Dead Battery in Washington?
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.
Just across the District line from the shop. We take roadside calls from nearby DC neighborhoods for jump starts, flat tires, lockouts and fuel. Call and tell us exactly where you are, and we will tell you honestly whether we can reach you quickly.
The complaints we hear most from District customers are brake noise, alignment pulling after a pothole, and check-engine lights on cars that spend most of their life idling in traffic. Short city trips also shorten battery life, because the alternator never gets a long enough run to fully recharge.
We reach drivers along East Capitol Street, Benning Road, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Southern Avenue, DC-295. Tell us the cross street or a landmark when you call.
What Happens When We Get There
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 It Is The Battery
- 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