Battery Light On But Car Runs Fine: 5 Main Reasons

It’s not very difficult to understand that drivers always feel uneasy and perplexed when their battery light on but car runs fine.

Thus, this issue is getting more and more prevalent on many car forums, and many are still finding out the best answer for this curiosity.

If you’re in the same boat as them, don’t hesitate to capture our blog today to know what happens with your automobile as well as some practical way to fix that.

Follow us now to see the detailed answer!

What Does Battery Light Coming On While Driving Mean?

Battery Light On But Car Runs Fine

There are two key cases here.

If your vehicle battery light is on when you just start the engine, you’re virtually in a safe zone.

It is normal for this sign, and the alarm light will automatically switch off after a couple of seconds.

The other case is when a car battery light came on while driving. You should notice this signal.

It would be better if you put your consideration on some common symptoms of running out of juice, such as the stereo not turning on properly or the car’s power windows coming up slowly.

In addition, when the battery light keeps coming on, it might have some meanings below.

  • A corroded or loose battery cable
  • An issue with the voltage regulator or bad alternator.
  • Bad wiring in your vehicle’s electric charging network.
  • Damaged plates or cells inside the vehicle battery
  • There is a certain problem with the battery charging dashboard. It might stem from your battery dashboard, which does not get enough power from the battery to run properly.

Why Is A Battery Light On But Car Runs Fine? How To Fix?

The battery light on car while driving might derive from a bad ground strap, negative battery cable, faulty alternator belt, negative battery terminals, or poor dash cluster.

In this sector, we will also recommend some solutions to address this issue for you.

Rusted Ground Strap

It is no different from the corroded or loose battery joint; a corroded or broken ground wire might also trigger a slew of unknown faults in your car.

Actually, it isn’t hard to check and find the type of error on your vehicle.

Normally, you will find one strap between the engine and the body and another one between the automobile body and the car battery’s negative (black) terminal.

You should carry on a visual check frequently on the automobile’s group straps to see whether they have any tears or breaks or not.

The strap’s ends are where you have to inspect for any signs of corrosion accumulation, which is one of the strong roots that causes a poor ground connection.

In addition, there is a wise tip to help you avoid this cause. Unscrew fixing battery bolts, then use a piece of sandpaper to clean the link joint, ensuring a stable connection.

After that, torque these fixing bolts and refit the earth straps.

Corroded Battery Cable

Battery cables are responsible for delivering the voltage from the battery to the car.

If the battery power has trouble reaching the car due to a loose or corroded battery cable, it can not operate properly. So these cables are small yet mighty.

Thus, battery cables need to fit well around the terminals, to the point that you can not rotate the cable end just by hand, allowing it to deliver the proper voltage supply.

To check and ensure the connection is stable, use the pliers or wrench to tighten it so that it completely fits snugly.

However, you mustn’t do it up too tightly; otherwise, some bolts might strip out. Hence, it would be best if you don’t overdo it.

Battery Terminals

Loose or corroded battery terminals might trigger a wide range of strange defects in your automobile.

One of these common manifestations is your battery light turned on while driving.

To address the issue, you should set up a visual inspection of your battery terminals to see if they have any corrosion and make sure all connections are completely tight.

Don’t forget to squirt some clear oil onto the battery terminals, preventing the accumulation of battery corrosion.

Alternator Belt

The alternator belt is part and parcel because it links the engine, the alternator, and accessories together.

As these belts age, they can crack or even utterly break. Sometimes, you can also detect misaligned or excessive loose or tight belts.

When this part has an issue with the component, it might activate the battery light on while driving and even generate some squealing from the automobile’s hood.

Of course, the only choice with a broken belt is to replace it.

But for prevention, ensure you take out all debris or dust from the existing belt that might accidentally be left in different engine components.

This can be the root of many complicated troubles for your vehicle on your journey. 

Dash Cluster

Though this defect comes out last on the list, it still is a common fault resulting in many complex issues for your vehicle.

Normally, when your car has some trouble with a poor dash cluster, it isn’t hard for you to find some signs like bad odometer readings or some illuminated warning lights that run improperly, etc.

If you don’t have a deep insight into this area, it would be better to ask some help from a professional mechanic to confirm exactly what is happening with this component.

The Wrap Up

Why Is A Battery Light On But Car Runs Fine?

We have just walked through key sections to find out why the battery light on but car runs fine as well as its solution for each reason.

Once we have your company till these last words, we completely believe that your curiosity earlier is solved, and the post today delivered a piece of practical information to you.

From now on, you should usually visually check your vehicle, especially the battery, to prevent potential issues and ensure a safe and smooth journey with your car in the coming days.

See you soon in our next useful content on this site!

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