Can a bad battery cause a check engine light? When a battery is bad, it can cause electrical irregularities and can lead to impaired engine performance. The check engine lights come on when the engine is under, or over-performing that is, inability to perform at normal power.
However, this light can also come up sometimes when falsely triggered. An example of a false triggered check light van be when the battery is depleted and not providing enough electrical power to the air inflow sensor thereby sending the wrong signal to the car’s computer, you easily rest it but how.
Can a Bad Battery Cause a Check Engine Light
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Yes, a bad battery can cause a check engine light to come on, when a battery is bad, it can cause electrical problems. If there is an electrical problem then the electronic parts, including the computer can even cause a “Check Engine” light.
Impaired performance can come in any form and size, for example, a bad alternator can cause overheating. A bad alternator can lead to a battery dying and a bad air flow sensor can cause a misfiring shutter.
In essence, all parts of the car are connected and function together in tandem, as if one is affected the other can also too. If any part of the car is bad, faulty, or failing, then it can cause other parts to be affected too.
How to Reset Check Engine Light After Battery Change
To reset the check engine light, you should disconnect the two battery terminals for about 15 to 20 minutes and then reconnect it back. This method works in resting the check engine light and clears false error codes too.
However, if the check engine comes on as a result of a genie engine performance issue. Engine Performance can be affected by a wide range of factors ranging from a bad alternator, battery, or dirty spark plugs to clogged injectors or failing sensors.
| Method | Tools Required |
|---|---|
| 1. Drive your car and let light go off by itself. | None |
| 2. Turn the engine on and off three times in a row. | None |
| 3. Disconnect and reconnect the battery. | Wrench |
| 4. Use an OBD code reader. | Wrench and OBD reader |
If the check engine light comes on as a result of a true performance issue the only way to fix is by fixing the actual issue first. After fixing the underlying issues and the check light refuses to go off, then try the battery Disconnecting method to reset the check engine light.
If this method does not work again for you, there are other means of resetting the light which vary depending on the car’s make and model. Below are two other most widely used methods apart from the battery disconnecting method.
- Plug the reader into the OBD port of your vehicle. If you’re looking for an FM transmitter, it’s usually located near the bottom of the dash. In some cases, you’ll have to disconnect the door on your fuse box in order to access it.
- Once you have connected the reader, press the “enter” button to turn it on.
- The device will scan your engine for any error codes. Once you are done diagnosing it, the reader will display any error codes it finds. Make note of these if you want to cross-check them with the code reader’s manual or online.
- Now you can press “scroll” to find the option to erase the code. Press enter while on this option to erase the fault code and reset the check engine light.
Can a Key Fob Cause Check Engine Light to Come on
The answer is No, a key fob cannot cause the check engine light to come up. The car’s key fob is not designed to have any impact on the performance of the vehicle by any means, they are a little touch of flexibility added to make working with the car a little easier from a distance.
A key fob is just a small device, call it a remote, used to control a vehicle’s smart lock or keyless entry as some car makers call it. The fob has some buttons programmed to perform different set functions in a car such as opening and locking the door’s central lock some remotes can even be used to start the car.
With all these functions the remote can perform, it has less effect on the vehicle’s overall performance. The worst that can happen when the key fob’s battery is weak is not being able to use the keyless entry features and you can always bypass it by using the traditional key to do anything the remote can do.
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What Are the Signs You Need a New Alternator?
Alternators are the most important electrical component in your vehicle. They provide the power to charge your battery, run your air conditioner, and turn over your engine.
A bad alternator can cause all sorts of problems.
If you experience any of these signs, you may need a new alternator:
- The vehicle’s battery is not holding a charge.
- Shaking, randomly dimming, and flickering headlights.
- The engine starts but does not idle smoothly.
- The engine has a “lugging” or “bucking” sound when accelerating.
What Happens When Car Battery is Low?
If your car battery is low, it means that there is not enough power to start the engine. The battery could be low because it needs to be charged or because the alternator is not working properly.
Steps:
- Make sure that the car is in the park and turned off.
- Open the hood and locate the battery.
- Check if there are any warning signs such as white smoke coming out of it or if there are any cracks on the case.
If there are no warning signs, then you need to charge your battery by driving for about 30 minutes with a fully charged battery in another vehicle, or by using a jump starter. If you have access to another fully charged car, then you can use jumper cables from one.
Will a Failing Alternator Throw a Code?
If you have a car, you know that if it’s not running well, the first thing to do is check the engine. If it’s running well but the car is still not performing as expected, we might need to check for problems with the alternator.
An alternator is an electrical device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. It produces electricity and sends it through a circuit to charge the battery and power up devices inside your car. The alternator works by spinning a magnet past a wire coil to generate an electric current.
Conclusion
The article concludes that a bad battery can cause a check engine light. To start with, the article mentions that a bad battery can cause the check engine light to come on.
It also says that it is possible for the check engine light to come on even if the battery is not the problem. If this happens, then it is necessary to have an inspection done by someone who knows what they are doing.
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