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What Does The Car Battery Warning Light On The Dashboard Mean?

What Does The Car Battery Warning Light On The Dashboard Mean?

When the ignition switch is turned or when it is brought to the IGN position, all warning lamps on the instrument panel will illuminate for control purposes, including the warning lamp with the red battery symbol. The charge indicator  must turn off after the engine has started. If the light does not go off  after the engine has started, or if the charging lamp is still on when driving, it means that it is not being charged.

In this case, all electrical equipments used in the vehicle will consume electricity from the battery and it cause the discharge to be short-term (discharge).

If the service can not be called or if the service can be carried out for a short period of time, the electric receivers in the vehicle must be switched off as much as possible in order to save the situation so that the electricity consumption will be reduced, For this reason, in the daytime,  the headlamps, parks must be closed, all of non-essential electrical equipments such as air conditioner, heater, music system, interior lighting can be closed and go to the nearest auto service.

The Reasons for Why Battery Charge Lights are Showing up

  • The alternator may be malfunctioning.
  • Alternator charcoals (brushes) may be exhausted or broken. (Common cause). In this case, the problem is solved by simply disassembling the plug and replacing it with the new one, there is no need to replace the whole alternator.
  • The regulator of the alternator can be get damaged. In this case, the fault can only be eliminated by changing the regulator.
  • Alternator belt (also called V-belt) is torn or belt tension has decreased or deformed. The belt tension can be controlled manually by pressing it from the middle of the longest part of the belt in the gap, when the finger is pressed. The belt is 1 – 1.5 cm stretched. The alternator belt may break if it is over tensioned.

ATTENTION:  If the V-belt is broken, the engine must be stopped immediately and switched off if the charging lamp is on. The water pump (circulation pump) will also not work in the event of a V-belt breaking, in which case the engine will not cool down and overheats, causing severe damage to the motor.

Battery Charge Lights Are Blinking (SOLVED)

One of the most common problems in vehicles is the problem of the battery discharge lamp blinking. It confuses the owner’s head with more.

If the battery charge lights are blinking…

1 – If there is a leakage of electricity: If there is a bypass in your car, if there is a leak, the battery charge light may blink depending on the situation of the leakage.

Solution: If there is a problem with the battery, you should check every part of electric current or you should chceck whether are there any leakage of electricity in your car or not.

2 – When you step on it, the battery lights off:  It is usually the first of the most common situations. If the battery light is on while the vehicle is running but when you step on it, the lights of battery can go off. Usually the first reason that the car charger is not at a sufficient level.

Solution: The voltage of the alternator (charger) should be measured while the car is idling. You can do this with a tool attached to the battery pole heads. The measurement made at the idle should be within the range of 13.7 – 15. If there is less voltage from this range and this voltage is rising when you press the glaze, there is a possibility of charging dynamo failure. The problem can be corrected by removing the charging dynamo and repairing the necessary parts.

3- If battery light is dim or off-and-on:  In some cases, a so-called charge lamp flare may occur. The battery lamp does not fully light but turns on with a dim light, and a dimmer battery lamp indicates insufficient charge. This situation often happens in the evening or when the electrical equipment is working more than once. For example, if the headlights are flashing and the air conditioner is working at the same time, the charge lamp is blinking.

Solution: Turn off your headlights, mists and other electrical equipment during such a flashing situation, when you are driving, by pulling your vehicle to the side during idling. If the lamp is going off, check that the amperage value of the battery matches your vehicle. Open all equipments at the same time, check the voltage condition. This way you can identify the source of the problem.

Hüseyin Aksoy is an automotive expert with more than 10 years of industry experience.

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Comments (1)

  1. December 19, 2022

    The light on my Hyundai Kona hybrid is a blue depiction of a car battery. There appears to be an arrow pointing into it. What does it mean, It only comes on very infrequently. NOTE; It is BLUE , not Red. IK cannot find anything about it in the manual or online.

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