It always happens at the most inconvenient time. Vehicle batteries always die at the wrong time. Not that there’s necessarily any good time for a battery to fail. But you usually only discover it’s dead when you’re in a rush to get somewhere and your engine won’t turn over. Rick Case Kia in Sunrise can help.

 

What should you do? 

 

Below are a few possible quick solutions that will get you back on the road in a short time.

Depending on where you are and what time of day your battery’s decided to punch the proverbial ticket, your options could vary.

 

The first thing you’re going to need are some jumper cables and a willing person to pull his or her car up alongside yours and give you a jumpstart. If you’ve never learned how to jumpstart a car before, and are asking yourself, “Positive to negative, or positive to positive?” Here's how. Try asking someone nearby if they’d be willing to give you a hand. Don’t be shy about asking – almost everyone’s been in this situation before and can probably identify with your dilemma.

 

If there’s nobody around...

 

Phone a friend

Pull out your cell phone and start swiping through your list of contacts. Call your spouse, your best friend, or a family member to ask them if they have jumper cables and if they can get to you. If you have to be somewhere and don’t have the time to deal with jumpstarting your car, they can at the very least give you a ride to your destination.

 

While you’ve got your phone out, be sure not to waste time on social media, or other battery-consuming sites. Now isn’t the time to have a dead phone battery too.

 

Call for professional help

Roadside assistance is an optional car insurance addition that can sometimes swoop-in for the big save during your hour of desperate need. If you’ve got roadside assistance, get on the horn and call in for help. Not sure if you do? Call your insurance company and find out. However, here at Rick Case Kia in Sunrise, the majority of our new and pre-owned/used vehicles come with 24-hour roadside assistance. 

 

For a fee, most towing companies can come to you and jumpstart your car or tow it to a technician / mechanic who can determine if your battery needs to be replaced, recharged, or simply jumpstarted.

 

Typically, all a dead battery needs is a jumpstart to get it going again. Once it’s been brought back from the Great Beyond, driving your vehicle should be enough for it to recharge back to its normal, fully functional state. If your battery continues to die after it’s been jumped, this is a sign that you may need to have it replaced. Fortunately, battery replacement is fairly inexpensive. At Rick Case Kia in Sunrise, we shop our competition, and all of our batteries are competitively priced.

 

Advice to Keep Your Car Battery Alive

Extend the life of your car’s battery, and try not to put yourself in a situation where you have to use any of the above fixes.

 

Don’t leave your stereo on

When the vehicle’s not running, the stereo can quickly drain the battery.

 

Don’t leave your lights on

Make sure your headlights and interior lights are off every time you exit your car. If you’ve got an option to leave the lights on an ‘automatic’ setting, use that one to avoid having to flip the switch.

 

Be conscious of cold weather

Cold weather can test the limits of your battery and can sometimes be the very thing that does it in. Try to bundle your errands together in the winter, so you’re driving longer, as starting the engine is especially stressful on the battery when temps have dropped. Try to park it in the warmth of the sun, and if you live in one of America’s coldest places, consider insulating your battery. Read more here about how to keep your battery alive and kicking during the winter months.

 

Be conscious of extreme heat

Like with cold weather, the summer heat can test the limits of your battery too. Especially in South Florida where it is hot most of the year, batteries do not last that long and tend to degrade faster than other states. 

 

Keep an eye on it

Peek under the hood every so often to check the condition of your battery. Corrosion can often build-up between and around the battery’s connectors, causing it to operate improperly. If you notice corrosion, use a wire-brush to scrub away at it.

Having battery issues?

You can get your car serviced here Rick Case Kia located at 14500 West Sunrise Blvd Sunrise, FL 33323, by setting up an appointment online here or call (954) 715-7581. Keep your vehicle driving smooth the entire year! 

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