Toyota Battery Service Near Hoover, AL

Why Won’t My Car Start?

Most starting problems can be narrowed down to the following possibilities:

• Battery is drained but healthy: This is the best-case-scenario, because it means that it drained because of something like headlights left on, dome light left on or some other battery draining feature. If this is the case, a jump start or a battery charger is the simple solution.
• Battery is too old to keep charged: If this is the problem, you’ll need a new battery. If the jump start fails or if it works but the next day it is dead again, the issue may be associated with an old battery.
• Starter system problem: This means the battery is not the root cause of the engine not starting. It can be related to your starter system; whether it is the alternator, the starter or the battery can only be determined by a technician. You should always have your battery professionally tested to rule out a battery problem before you replace it.

If It’s Not My Battery, What Is It?

If your battery is healthy and fully charged but your car still won’t start, then your problem can be relegated to a component of your ignition system. Usually that is the alternator or the starter, but it could also be a spark plug, wiring, a problem with a fuse or relay, issues with the starter switch itself, or it could be related to corroded terminals or connectors. The only way to know for sure is with a diagnostic test to find the root of the problem.

Why Won’t the Battery Keep a Charge?

If your battery won’t keep a charge, here are some reasons:

• Corrosion around terminals. A technician can clean up the terminals to see if that fixes the problem.
• Something is draining your battery: This could be due to a bad fuse or relay, a defective light that doesn’t work or it could be a door latch that won’t quite close, leaving the dome light on, among other things.
• Battery is dying: If it is old and near the end of its life, a voltmeter will tell us with a battery test.
• Bad alternator: The alternator is what charges your battery and keeps it charged when you drive. This component is one of the first things we check when you bring your vehicle in with starting issues.
• Other electrical system defects: These can be related to fuses, relays, wires, plugs and the like, but a full diagnostic will help us pinpoint the problem.