When your car doesn’t start, often a low or dead battery is the culprit. Unfortunately, most vehicle owners do not check their battery until it fails. As preventative maintenance, the suggested best ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Electrical diagnostic work is one of the most challenging parts of automotive repair. It can be incredibly daunting for beginners or DIY ...

Cars of all makes, models and ages can experience sudden problems. Even with regular maintenance and checking, many components of your car’s system will need replacing at some point in their lifetime.

While using a digital multimeter to diagnose electrical problems on customers’ equipment, I frequently hear the comment, “I’ve got one of those multimeter things, but I never learned how to use it.” ...

Moderate drop: Indicates partial aging — monitor closely and retest soon. Severe drop or collapse: The battery is nearing end-of-life or has an internal fault. Tracking battery load test results helps ...

Car batteries tend to die at the most inconvenient moments, so periodic testing is the best way to avoid these troubles. Knowing what causes repeated battery failures can help you stay ahead of the ...

Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or ...

The reality is that like almost every component under the hood, a car battery has a finite lifespan and will conk out on you eventually. Weather conditions, corrosion, electrical shorts, charging ...