings that your vehicle is a little slower to start then normal...that’s because your battery struggles a little more than usual in the cold.