With cold weather coming, automobiles tend to suffer, the most basic case is to have difficulties starting your Chevrolet Cobalt early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Cobalt . There are several reasons that can describe why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and today we will try to help you to resolve this problem that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To get this done, first we will describe how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Chevrolet Cobalt, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Chevrolet Cobalt function?
Before we describe the different problems of recharging the battery on a Chevrolet Cobalt , we will describe to you how its recharging system operates so that you can figure out the problems you are facing. A motor vehicle battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Chevrolet Cobalt , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it may deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To overcome this problem, the engineers have produced a element called the alternator , this element will use the energy produced by the engine of your Chevrolet Cobalt to generate energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, bear in mind that this process can just work when your car is running, using electrical components of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your motor vehicle. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
Problems recharging a Chevrolet Cobalt’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Chevrolet Cobalt you might be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is necessarily a problem in your electrical set up, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Cobalt: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger
In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in fact, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Chevrolet Cobalt to start, the problem most certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to generate any more current.
Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Cobalt: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start regardless if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have managed to start your Chevrolet Cobalt but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the problem with recharging the battery of your Chevrolet Cobalt is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging problem on Chevrolet Cobalt: My battery is discharged although it is new
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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges while you’re driving, the problem most probably comes from your alternator. It cannot originate from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to resolve the problem of battery charging on Chevrolet Cobalt?
We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are facing. Here are the different problems and their solutions:
- Defective alternator: You can try with simple mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to discover if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, replacing it is the best solution, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the just realistic solution. Obviously, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be replaced, count between 60 and 100 euros based on your engine.
- Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Chevrolet Cobalt but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a verify by a motor vehicle electrician is in this case required.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Chevrolet Cobalt
At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Chevrolet Cobalt there are just few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will just provide the energy needed to start.
To find more tips on the Chevrolet Cobalt, take a look at the Chevrolet Cobalt category.
