Car batteries are one of those things where you only really notice them once they’ve stopped working. When they’re working they are used to start your car, help power your radio, lights, windscreen wipers, and pretty well anything else that uses electricity in your car. However, over time you will more than likely experience issues with your battery’s performance, which can appear in a number of ways, such as the radio cutting out, the headlights appearing dimmer than normal and the car failing to start – especially on cold mornings.

Knowing how to look after your car’s battery and what can cause damage is key to getting the most value from it and ensuring you don’t get unexpectedly stranded by the side of the road.

Before your car battery actually dies you might notice a few signs that it isn’t working normally. Electrical systems are usually the first things to be affected by battery wear; you may notice your car’s radio, lighting, and windscreen wipers may act differently (sluggishly or less immediately) than beforehand.

Another sign that you might notice is a strong smell coming from the battery itself – often likened to rotten eggs. This is caused by the battery attempting to ‘overcharge’ itself (trying to recharge more energy than it can hold). This is often a fault in the charging system that needs to be addressed, otherwise, the same thing is likely to happen to a brand new battery.

This can also be detected visually, as in some cases this can cause the case of the battery to bulge. In this situation, it is strongly recommended to bring your car to a qualified expert, as the swelling and the smell coming from the battery is caused by the sulfuric acid inside the casing.