Over time, batteries can become damaged, the terminals can become corroded, or the cables can become dislodged or damaged. Probably the most common cause of the battery warning light is a failure of the battery itself. If you continue to drive with a broken alternator belt you could cause serious damage to your car’s engine. If this is the case, we would recommend that you stop your car as soon as it’s safe to do so and call your local garage or breakdown service. If your engine warning light comes on and you notice that either your engine temperature is increasing, or your car becomes much harder to steer, you may have an issue with the alternator belt. This is perhaps the most serious problem, as the belt not only drives the alternator, but the engine coolant pump and power steering system. There is simply not enough power stored in your car’s battery to power all the necessary electrical systems and keep your car running at the same time. If your alternator fails, your car’s electrical systems are all draining power directly from the battery, hence why your car will lose power and ultimately come to a stop. It also provides electricity to the car while it’s running, helping to power things like the headlights, heater, radio and electric windows. Your alternator produces the electrical charge that is stored in your car’s battery. With that in mind, you should focus on finding somewhere safe to stop your car and call your local garage or breakdown service to come and recover your vehicle. You could lose power steering, making your car harder to control, followed by complete power loss, at any time and this has the potential to cause an accident. If you’re a long way from home, or you don’t know where your nearest garage is, then your safety and that of your passengers and other road users is paramount. You then have two choices and they depend really on where you are when the battery light stays on. If it is safe to drive without your headlights and you can see clearly, turn them off as well to conserve power. That means turning off the stereo, air conditioning, heated seats and anything you may be charging in the car. The first thing you should do is turn off any electrical systems in your car that you don’t need.

What should you do if the battery warning light comes on? That means that your car is only running on battery power that will eventually run out, bringing your car to a halt. If your battery warning light comes on whilst you’re driving, it means that your battery is no longer being charged by the alternator and is running only on its own charge.

Car battery indicator not working