Battery and Engine Light On Car Won’t Start

Introduction

When your car’s battery and engine light come on at the same time, it can be a very scary experience. You may be wondering what’s wrong with your car and how much it’s going to cost to fix it. In this article, we’ll discuss the most common causes of this problem and provide some tips on how to fix it.

Causes of Battery and Engine Light Coming On

There are a few different things that can cause your car’s battery and engine light to come on at the same time. Some of the most common causes include:

Dead battery: If your car’s battery is dead, it will not be able to provide power to the engine. This will cause the engine light to come on and the car will not start.
Loose battery terminals: If the battery terminals are loose, they may not be making good contact with the battery. This can also cause the engine light to come on and the car will not start.
Bad alternator: The alternator is responsible for charging the battery. If the alternator is bad, it will not be able to charge the battery and the car will not start.
Broken serpentine belt: The serpentine belt is responsible for driving the alternator. If the serpentine belt is broken, the alternator will not be able to charge the battery and the car will not start.

How to Fix Battery and Engine Light Coming On

If your car’s battery and engine light come on at the same time, there are a few things you can do to try to fix the problem:

Check the battery: The first thing you should do is check the battery. Make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight. If the battery is dead, you will need to replace it.
Check the alternator: If the battery is good, the next thing you should check is the alternator. You can do this by using a voltmeter to check the voltage at the battery terminals. If the voltage is below 12 volts, the alternator may be bad and will need to be replaced.
Check the serpentine belt: If the alternator is good, the next thing you should check is the serpentine belt. Make sure the belt is tight and not broken. If the belt is broken, it will need to be replaced.

Conclusion

If you have tried all of the above steps and your car’s battery and engine light are still on, you will need to take your car to a mechanic for further diagnosis. The mechanic will be able to determine the exact cause of the problem and recommend the best course of action.