What You May Be Dealing With
You turn the key and get a click, or the dash lights flicker and fade. Maybe the lights were left on, maybe it is cold, or maybe the battery has been getting weaker for a while and today it finally quit.
A jump start gets you moving. What it does not do is tell you whether the battery will hold a charge tomorrow, which is why we check rather than just jumping it and driving away.
How YBE Helps
We come to the vehicle and jump-start it using proper equipment and connection points. Jumping a modern vehicle incorrectly can damage electronics, which is a good reason not to accept a jump from a stranger with an unknown set of cables.
Once it is running, we test the battery and the charging system on the spot. That tells you whether you just had a bad night or whether the battery or alternator is on its way out.
If the battery is done, we can often replace it right there. If the alternator is the problem, we will tell you, because a jump start on a failing alternator only buys you a few miles.
Signs You Need This
- A single click or rapid clicking when you turn the key
- Dash lights dimming or going out while cranking
- Slow, labored cranking before it quit
- You have needed a jump recently
- Interior lights very dim or not coming on
- The battery is more than a few years old
What This May Include
- Mobile jump start at your location
- Correct connection procedure for modern vehicles
- On-the-spot battery test
- Charging-system check to see if the alternator is keeping up
- Mobile battery replacement if the battery has failed
- An honest answer about whether you can drive it or should have it looked at
Worth Knowing
A battery that needed a jump once will usually need one again. The second time is rarely somewhere convenient.
If the alternator is the actual problem, the car will run until the battery is drained and then stop, which can happen in traffic rather than in a parking space.
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Areas We Serve
Based in Capitol Heights, MD, serving nearby Maryland and Washington, DC.