How can you tell if a computer battery is low?

Answer 1

"Click." It's one of winter's first and most unwelcome sounds - the sound of a dead battery. But you don't ever have to hear that ugly sound if you keep the health of your battery in mind, and take a few precautionary measures: Before you find yourself hearing this mechanical death rattle some cold wintry morning, go outside right now and check out the condition of your vehicle's battery. As a general rule, if the battery is more than four years old, expect a funeral for it sometime soon. Even if it starts your car just fine right now, when the outside temperature next drops below freezing, its weakness will be apparent. Cold weather reduces the operating efficiency of all batteries by half or more - and weak, dying batteries are the first to give up the ghost. This is one of the reasons, incidentally, why electric cars are unusable in the cold Northeast and have been sold thus far only in places that are warm year-round (California, Arizona, and New Mexico so far). Click here to find out more! Know how old it is. Most batteries will have a date they were put into service visible on a plastic tag on top of the case. It will show the month and year, letting you know about how much useful life is left. If your car has the original, factory-installed battery, however, it may not have any such helpful info because instead of a label, there will be a "Delco" (if it's a GM product) or "Motorcraft" (if Ford) stamping - and that's all. But if you know how old your car is, you also know how old the battery is. If the vehicle is more than four years old, replacing the battery is good insurance, even if it's working fine right now. If it's old, replace it. There are several options here. The most expensive is to go directly to the parts counter of your new car dealership and request an exact replacement. You can have the dealer install it or do the work yourself. But the markup and labor costs will definitely hurt your pocketbook. A better alternative is to go to a reputable auto parts store and buy a good name-brand battery. Interstate batteries are high-quality pieces; so also the "DieHard" replacement batteries sold at Sears. Auto parts stores also stock "Original Equipment Manufacturer" (OEM) batteries made by AC-Delco (GM's supplier) and others. The important thing is to be sure you get the right battery - that is, one rated for your specific car's needs. If you have a car with lots of electronics and power options (most late-model vehicles fit this category), you'll need a higher-output battery than an older car that lacks these current-drawing parts. Make sure you get the right one. Finding the right battery is easy. Just ask the parts man to look up the correct application in his book. Don't skimp and try and get by with a lower amp battery than listed for your car or truck. As with fuel recommendations and tire pressure ranges, there's a good reason for abiding by what the engineers who built your car suggest. Save some dough and do it yourself. For those who want to avoid labor charges to install the battery, take heart: the procedure is a simple task that takes about ten minutes and typically requires a crescent wrench and a screwdriver to do the job. All you have to do is loosen the cable clamps that attach to the battery's terminals. Remember, remove the negative battery cable first, and reconnect it last . Then unscrew/unbolt the hold-down brace that keeps the battery in position. Lift out the old battery and install the new one, reversing the procedure. That's it. You're done. Some batteries - the ones with side post terminals in particular - are a bit more challenging. For these, you may need some open-end wrenches and other tools. Check everything before you finish. Before closing the hood on your new battery, make sure the cables and terminal ends are not cracked, corroded, or dirty. If they are, clean or replace them with new parts to ensure a positive connection.

Answer 2

It is dead when the car doesnt start. You can see warning sighs when your car takes longer to start, or when rolling your windows up or down takes longer than normal. If you fully charge the battery and it looses that charge over a 24 hour period, and you know there is nothing draining the battery, it has a dead cell. In some cases a battery with a dead cell will not even accept a charge.

Answer 3

sometimes it dies when you let the battery run for a specific amount of time or when its just past the expiration date which is located on the battery

Answer 4

Well, for one your laptop won't turn on...

Answer 5

Well you could buy a battery checker at Walmart or at target or any were they sell those types of stuff

Answer 6

Should be a battery symbol on your taskbar with bars like a cell signal strength.

Answer 7

because the laptop wont turn on